€8m distillery planned for Dingle
A PLANNING application has been submitted to Kerry County Council to develop a distillery in Dingle. Southbound Properties and The Porterhouse Brewing Company have submitted a planning application for an artisan distillery to be built on the site of the former creamery.
The Dingle Distillery/Drioglann Daingean Uí Chúis is planning to provide five full-time manufacturing jobs and up to 12 full-time visitor’s centre positions on the site and will aspire to train and employ local workers. Frank Ennis and Associates are employed as architects for the project and their design encompasses the shape of the existing creamery buildings. The estimated cost of the project is €8 million and the developers hope to begin construction in February 2009.
According to the promoters the project will take advantage of the increasing demand in both indigenous and export markets for its ultra premium spirits and liqueurs. They also say that it will generate income and interest from the USA, Russia, Asia and mainland Europe which are experiencing strong growth in premium Irish whiskey.
The distillery products and the visitors’ centre are aimed at an affluent visitor market, which Dingle already draws into the town in significant numbers.
The aim is to encourage boutique artisan distilling as opposed to mass factory distilling which reflects a natural fit with the high quality of goods and services found in Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula, a partnership spokesperson said.
Southbound Properties MD, Jerry O’Sullivan, has developed a number of tourist-driven projects in the area.
These range from fourstar luxury self catering houses to an all-weather family entertainment centre and health and fitness club.
“I bought the old creamery site from Kerry Group over three years ago and I've been looking for a project that would reinvigorate the site as a hub of activity and to generate and sustain local employment,” he told The Kerryman this week.
Oliver Hughes and Liam LaHart (founders of the Porterhouse Group) are extremely successful entrepreneurs who have established Ireland’s largest independent brewery.
- TED CREEDON
