Cooper appointed at Irish Distillers
Irish Distillers has appointed Derek Cronin as cooper for Midleton Distillery, making him only the second newly-qualified cooper to join the distillery in more than 45 years.
Originally a carpenter, Cronin has recently completed a four-year cooperage apprenticeship under Ger Buckley, master cooper at Irish Distillers. He first joined Irish Distillers as a general operative in 2019, starting his apprenticeship the following year.
As cooper for Midleton Distillery, Cronin will repair and maintain the distillery’s two million plus casks.
Buckley said: "Training Derek in the art of coopering for the last four years has been a wonderful experience. His background in carpentry enabled him to hit the ground running and he has truly immersed himself in every aspect of the craft since the beginning, ensuring that the future of this age-old craft is in safe hands.
“I would like to officially welcome Derek into the cooperage fold and look forward to seeing his continued contribution to the story of Irish whiskey in Midleton.”
1 May 2024 - Lucy Schofield