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Whiskey distilling returns to Newry after 200 years

An entrepreneur is preparing to bring distilling back to Newry in Northern Ireland for the first time in two centuries after receiving planning permission for a £7.3 million (US$9.6m) Irish whiskey distillery.

L-R: Michael McKeown, owner and investor of Matthew D’Arcy & Company and Andrew Cowan, chief executive

Local businessman Michael McKeown first revealed plans for the distillery in September last year.

The distillery received the green light from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council yesterday (5 July).

McKeown acquired the old distiller site on Monaghan Street in February 2017, the original location of D’Arcy’s Old Irish Whiskey since 1817.

The distillery will resurrect the title of Matthew D’Arcy & Company to honour the last distiller who occupied the site.

The 14,000-square-foot site will house a “fully restored” Victorian bar, restaurant and a visitor center over several floors. It will create around 50 jobs.

The distillery aims to produce 9,000 cases per year of single malt whiskey for the premium market globally.

A premium Irish whiskey, which has been maturing off site, will also be released in early 2019 once the distillery has been completed.

The £7.3 million (US$9.6m) investment will be spread over three years, with construction expected to take around 18 months. The distillery will focus on the US, China, Europe and Australasian markets.

“We took our time in bringing forward the plans to make sure that we got the proposal for the restoration of such a key site in Newry just right,” said McKeown.

“The development of this location into a flagship international tourist attraction has been a passion of mine for some time and is an exciting investment.”

Andrew Cowan, chief executive, Matt D’Arcy & Company, said: “We have already received a significant amount of interest in the plans to develop the Irish whiskey tourism offering on this part of the island which we believe will be very successful.

“Our ambition is to create a world class tourist offering through the restoration of the 200-year-old site famous for whiskey distillation. Our ultimate aim is to produce around 9000 cases per year of single malt and to retain stocks for at least 10 years aimed at the premium market.”

“Very soon we will be creating roles for a specialist whiskey distiller, maturation experts and are also at the developmental stages to bring forward the first recognised cooperage course to train young apprentices and rekindle a dying art.”

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