New €2.9m Irish whiskey distillery to open

The owners of Irish brewer and pub chain Porterhouse Group are spending €2.9m (approximately £2.58m) to create the Dingle Whiskey Distillery.

Oliver Hughes, Liam LaHart and new partner Kerry businessman Jerry O'Sullivan are in the process of raising money through a Business Expansion Scheme to help fund the move.

The promoters hope to close scheme by the end of the year.

The company expects to be profitable from 2012, with a portion of profit from a visitor centre.

There are three distilleries operating in Ireland — Bushmills and Midleton owned by Diageo and Irish Distillers, and Cooley.

The move comes after Norfolk-based St George's Distillery launched the first English single malt whisky for 100 years last month.

Although traditionally Scottish, interest in whisky has grown in other countries. Japan has been distilling quality whiskies for some years now. Welsh, Indian and Swedish whiskies are heading the same way and Australia's top three distilleries are starting to reach the European market.