Cork Profile - Laurie O’Dwyer
Co-founder of Cork Whiskey Fest
When you were small, what did you want to be as a grown-up? A mechanic – well that was after I wanted to be a gardener, a motorcycle cop in the TV show 'Chips', and Indiana Jones.
Tell us about your career progression to your role today: I am a soldier in the Irish Defence Forces for over 21 years. I have served 5 tours of duty overseas. On my last deployment I was asked to run the Officers Mess bar in Collin’s Barracks when I got home. I discovered Irish whiskey pretty quickly in that role and decided I wanted to know more about our national spirit. I joined the Cork Whiskey Society to learn more and have since become the secretary, helping to run monthly whiskey tastings across Cork city. Over lockdown, I studied to qualify as a distiller. I also have a podcast called Whiskey Chats, where I’ve spent the last 3 years and 120 episodes having casual chats with the cream of the Irish whiskey community in Ireland, learning as much as I can from each of them.
What is the most enjoyable aspect of what you do? Sharing a drop of Irish whiskey with friends in the whiskey community and always having the craic along the way. Doing on-site podcasts allows me access into the heart of our 45 whiskey and poitín distilleries. Getting the access I enjoy is a privilege each and every time.
What motivates you? Being a part of building the Irish whiskey community and playing an active role in helping people discover our native Irish spirits – pot still Irish whiskey and poitín, an often maligned and misunderstood spirit. It can be just unaged whiskey made from malted barley, or it can be made with oats, wheat, and unmalted barley, or it can be smoked with Irish turf.
What advice would you give your 15 year old self? You probably still won’t know what you want to do in life in 15 years’ time, so chill out.
If you weren’t in the job you have, what would you be doing? Part-time podcaster, part-time distiller, part-time festival organizer - wait . . .
What is your greatest career achievement to-date? Chasing, fighting for and getting my sniper qualification after many years of trying. It was a standard I set for myself to achieve early on in my army career.
Who has had the biggest influence on you in your life? My wife Sonya has been my biggest supporter and facilitator of all my mad ideas along the way. She has a lot to answer for . . .
What is the life dream now? Carving my place in the whiskey world where my passion becomes more than my hobby.
How do you switch off? I don’t. Between family, the army, mounting army and service medals for wearing on service uniforms, and all my whiskey ventures, I’m having too much fun!
What is your favourite Cork memory? The magic nights in the Lobby bar.
What is your favourite place in Cork? Home.
Do you have a favourite quote or motto? 'Improvise, adapt and overcome'.
When are you at your happiest? Headphones in, zoned in on a project or fixing something.
What is your hidden talent? I make the BEST banana bread ever! The secret is to always add an extra banana to the recipe.
What might we be surprised to know about you? I can’t dance . . . but I used to think I could.
Anything else you’d like to share with us? Cork Whiskey Fest 2023 will take place across MacCurtain St and the Victorian Quarter from 24-26 March – 1 city, 3 days, 34 events. Something for everyone. Tickets available from corkwhiskeyfest.com.
Factfile
Name: Laurie O’Dwyer, co-founder of Cork Whiskey Fest
Age: 41
Location: Glanmire
Family: Wife Sonya and son Riley
Pets: Bailey and Peggy-Sue, 2 pug dogs
Favourite thing about Cork: Beamish, Bruss, The English Market, The Shelbourne Bar, Cork-themed street art
Least favourite thing about Cork: The roads out of Cork! And everywhere you walk, you have to walk uphill!
One thing you would change about Cork: Pedestrianise most Cork city streets and have bustling weekend street markets. When I travel to the UK and Europe and see their market culture, we have huge amounts of skilled craftspeople and street food in Cork city to build our own market culture again. The Black Market in Ballintemple and the Marina Market are the most exciting things to happen in our city in years.