Pearse Lyons Distillery, located in the former St James’s Church in The Liberties area of Dublin, will open in September.
The distillery will join Ireland’s 16 other whiskey distilleries.
St. James’s Church was acquired in 2013 by Pearse and Deirdre Lyons. A well-known figure in the Irish whiskey industry, Lyons aims to transform the site into Dublin’s newest visitor attraction.
Lyons worked for Irish Distillers as part of the design team that built the Midleton distillery in Cork.
After moving to the USA in 1977, in 1999 he purchased the Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company in Kentucky.
Deirdre Lyons said: “We wanted to do something in Dublin based on our knowledge of Kentucky, where we already have a distillery. Becoming part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, I was able to witness how a cluster of distilleries could work together to attract more visitors. We would love to be part of a whiskey trail in Dublin.
“At one time in the history of The Liberties, this area was known as the ‘Golden Triangle’ due to its many distilleries. There is so much happening right now with new distilleries — we could return to those times and the potential for job creation is huge.”
She continued: “Bringing the old church back to life has been a monumental job. Creating Pearse Lyons Distillery at St. James has required a lot of time and investment. We started this project in March 2014, but it changed a lot from the time we purchased the building.
“It was a protected building, and then it became a national monument. This added many layers on the conservation side. Restoration costs, additional facilities, distillery equipment, artworks and our new glass spire, which we have named The Liberties Lantern, has pushed the cost of the entire project to more than €20 million. It has been an arduous process, respecting the historic site while trying to build a working distillery and tourist attraction.”
Pearse Lyons said: “Our distillery and visitor centre will showcase the history of distilling in Dublin’s Liberties. Visitors will have the opportunity to witness, smell, taste and learn all about the process of distilling Pearse Irish Whiskey.”
Pearse Lyons Distillery can be identified from various points in Dublin city by its striking spire, The Liberties Lantern. Over the next few years, it is hoped the distillery will attract up to 75,000 visitors annually. The team at Pearse Lyons Distillery will be led by General Manager Tracey Flinter and Head Distiller Gearoid Cahill.
