Bunratty Winery Irish Potcheen

Spirit of Mountains.
 
Bunratty Winery comes from the historical County Clare which is largely encircled by lakes, and the hard edge of the Atlantic but the winery itself lies in the shadow of the 15th century Bunratty Castle. Originally the winery started making only Mead. Surrounded by mountains and valleys it embodies the spirit of times when Potcheen was pot stilled directly from grains over peat fires using fresh spring water from nearby mountain streams - it was enjoyed by a select few in circle of trust. This was supposed to change in 1661 when illegal distilling was banned, but locals retreated into the shelter of nature, where they could continue to distill amongst the spirit of the mountains. Only of recent 1997 (in the scheme of things) has Potcheen regained its legal status leading a number of distilleries to revive century-old recipes and produce the truly genuine Potcheen.
 
Bunratty Irish Potcheen is distilled from Barley and is not aged at all, consequently it produces a very distinct and overpowering smell. Potcheen can also be made from various grains, sugar beet, potatoes or treacle. Aye it’s true moonshine that will grow you extra hair for sure.

Sean Lynch: “I chose Potcheen for its shady and illicit existence in Ireland.”
 
Many Irish artists have seen Potcheen not only as a part of history but an everyday life where it still holds a certain stigma, what we can see in the works of Steve Maher’s video and Bob Quinn’s film.  
Sean is an Irish visual artist seeking to re-create representations of a past erased from people’s consciousness, yet still existing in a disparate series of objects, events and narratives. He looks for objects that reconcile and enrich the viewer's understanding of history. Lynch presents these artifacts with a unique perspective and narration, which collides present with the past.