Where Art & Spirit Meet

At The Lansdowne Kenmare, very little is chosen by accident. Even something as simple as a gin and tonic carries a story, and at the Lansdowne, we love a story and we love history. Our house gin and vodka come from Dingle Distillery, not simply because they are exceptional spirits, but because they represent craftsmanship, artistry and place. Values that sit at the very heart of how we see hospitality. And quietly surrounding our guests throughout the hotel is the visual thread that connects it all in our artwork of Irish artist Honora O’Neill.

The Foundations

When Dingle Distillery was founded in 2012 by Oliver Hughes, Liam LaHart and Peter Mosley, their ambition was to revive independent Irish distilling through small batch production rooted firmly in its surroundings. Everything about the distillery speaks of locality. Their gin uses botanicals gathered from the landscape itself including rowan berry, bog myrtle and fuchsia, while their vodka is quintuple distilled to achieve remarkable purity and balance. But Dingle understood that identity is not only about what is inside the bottle. They commissioned renowned Irish artist Honora O’Neill to create artwork that reflected the wild Atlantic energy of the peninsula. Her expressive, layered paintings became the unmistakable visual identity of Dingle Gin and Dingle Vodka and each bottle quite literally carries Irish art in your hand.

A Personal Connection to Dingle

Our connection to Dingle is deeply personal. It is where Patrick and Aileen were married. A place tied forever to celebration, family and some of the happiest moments of our lives. Choosing Dingle as our house pour therefore felt entirely natural. It reflects not only the quality we wish to serve our guests, but places that have shaped our own story and when guests enjoy a Dingle gin or vodka at The Lansdowne, they are experiencing something authentically Irish, crafted with intention and rooted in the same west coast spirit that inspires our hotel.

Honora O’Neill at The Lansdowne

This connection continues beyond the glass. Four original Honora O’Neill paintings hang throughout The Lansdowne, welcoming guests in our lobby, accompanying them along the landing and sitting quietly within our restaurant spaces. The same artist whose work defines the Dingle bottles behind the bar also lives within the fabric of the house itself. It creates a subtle continuity. Art on the walls. Art in the glass. A shared sense of Atlantic place and provenance.

More Than a House Pour

The stories behind what we serve.

The people behind what we display.

The places that shape both.

Our choice of Dingle Gin and Dingle Vodka is therefore not simply a drinks decision. It is a reflection of heritage, artistry and connection. So the next time you order your gin or vodka at The Lansdowne, take a moment to look around. You may notice that the story in your glass is already hanging on the walls beside you!