The representative body responsible for promoting the interests of the Irish spirits industry, Drinks Ireland|Spirits, has announced that Heaven Hill Ireland managing director Bryan Fallon has been elected as its chair for a two-year term.
Heaven Hill Ireland is a subsidiary of US based Heaven Hill Brands, and is the brand owner of Carolan's Irish Cream liqueur and Irish Mist honey liqueur.
Fallon, who was previously vice chair of Drinks Ireland|Spirits, is replacing Pat Rigney of The Shed Distillery, who has stepped up to take the chairmanship of Drinks Ireland.
Rademon Estate Distillery head distiller & operations director David Boyd-Armstrong has been elected as the new vice chair of Drinks Ireland|Spirits.
Working "To Deliver Growth Again Post-COVID"
Fallon stated, "Ireland has a dynamic spirits industry that has seen domestic sales and exports increase in recent years. As with other parts of the drinks industry, the spirits sector has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. It also faced uncertainty in recent times because of Brexit and the transatlantic tariff disputes which particularly effected Irish cream exports. I look forward to working with the industry to navigate the challenges ahead as we work to deliver growth again post-COVID."
"Invaluable Experience And Expertise"
Meanwhile, head of Drinks Ireland|Spirits Vincent McGovern commented, "While a challenging time for the industry, I have no doubt that Bryan Fallon and David Boyd-Armstrong will bring their invaluable experience and expertise to the roles of chair and vice chair, and I look forward to working with them. I also want to thank Pat Rigney for his tireless work for the industry during his time as chair of Drinks Ireland|Spirits."
© 2021 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
