Irish legend recants tales of Cairell Colla Uais, Muiredach Colla Fo Chrí, and Aed Colla Menn, three brothers who conquered and ruled over most of Ireland, with Colla Uais becoming Ard Rí; The High King of Ireland in the 4^th century.

History tell us there was a steadfast rule, or geis, against the slaying of a sitting Ard Rí or High King. If a person were to violate that geis, none of their descendants would ever accede to the throne. But Colla Uais and his daring warriors slew the sitting Ard Rí and defeated his followers, thus becoming Ard Rí of all Eire for four years from 322 AD, yet thereafter none of his descendants would ever occupy the same throne.

The Three Collas were driven from the throne in 326AD. Their clans were banished from Eire to their mother’s land, Alba (ancient Scotland). When The Three Collas returned to Ireland after a difficult three years, they assembled an army and succeeded in establishing the Kingdom of Airgialla in Ulster, Ireland. However, their rule over all Ireland was not to pass.

The legend of The Three Collas has been repeated around peat fires in the crofts of Clan Colla for millennia, not least to proclaim a royal pedigree but to also share sorrow that the right to rule all Ireland had been lost to all of the Colla descendants.

Descendants of The Three Collas are amongst the noblest families of Ireland and Scotland, more commonly recognised as the ‘Clan Colla’. Our clan, The McAllisters, are one such family, and through the 1800s the McAllister’s “Clan Colla Irish Whiskey” was known far and wide for its exceptional quality. However, through world wars, economic wars and moral wars, the well-documented fall of Irish Whiskey took Clan Colla with it. Today, bound by honour and tradition, the clan has brought it back, with the vision to return their whiskey to its rightful place amongst the world’s great whiskeys.

A bond sealed with our whiskey is hard to break.