Carlow brothers turn local farm 'in family for generations' into whiskey distillery

There is exciting things in the works for Carlow brothers Thomas and Patrick Walsh, owners of Flying Tumbler Irish Whiskey.

The brothers are planning to diversify their family farm in Carlow into a whiskey production site for their whiskey brand.

Their farm, Larch Grove, Ballytarsna in Carlow is set to a become whiskey maturation, blending, bottling and brand home for Flying Tumbler Irish Whiskey.

This project will create 15 jobs, using €200,000 funding committed by LEADER to drive rural job creation and agricultural diversification in Carlow.

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Flying Tumbler Irish Whiskey celebrates the adventurous spirit of the Flying Tumbler pigeon – a unique bird known for its daredevil acrobatics and innate ability to always return home.

Taking inspiration from the pigeon, the founders found a way to return home for the next leg of their journey – by bringing whiskey maturation onto the family farm at Larch Grove.

Securing funding through LEADER Programme 2023–2027, co-funded by the EU, Flying Tumbler Irish Whiskey has begun work on repurposing a number of farm outbuildings into bonded maturation and blending warehouses, as well as a craft bottling line.

Working with Thcoda Contractors, works are expected to be completed on the site by September 2026. The project is expected to create 15 jobs for the local area – 10 in the initial construction phase and a further 5 over the coming years.

Launched during Covid, the brand has gained a strong following in the US, particularly in Massachusetts where co-founder Thomas Walsh lives.

Patrick Walsh said: “For us, Flying Tumbler Irish Whiskey was always about returning home. The farm at Larch Grove has been in our family for generations and we wanted to create a new farming future for generations to come. We are extremely grateful to the Carlow County Development Partnership and their programme for their help in realising our vision.”

Alongside the farm diversification project, the Flying Tumbler team have been busy bottling two new expressions to complete their core trilogy.

Launching in the coming months, The Roller, a non-age-stated Single Grain, and The Tippler, a blend of Single Pot Still and Single Grain, will be available for export to key markets alongside The Bird, a triple-distilled blend of Single Malt and Single Grain currently retailing in the US for $38.

“There was a lot of negativity around the industry in 2025 but we are already seeing the positive headwinds of 2026. This year has started strong for us, on the back of a 92 point rating in Whisky Advocate magazine – just one point shy of the Top 20 whisky releases of 2025! We are looking forward to the year ahead and expanding our reach across Europe and beyond.”

Annette Fox, CEO – Carlow County Development Partnership, added: “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the Flying Tumbler team. Their unique product, clear vision and strategic approach is matched only by their passion, enthusiasm and commitment to both their legacy and their future development. We are delighted that LEADER funding has enabled the Flying Tumbler to move forward on their journey locally, nationally and internationally”.