Donegal is to get its first distillery in 175 years after Sliabh Liag received planning permission to build its new distillery.
The distillery, located on the slopes of the Sliabh Liag in South West, Donegal, has already launched its first expression, a blended Irish whiskey named The Silkie. It is the first of four spirit brands planned, all of which are inspired by local folklore and keeping with Donegal Gaeltacht Tradition.
There are currently 16 distilleries already in production and a further 13 in planning in 18 counties across Ireland, a strong growth considering Ireland had only 4 distilleries operating in 2013.
Commenting on the announcement Carleen Madigan, of the Irish Whiskey Association said, “It's fantastic news that Sliabh Liag have secured permission to build their new distillery. This is yet another example of the Irish whiskey success story which will boost tourism and employment in Donegal and support the local economy. Irish whiskey is the fastest growing premium spirit in the world. Global sales have increased by over 300 per cent in the last ten years and have been growing by double-digits since the mid-1990s.
"Over €1 billion will be invested in Irish whiskey distillery projects between 2010 and 2025. New distilleries will bring new brands, adding more diversity to the category and will continue to drive the growth of the sector. In December 2016 we launched the Irish Whiskey Tourism Strategy which aims to treble tourists in this country from 600,000 to 1.9 million visitors by 2025 thereby generating opportunities for employment and regional development."
