The word "whiskey" is an Anglicisation of the first word in the Irish Gaelic phrase, uisce beatha, meaning "water of life". The first whiskey was distilled by Irish monks in 12th century and Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit. From Ireland, the whiskey spread to Scotland where it gained it's worldwide fame. Unlike it's Scottish cousin, Irish whiskey has the barley roasted over the coal, which is plentiful in Ireland, and also burns cleaner and smoke free compared to wood or peat found in Scotland. Irish whiskey has a smoother and more elegant finish as opposed to the smoky, earthy overtones common to some Scotches. Best used for: Blackwater, Bushmills, Connacht, Cooley, Dingle, Echilville, Kilbeggan, Middleton, Pearse, Rademon, Slane, Shed, Teeling, Tullamore, Walsh, and Waterford Irish Whiskey. When the Vikings invaded Waterford they appreciated its strategic value as a major trading port for goods and merchandise, a role it continues to play to this day. A lot of goods both dry and wet were shipped by barrel and a healthy barrel making industry developed in the Waterford area. Barrel makers or coopers as the trade was known continued their craft right up to the twentieth century before they were overtaken by modern technology. Designed by Martin Croke in Waterford, Ireland.