Andrew Watt, Distiller - Our Space 62
Andrew Watt’s Ramelton forebears came to Derry in 1762. From their first general business in Bishop Street, they moved into distilling.
In 1833 they installed Coffey’s new Patent Still and expanded.
By 1839, Andrew’s uncle David Watt owned Abbey Street distillery and in 1870 bought Meehan's distillery where Waterside Health Centre is now.
Andrew succeeded David in the 1870s and grew Watts into a world-leading company with famous brands like ‘The Tyrconnell’ and ‘Inishowen’.
In 1885 he built a grand residence - ‘Thornhill’, Culmore Road, later Thornhill College.
By 1892 Watts annually produced 1.5m gallons of grain whiskey at their massive Abbey Street site and 180,000 gallons of malt whiskey in the Waterside. Abbey Street’s granaries held 40,000 tons of grain. Its 7-storey still houses were Derry’s tallest buildings. Their offices and bottling plant were at 33 Shipquay Street.
In 1902 Andrew and two Belfast distilleries created the United Distilleries Co. and negotiated a trade deal with the Distillers’ Company, of Scotland. But they encountered financial troubles - worsened by US Prohibition in 1920. Then workers struck over meagre wages and poor conditions. But Watt wouldn’t give in and - disastrously - closed the company! 300 skilled men lost their jobs. Then the Border arrived, the shipyards and other businesses closed and by 1926 Derry’s unemployment rate was 28%.
Watt’s ‘Tyrconnell’ has been revived by Cooley Distillery and the Distillers Company is now part of Diageo. The last surviving local part of Watt’s business is its old warehouse - at ‘Distillery Brae’.