Rare whiskeys auctioned for flood fundraising

Irish Distillers is auctioning three Midleton Very Rare whiskeys to raise funds for those impacted by the recent flooding in the town.

Midleton town, located in County Cork, Ireland, suffered severe flooding due to heavy rain brought by storm Babet. A month’s worth of rain fell in 24 hours on Wednesday 18 October.

Whiskeys in the auction include three Midleton Very Rares: 1988, 1989 and 2009. Fifty bottles of the March 2021 Redbreast 10 Year Old are also in the auction.

Proceeds will be donated to the St Vincent de Paul Society, which will distribute the funds locally to those impacted by the flooding.

Nodjame Fouad, CEO and chairman at Irish Distillers, said: “Our teams have seen first-hand the devastating impact of the recent flooding and we stand together with our colleagues, friends and fellow businesses in Midleton.

“While our distillery was unaffected by the floods, our newly redeveloped Midleton Distillery Experience was significantly damaged and is currently closed.

“I want to thank Irish Whiskey Auctions for organising this charity auction in support of the Midleton community.

“Irish Distillers is donating three of the most sought-after vintages in the history of Midleton Distillery, which will go some way to help raise much-needed funds for those impacted by the flooding.

“We are extremely proud to be part of an incredible community in Midleton who have shown, and continue to show, immense resilience and partnership in the face of extraordinarily difficult times.

“As a business, we will continue to do what we can to support the community rebuild.”

Irish Whiskey Auctions has also contributed whiskeys to the auction, which opened yesterday (1 November) and will run until Sunday (5 November).

On the opening day of the auction, Midleton Very Rare 1988 received 24 bids, reaching a price of €12,200 (US$12,980) with three days to go.

Anthony and Katie Sheehy, co-founders of Irish Whiskey Auctions, said: “We are honoured to host such an important auction to help raise much-needed funds for the families, residents and businesses affected by the recent flooding caused by storm Babet in Midleton.

“The full proceeds from the exclusive whiskeys donated from the Midleton Very Rare Collection, the highly sought-after Redbreast 10 Year Old release and some of our own collection, as well as our fees and commissions, will all go towards helping alleviate the challenges faced by those impacted.

“We are happy to assist Irish Distillers on this momentous fundraising auction and, with the support of our vibrant whiskey community, we hope to help make a meaningful difference.”

Last month, The Distillers’ One of One auction raised £2.25 million (US$2.74m) for the charity’s Youth Action Fund.