Irish whiskey Act, whiskey produced by registered distillers was known as "Parliament whiskey", while that produced by illicit producers was, and still is referred to as "Poitín", a Gaelic term meaning "small pot" (often anglicised as poteen) in reference to the small pot stills used by the illicit distillers. However, although traditionally the product of illicit production, many legal varieties of "Poitín" have come to market in recent years. In the 18th century, demand for whiskey in Ireland grew significantly, driven both by strong population growth, and by displacing the demand for imported spirits. Growth in the latter is very much visible
Irish whiskey built; the largest pot stills currently in operation in the world (as of 2014), located next door in the New Midleton Distillery, are roughly half this size, at 16,498 gallons (75,000 litres). Though domestic demand would reduce somewhat in the mid-1800s, due to the Temperance movement of the 1830s, and the Great Famine of the 1840s, during which a million died, between 1823 and 1900, whiskey output in Ireland increased fourfold, and with access to the overseas markets provided by the British Empire, Irish whiskey became the most popular spirit in the World, with "Dublin whiskey" being particularly well regarded.