The world’s finest
casks. For Irish
whiskey.
THE specialist cooperage on the island of Ireland — bringing 120+ premium cask origins to your distillery.
Taranis Cooperage Group · Independent · Foxford, Co. Mayo
Craft revival · Est. 2021. The first specialist cooperage on the island of Ireland since the 1960s. Full island coverage — Republic and Northern Ireland.
Source: IWA, 50 operational distilleries on the island of Ireland (March 2025)
Paul Caris · CEO & Founder · Taranis Cooperage Group
Darren Leonard · Master Cooper · Apprenticeship 2015
The first casks made in Ireland
in over sixty years.
On 14 March 2024, Dair Nua Cooperage produced the first casks entirely fabricated on Irish soil since the 1960s — 200-litre casks of certified FSC oak, built by hand at our Foxford cooperage. Irish cooperage is not a memory. It is back.
The last wooden cask had left Guinness’s St. James’s Gate on 15 March 1963. For sixty years, Ireland had no cooperage tradition to speak of. The craft had to be rebuilt from scratch — from tools, from apprentices, from the wood up.
Island of Ireland · Specialist Cooperage
The world’s casks,
brought to Irish
whiskey.
Dair Nua Cooperage was founded in 2021 in Foxford, Co. Mayo — at a time when cooperage had all but disappeared from Ireland for sixty years. We are the craft revival in action: Ireland’s first PEFC Chain-of-Custody certified cooperage, combining on-site expertise with access to 120+ premium cask origins via the Taranis Group global network.
We serve 47 of the 50 operational distilleries on the island of Ireland (IWA, March 2025) — from cask repair, re-charring and STR regeneration performed on-site at your facility, to the sourcing of rare and premium casks that are simply unavailable elsewhere on the island. Founded by Paul Caris, who brings over 25 years of industry expertise, and led on the floor by Master Cooper Darren Leonard (cooperage since 2015). One partner. Everything your distillery needs.
Full island coverage
Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. THE specialist cooperage operating across the whole island.
TIA-compliant casks
All cask supply sourced and verified to comply with Irish Whiskey Association (TIA) technical standards.
120+ cask origins
Via Taranis Group network — ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry, ex-Wine, exotic woods and beyond. Delivered to your distillery.
On-site expertise
Full cooperage team on site — inspection, repair, re-char, STR, resizing. We come to you.
Independent · PEFC certified · No financial investors
Dair Nua is part of the Taranis Cooperage Group — an independent, family-owned group. No private equity, no exit plan. As Ireland’s first PEFC Chain-of-Custody certified cooperage (cert. INT-PEFC-COC-002927), we guarantee full wood traceability from certified forests to your cask. A long-term commitment to the Irish whiskey industry.
On-site cooperage services
Cooperage expertise
delivered on-site.
Our cooperage team operates across the island of Ireland — bringing professional cask services directly to your distillery. From emergency repairs to full STR regeneration programmes, we handle every aspect of cask maintenance and supply.
Cask Repair & Maintenance
Full structural repair services to extend the productive life of your cask inventory. Delivered on-site, with minimal disruption to your operations.
- Head and stave replacement
- Hoop tightening & replacement
- Leak detection & sealing
- Systematic pressure testing
Re-char, De-char & Resizing
Precision de-charring and re-charring to your exact specification. Resizing from standard barrels to custom formats — including 100L micro-distillery formats.
- De-char to client specification
- Re-char levels #1 to #4+
- Cask resizing (100L–600L)
- Custom format cooperage
STR Regeneration
Our premium STR (Shave-Toast-Re-char) process breathes new life into ex-whiskey casks — restoring extractive capacity and improving flavour contribution at a fraction of new cask cost.
- 3mm shave — active carbon removal
- Toast to profile (light / medium / heavy)
- Re-char to specification
- Pressure test & certification
Where Irish oak tradition meets modern specification
Every cask that leaves Foxford is hand-inspected, pressure-tested and certified to TIA standards. Our team of qualified coopers — led by Master Cooper Darren Leonard — brings deep craft to each order, from standard re-char to full STR regeneration.
The cooperage team
The craftsmen
behind your casks.
Our cooperage team is based at our Foxford facility in Co. Mayo. Every cask that leaves our cooperage has been touched by a trained, experienced hand — from inspection to pressure test. This is what on-site expertise actually means.
Darren Leonard
Master Cooper & Cooperage ManagerCooperage had virtually disappeared from Ireland by the 1970s. Darren Leonard is part of its revival. On 14 March 2024, he led the production of the first casks entirely fabricated in Ireland since the 1960s — a historic milestone for Irish cooperage. He began his cooperage apprenticeship in 2015 and has built over 10 years of hands-on experience in an industry that had to be rebuilt from scratch. He leads all operations at our Foxford facility: inspection, repair, de-charring, re-charring, and our STR regeneration programme. Every cask leaving the cooperage is pressure-tested and certified under his direction.
Paul Caris
CEO & Founder
Marc Bonnefin
Group Commercial Director
Eóin Mangan
Lead Cooper
Henry McDonnell
Apprentice Cooper
Josh Davidson
Apprentice Cooper
Edmond Forristal
Apprentice Cooper
Tara Clarke
National Sales ManagerIrish Whiskey Technical Standards
TIA compliance:
we know the regulations.
Irish Whiskey is one of the most strictly regulated spirits in the world. The Technical Irish Whiskey Association (TIA) sets precise standards for maturation — including cask size, wood type, and provenance. Every cask we supply meets these requirements.
Maximum 700 litres
TIA regulations specify a maximum cask capacity of 700 litres. All casks we supply — from 100L STR to 600L Pipas — are fully compliant.
TIA Regulation 2.3Matured on the island
Irish Whiskey must mature for a minimum of 3 years in wooden casks on the island of Ireland. Our on-site services ensure full compliance throughout maturation.
TIA Regulation 2.1Wood provenance
Cask origin, previous use, and wood species must be traceable and appropriate. We provide full documentation and traceability for every cask supplied.
TIA Regulation 2.4PEFC Chain of Custody
Dair Nua is Ireland’s first PEFC Chain-of-Custody certified cooperage. Every cask we supply comes with full traceability from certified, sustainably managed forests — directly meeting TIA Regulation 2.4 on wood provenance.
Cert. INT-PEFC-COC-002927 · Interface NRM · 2026Our compliance guarantee
Every cask supplied by Dair Nua comes with full documentation: wood species, cask history, previous contents, cooperage certification, and pressure test results. Whether you’re producing Single Pot Still, Single Malt, Single Grain, or Blended Irish Whiskey, we ensure your cask programme meets TIA standards at every stage.
120+ origins · Via Taranis Group network
Premium casks
for Irish whiskey
maturation.
Through our partnership with B’Oak (Taranis Group), every distillery in Ireland has access to 120+ premium cask origins — from classic ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry to rare Sauternes, Tokaji, Mizunara, and beyond. The world’s finest casks, delivered to your doorstep in Ireland.
Ex-Bourbon · First Fill
Quercus alba, first fill. Vanilla, coconut, sweet spice, butterscotch. The backbone of Irish whiskey maturation. Abundant stock.
Ex-Bourbon · Second Fill
Lighter wood influence, more spirit-forward character. Preferred for extended maturation programmes and lighter style Irish whiskeys.
Ex-Bourbon STR
Ex-Bourbon barrel regenerated with our Shave-Toast-Re-char process. Renewed extractive capacity at lower cost than new oak.
Ex-Oloroso · Hogshead
Oxidative Oloroso Sherry. Dried fruit, walnut, leather, rich spice. The definitive sherry cask for premium Irish whiskey finishing.
Ex-Oloroso · Butt
Full-size Sherry Butt for long-term maturation. Sustained flavour development — sultanas, cinnamon, dark chocolate.
Sherry Hogshead · TARANIS Certified
Programme de certification TARANIS : stave selection, coopering under Taranis control, 12–16 months seasoning in Jerez bodega, Sherry Cask® certified. Guaranteed authenticity.
Ex-Sauternes
Botrytised Sémillon. Apricot, honey, saffron, acacia. Highly sought-after for premium Irish whiskey finishing.
Ex-Pomerol
Merlot-dominant, iron-clay soils. Plum, truffle, velvety tannins. Exceptional complexity for whiskey finishing.
AOC Nuits-Saint-Georges · Pinot Noir
Burgundy oak 228L, Pinot Noir 2021. Cherry, rose, gentle spice — delicate Burgundian finesse for subtle finishing.
Ex-Porto Tawny
Long oxidative ageing. Rancio, candied orange, dried fruits. A favourite for premium Irish single malt finishing.
Old Tawny Port Pipas · 40 Years
Traditional Portuguese Pipas, Lusitanian oak, 600L. 40-year-old Tawny. Dried figs, raisins, roasted nuts, delicate smoke. 31 units only.
STR Regenerated · Ex-Whiskey
Ex-Irish or ex-Scotch whiskey casks regenerated with our premium STR process. Restored extraction, certified on-site at Foxford. Cost-effective alternative to new oak.
STR Micro-distillery · 100L
STR regeneration in 100L format — ideal for craft and micro-distilleries. Shave, custom toast, optional re-char. Produced at our Foxford cooperage.
New French Oak
Quercus robur / petraea, certified fine grain. Light to heavy toast. Natural drying 24–36 months. For Single Malt and Pot Still programmes.
New American Oak
Quercus alba, first fill. Rich in whiskylactones and vanillin. Toast #3 / #4. Standard Bourbon-style maturation for Irish whiskey.
Mizunara
Japanese oak (Quercus mongolica). Sandalwood, incense, oriental spice. Highly sought-after for ultra-premium Irish whiskey finishing — extremely rare supply.
Ex-Tokaji
Furmint botrytisé, 5–6 puttonyos. Candied orange, linden honey, dried apricot, spice. Rare and highly distinctive for whiskey finishing.
Amburana
Brazilian wood (Amburana cearensis). Cinnamon, vanilla, coconut, cumin. Unique South American character for creative Irish whiskey expressions.
This catalogue represents a selection of available origins. Full access to 120+ casks via our B’Oak partnership. Monthly availability list on request.
Request Full Cask CatalogueHow we work
A partnership,
not a transaction.
Your brief
Maturation objectives, cask types, volumes, and timeline — we start with your programme.
Cask selection
We identify the best options from 120+ origins, TIA-compliant, matched to your flavour targets.
Quality control
Inspection, pressure testing, documentation verification, and cooperage certification at Foxford.
Delivery & support
On-site delivery across Ireland. Available throughout your maturation programme.
Taranis Cooperage Group
One group.
Three territories.
One wood.
Dair Nua is part of the Taranis Cooperage Group — an independent, family-owned group uniting specialist cooperages and sourcing expertise across Scotland, Ireland, and France. No financial investors. No exit plan.
Dair Nua Cooperage
Foxford, Co. Mayo, IrelandSpecialist Irish whiskey cooperage. On-site services and premium cask supply across the island of Ireland.
Current site
Alba Cooperage
Rutherglen, ScotlandCooperage of the Year 2025 (Icons of Whisky). Repair, re-char, and premium cask supply for Scotch whisky.
Visit site →
B’Oak
Yvrac, Bordeaux, France120+ cask origins, new oak, regenerated casks, oenological tannins and extracts. International sourcing hub of the group.
Visit site →
Taranis Group
Group · EuropeThe independent structure uniting Dair Nua, Alba, and B’Oak. Long-term vision, family-owned, no financial shareholders.
taranisgroup.com →Get in touch
Let’s talk about
your programme.
Cask supply, on-site cooperage services, TIA compliance guidance, or export enquiries — we’re here to help. No obligation.
Co. Mayo, F26 YH22, Ireland
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