In summer 2017, Dublin is set to once again become the whiskey capital of the world. Yet another distillery will be opened in the coming months, along with a €10m visitor center. As well as a great birthday gift for your boyfriend or girlfriend from SipDark, a trip to Dublin might become a more attractive idea than ever.
The Opening of the Pearse Lyons Distillery
The new Pearse Lyons Distillery, which is being constructed in the former St James Church of James’s Street, is preparing its launch for this summer. As well as the long-awaited summer launch, there are already 16 distilleries operating throughout the country and plans for a further 14 in the near future.
Pearse Lyons, along with his wife Deirdre, own the new distillery. The Irish-born couple are the founders of an animal nutrition company, Alltech, which is worth some $2.1 billion. The company is based in Nicholasville, Kentucky, but the pair also have links with a distillery and brewery in the same state.
The St. James church building was purchased by the pair for €690,000, and has had more than €10 million worth of renovations and development since construction started. Along with the distillery, there is a visitor center that is expected to become a popular tourist hub for whiskey lovers visiting Dublin. The renovation of the church building has been going on for three years so far.
Deirdre Lyons, co-owner of the venture, told the Irish Times that just months after purchasing the building, it was made a national monument. This meant the entrepreneurial pair had to hire conservation architects for the renovation to ensure that they did not damage any historically important parts of the building.
Lyons also explained that the roof trusses had dry rot and had to be replaced at a massive cost of €1.3 million. Not only that, damaged limestone pillars were replaced using stone sourced from Caen, France. During construction, as workers prepared the crane to hoist in the brand-new stills, ancient remains were discovered in the building. Construction stopped and archaeologists were called in to document the remains that were found.
The graveyard on the property, two acres in size, dates back to 1190. The graveyard was so full that, in some cases, nine people shared a single grave. It was here that the ancient remains were found. The church itself dates back to the 12th century and operated as a Catholic church before it became Protestant following the Reformation. In more recent years, the building was used as a showroom for a lighting company.
When the distillery is opened this summer, it is expected to produce as much as 1,000 liters of whiskey every week. It is also expected to attract 75,000 annual visitors. A visit to this distillery on a truly historic site could be your chance of giving the very best gift to your husband or wife.
SipDark has a range of other quality gifts, too – from drink stones to Glencairn glass sets. This summer could prove exciting for whiskey lovers all over the world!