The Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) has welcomed the opening of the Cork-based Clonakilty Distillery, which officially commenced Irish whiskey distillation on Monday March 4.
The new facility also features a gin school and bistro as well as a visitor experience, which is expected to attract up to 35,000 visitors annually.
"A Welcome Addition To Irish Whiskey Distilling"
IWA head William Lavelle commented, "We are delighted to see Clonakilty Distillery open its doors and commence production of Irish whiskey.
"It’s a welcome addition to Irish whiskey distilling, as the 23rd operational distillery on the island of Ireland, and the second distillery to commence operations this year.
"With its visitor experiences, Clonakilty Distillery also contributes greatly to the Irish whiskey tourism offering along the Wild Atlantic Way.
"Last year, we saw 923,000 tourists visit Irish whiskey distillery visitor centres across the country. We expect this number to grow again in 2019. Clonakilty Distillery will play a strong role in driving this growth, educating Irish and overseas visitors on the heritage and innovation of today’s booming Irish whiskey industry."
Clonakilty Distillery's launch follows the launch of the Dublin Liberties Distillery in February.
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