Longueville House Beverages

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"Our Story so far..."

Producers and purveyors of small batch, premium, non industrial, Artisan Ciders & Apple Brandy.

William O'Callaghan and his father Michael before him have been fermenting exceptional craft cider and distilling Ireland's only Apple Brandy for over 36 years. Using only heritage, heirloom cider apples, namely Michelin (Normandy) and Dabinett (Somerset), grown in substantial, natural orchards in the beautiful Blackwater Valley.

Cider apples differ hugely in taste from cooking, eating or dessert apples. Cider apples are naturally higher in tannins and lower in fructose, which results in a cleaner, crisper cider, and lower in calories than commercially produced ciders. We are one of four single-origin orchards in Ireland, only using apples in our ciders from our own sustainable orchards. A "blossom-to-bottle" ethos helps ensure sustainability, authenticity, quality, traceability, uniqueness and compliance.

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It all started when William’s father, the late Michael O’Callaghan, planted 30 acres of sustainable cider apple orchard's in 1985. He became the first person in Ireland, outside the big three established national distillers to get a licence and so became the first person since the 1770's to reintroduce to Ireland the practice of distilling cider.
 
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Michael O'Callaghan

"Our Founding Father, a proud Corkman, an exceptional character with great passion, forsight & vision" 

A proud Corkman and Irishman with a deep love of his county and country, a pioneering spirit and a passionate man on all things Brandy, Calvados and Cognac. Michael was the first man to grow grapes here in Ireland. He was keen to grow grapes to make an Irish wine. Latterally  he planted an apple orchard to make cider, then double distill that cider to make apple brandy - a product most similar to Calvados.

In 2010 when Michael died, the vines were removed, however the Orchards continue to flourish and thrive and William now continues his father's vision and legacy, with the guidance of Dan Duggan - Longuevilles’ Master Distiller and Chief Cideroligist.


William and Dan have refined the ancient crafts of cider and brandy production at Longueville House. The cider and apple brandy production have been brought to a higher quality while maintaining the natural and respectful process used by our forefathers. That being the clean terroir, methodology and sustainability ethos- crushing, pressing, fermentation, filtration, light carbonation, pasteurisation - while using no pesticides, fungicides, insecticides in our orchards and process.  

 "Our expertise in fermenting exceptional cider and in distilling and maturing brandy delivers one of Ireland's best ciders and Ireland's only Apple Brandy. The apple brandy combines a smoothness on the palate and richness in body, with a distinct apple-sweet taste that we are immensely proud of."

William O'Callaghan

Proprietor