Cooley is the only Irish whiskey distillery established in the entire 20th century and is now the only Irish-owned independent whiskey distillery. It is located in the north-east of Dundalk and is also known by its old name John Locke's. The plant was designed originally for the production of neutral spirit from potatoes with the production being switched over to whiskey with the acquisition through Cooley's in 1989.

It produces many different whiskeys, including single malts and blends. The distillery bottlings are Tyrconnel (single malt), Kilbeggan (blend), and Connemara (peated-smoked single malt). Apart from brands Cooley provides a full range of Irish whiskeys to 23 of the top 25 retailers in Europe. Cooley also distils quality whiskeys such as Knappoque, Clontarf, Brennans and Hennessy for international drinks companies.