You won’t find any other area in Dublin like The Liberties. Between its unique history and diverse community, it’s quite unmatched.
We’ve teamed up with Roe & Co to find out why and how The Liberties and the Dublin 8 area have remained as special and unique as they are today. Roe & Co is located on James’ Street, Dublin 8 and is steeped in history and tradition. George Roe helped build the golden era of Irish whiskey in the 19th century and along with Guinness, was one of the biggest names at the heart of Dublin’s historic brewing and distilling quarter.
Roe & Co Brand Ambassador Nial Molloy explained talked about the area’s unique charm and character:
“What makes Dublin 8 so special? Firstly, it’s steeped in a really cool history. There’s a rich heritage of brewing and distilling in this area. And if you look deep into the community, it’s so rich.
“For me, it’s one of the last communities in Dublin. You can really see a community vibe, Everyone like to know everyone and look out for everyone. And everyone likes to help and promote each other.
“I used to think of it as the SoHo of Dublin, but it’s probably even cooler than that.
“And the area has amazing buildings in it, some unloved and unused, and many starting to be reused. We’re starting to see a lot more things happening. There are really cool things happening on the streets, from Container Coffee right up to the Open Gate Brewery.
“At one point, this area was known as the Golden Triangle with 35 to 37 breweries and distilleries, including the likes of George Roe, Arthur Guinness and John Powers. They were massive industrial places and a lot of work came out of that industry. A lot of those buildings remain. Many are now being reused and that’s pretty cool.
“When you actually look around, you realise how spectacular those buildings are.”
We spoke to other locals about what the area and its history means to them:
“There’s so much history here, the architecture is beautiful. St Patrick’s Tower is just so iconic on the Dublin skyline.”
“I’m the third generation living here. My Mam’s dad had a grocer’s he passed down to her which she then passed down to me. I couldn’t live anywhere else.”
“We’re so used to people being from all over. My vision of The Liberties is that it’ll always be like that.”
“Roe & Co really brightens up James’ Street, a beautiful street that was neglected for so long.”
It’s clear that The Liberties is an area with heritage, history and tradition like no other in Dublin. With the likes of Roe & Co reinforcing that distilling history to this day, it looks like the beating heart of The Liberties is here to stay.
Taking up residence in this historic area, Roe &Co is a premium Irish blended whiskey that has the signature smoothness of Irish Whiskey with added layers of colourful flavours including vanilla, toffee and spiced orchard fruits.
To hear more stories on why The Liberties is so special to so many, head here.
Visit drinkaware.ie.
