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IT”S A FAR cry from communion wine, but if serial entrepreneur Dr Pearse Lyons has his way, then St James’s Church in Dublin’s Liberties will soon be home to a distillery.
Lyons’ company, Alltech, is known for its animal feeds, but has lodged plans with An Bord Pleanala to open a working distillery and visitor centre in the ancient church, which was built in 1268. It became a Protestant church in 1539 before collapsing in 1761 and being rebuilt in in 1859.
Daniel O’Connell laid the foundation for the rebuilt church in 1844.
Architects are assessing how to fit a distillery into the church, with preliminary indications that the pot still will be put in the old nave of the building. The distillery would be in good company, overlooking Guinness’ Brewery, where over 7 million hectolitres of beer are brewed each year.
While primarily focused on animal feeds and nutrition, it’s not the first time that Alltech has toyed with alcoholic beverages. It also owns a family of drinks under the Kentucky flag, including an ales, stouts, bourbon and IPA.
The company clocked over$1 billion (€722 million) in sales last year, and has operations in the US, Asiam Europe and South America. Founder Lyons is Irish, and his grandfather was buried in the church graveyard in 1948.
The distillery hopes to capitalise on its position on Failte Ireland’s new ‘Dubline’ tourist trail, which runs from Trinity College to Kilmainham. In addition to the distillery and visitor centre, the church will be home to a museum showing the history of the site.
If approved, it will be the second distillery in the area, with Teelings whiskey also planning a €10 million euro facility in The Liberties.
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Great boost for the area.
Holy spirits
On the Adams article after this why are comments closed? This is the second article in three days where the journal make Gerry out to be holier than thou but keep comments closed! Disgusting!
It is the Journal showing its true colours.
Gerry isn’t in court so there is no need for censoring comments which might dispute his rhetoric.
Seriously how do you think that thread is going to go. What will be said in the comments has already been said many times already on here. Same bull from the Pro and Anti sinn fein camps. Definitely right to close it off for comments.
Wetll John and Michael, instead of commenting on a completely different story, how about you get in contact with the Journal directly and let them know.
Michael you obviously have a very positive outlook on life?
Really pisses me off how often they close the comments section on stories you really want to access what the real public mood is (not the official media agenda telling us what we think). The Iona institute was always treated like a sacred cow here too.
Begrudgy
If the Journal are giving Adams repeated opportunities to claim innocence over a murder for which the Police Service of Norther Ireland wish to interview him then it is wrong to deny readers the chance to express their views.
Adams would be better served by waiting for the invitation from the Police and stop this public guff because it’s not working any more!
Shure do thanks nialls for your support
Passed by that church today. Any investment or decent jobs in the Liberties would be great.
Best of luck with it.
It really does show the journal for what it is, it should be called An Phoblicat or whatever the spelling is, god bless my years learning Irish, it really helped in the grown up world! Not!
That’s some story for the americans to eat up, irish boy moved to america, done well, returned home and bought the church his ancestors were buried in. Fair play to him though he built a great company and always looked to employ irish people where possible. The microbrew business is actually massive business on a small scale in america. The trend is toward more specialist, I suppose gourmet, beers and he’s in the right position to capitalise.
If you don’t have a pub, church or funeral home on your street your not in Ireland.
*you’re
Bet the congregation numbers will go through the roof. Great idea
I presume it’ll be spirits
Can’t beat a drop of holy water
Nice way to start the Camino de Santiago …. gee eyed.
Great news, more jobs in the Pale! Don’t worry about us in the South East, we only have 25% unemployment. As long as the potato famine doesn’t return well be grand!
People have moved as far as Canada and Australia for work. If the unemployed in the South East of the country aren’t willing to relocate to ‘The Pale’ as you put it to find a job then perhaps that says something about them.
The ingredients will not be grown on Saint James’s St. so you are welcome to start growing them. A new business for you.
Holy begrudgers!
According to the US census bureau 10.8 million people commute over 1hr to work each day (2hr total commute). It’s about 90 minutes by train from Kilkenny to Dublin. Rather than expecting jobs on your doorstep maybe you should be willing to travel for work.
I work with a guy in Dublin who travels from Wicklow town every day. I don’t hear him moaning about the lack of jobs in the South East.
But Wicklow Town isn’t in the South East. It’s east Wicklow, and 40 minutes to Stephens Green sans traffic; many many people in Co. Wicklow commute because there is little work in Wicklow and because of its proximity to Dublin. Don’t be so disingenuous as to say that everyone that can’t find work should relocate; some people can’t.
50% of the population lives in The GDA. Dublin has a port to export, tourists number required to make it viable. And can get cheap product from companies supplying Guinness close by and I believe some of the raw materials are by products of one another.
I commute daily from enniscorthy, which is most definitely in the south east, to Dublin, daily. It’s 4 hours daily on a bus. Needs must.
Uisce Beatha.
So what are you trying to say tom ? Everyone that I’d unemployed should move to Dublin ? Yeah great shout ! Idiot
Great project, just what Dublin needs to boost tourism. I trust the whisky will be good!
It’s whiskey in Ireland not whisky ;)
Why are you saying it here. Send them an email or something.
It’ll be deadly whiskey
Town and Branch a cracker of a bourbon by Altech
It will be renamed “The Church Of Drinkology”
Water into wine lol
I think you might be mixed up about this church. This was St. James’ Church of Ireland, across the street there’s St. James Catholic Church. There’s been churches and burials on the COI site for centuries. If you look at the front door of the Catholic church across the road the arch supports have carved heads which look very like Daniel O’Connell wearing a royal crown (there was view at the time that O’Connell might make a good King of Ireland). Here’s some more about St. James’ Church of Ireland:
http://homepage.eircom.net/~seanjmurphy/epubs/stjames’sgraveyard.pdf
Says Daniel O’Connell laid the foundation it 1844 and it was rebuilt in 1859..
I can see how it took 15 years to complete if O’Connell had to lay the whole foundation himself.
Might consider going to a church like this one every Sunday……….
I find it very sad when places of worship are turned into bars or places that promote alcohol. I can’t see the logic in people thinking this is a great idea great for the city when over consumption of alcohol is a major problem in Ireland there is a very high percent of people addicted to it and if I am right from what I read ref St Patricks Day alcohol fuelled people were responsible for various issues and this is true for many weekends in Irish towns and cities. There should be more investment into promoting the dangers of alcohol and with helping those already addicted.
have your say