IN PICTURES: ‘Tyrconnell’ period house built for Derry whiskey magnate Watt on market for €1,900,000

Claragh House is described by estate agency Savills as a ‘remarkable 19th-century country home occupying an elevated and tranquil setting above the River Lennon’ just outside Ramelton.

Set amid ‘wonderful parkland, woodland and manicured gardens’ the Victorian property features five principal reception rooms and nine double bedrooms.

The property includes a traditional courtyard including stables and former coach house and a two bedroom gate lodge.

Claragh has been associated with the famous Watt family since 1725. The house was built approximately 135 years ago for Andrew Watt, whose Andrew A. Watt & Co. distillery in Derry was once one of the biggest whiskey producers in the world.

"Watt was the driving force behind one of Ireland's most successful distilleries of the 19th and early 20th centuries. His flagship whiskey, ‘The Tyrconnell’, became an international success, and remains in production today. Claragh House stands as a testament to this legacy, offering both grandeur and grace in equal measure,” says Savills.

Around 1900, whiskey produced by the Watt distillery in Derry was renowned across the world.

In 1892 Andrew A. Watt & Co. were producing 1.5m gallons of grain whiskey at their Abbey Street distillery and 180,000 gallons of malt whiskey at their Waterside distillery.

‘The Tyrconnell’ – named after a chestnut colt that won the prestigious National Produce Stakes as a 100 to 1 shot in 1876 – was coveted in the US and the UK.

Mass whiskey production, however, effectively ended in Derry when Andrew Watt shut the gates on striking workers in the Bogside in 1921 in what became known as the Watt’s lockout.

Andrew A. Watt & Co. continued to trade ‘The Tyrconnell Whiskey’ up until 1937 and the famous brand survives today and is produced by the Kilbeggan Distilling Company.

On its website Kilbeggan references the victory of Tyrconnell in the National Produce Stakes 149 years ago.

"The surprise victory captured the imagination of the assembled crowd, which included A.A. Watt, local gentlemen distiller. He chose to commemorate the occasion by creating a limited edition, small batch whiskey that bore the name of their local champion.

"Although A.A. Watt intended to make The Tyrconnell just once, it ended up becoming Watt's most popular whiskey. Before Prohibition, The Tyrconnell was claimed to be the best selling Irish whiskey,” it states.