Irish guys still smiling
Ireland’s only independent distillery has had a rollercoaster time since it was established at the end of the ’80s.Now it’s time to deliver,its chairman tells Dominic Roskrow
Itâs time to change the record. Time to take off New Kid In Town by The Eagles and replace it with James Brownâs Itâs A Manâs Manâs Manâs World. Or, and letâs not be too cynical about this, Abbaâs Money, Money, Money. Time to grow up, stop looking for excuses and come of age.
I hope Cooley chairman and founder John Teeling will forgive this somewhat clumsy summary of our 90 minute meeting, but in a nutshell, thatâs it.
âWe talk about ourselves as the new kids on the block but next year Cooley will be 18 years old,â he says in the Dublin offices from which he runs a drilling and mining business as well as a distilling one.
âWeâre coming of age and itâs time we delivered a bit. We have found it hard in some areas of the business, have made mistakes and at times faced very dark days. But weâre still here and we need to look at our business and where itâs going.â If these words make it sound like Teeling feels that Cooley is slacking and needs to pull itself together, then the impression is wrong.
Spend any time with Cooleyâs staff and youâre impressed by the energy and enthusiasm within the business.
Indeed the company thrives on the fact that it is a rebellious independent, that it has faced up to a giant of a rival and it has survived everything thrown at it. If it has yet to achieve the heights hoped of it, itâs because of circumstances beyond its control.
And Teelingâs call to arms is a timely one.
For Cooley finds itself not .....
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By Dominic Roskrow
Section : Irish Whiskey
Page number : 52
