The distillery was founded in 1757[REF] and, by 1798, was in the hands of Matthias McManus, whose son was executed in Mullingar due to the part he played in the United Irishmen rebellion of that year [REF].
John Locke took over the distillery in 1843,[REF] and it passed down to his granddaughters Mary Evelyn and Florence Emily in 1943 [REF].