Whiskey museum to open in Dublin

Dublin is set to get another tourist attraction with the opening of an Irish Whiskey Museum by local tours operator Extreme Event Ireland Ltd at a cost of €1.9 million.

The museum is slated to open in August and create 25 jobs. It will tell the story of Irish whiskey and showcase the country’s growing list of brands, including Jameson, Bushmills and Tullamore Dew.

The museum will be located at 119 Grafton Street and 37 College Green opposite the front gates of Trinity College. This is one of the busiest thoroughfares in the city, attracting a high footfall of tourists.

Tastings
The listed property is owned by the well-known James Fox cigar and whiskey store, which operates from 119 Grafton Street. Extreme Event Ireland has secured a 15-year lease on the building, which is currently being refitted to house interactive tours and whiskey tastings.

Run by former IT consultant Keith McDonnell, Extreme Event Ireland has traded since 2006. The company runs two independent tourism offices in Dublin’s city centre and organises coach tours. It employs 50 staff, operates 15 coaches and is profitable.

Mr McDonnell hopes to attract 100,000 visitors to the museum in the first year of trading, rising to 230,000 in year five.

“We’re always looking for new ideas and we felt there was a gap in the market for a whiskey museum that would tell the story of Irish whiskey and unite all the brands,” Mr McDonnell said. “Every brand will be represented.”

He said all of the whiskey brands in the country, whose owners include global drinks giants Pernod Ricard and Diageo, are supportive of the project although they have not provided financial assistance.

The museum will compete for visitors with the Old Jameson Distillery in nearby Smithfield, which is operated by the brand’s owner Irish Distillers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard.

Outside investors
Mr McDonnell said the project is being funded from a combination of the company's own resources, funding by a number of outside investors and a loan from Bank of Ireland.

Tours will cost €14 for adults and €12 for concessions. VIP tastings will be available for €18. The building will be open from 9.30am each morning and will have a fully licensed whiskey bar and restaurants. Guided tours will take about an hour with a sample whiskey included in the visit. Visitors will exit the museum via a glass lift and there will be a shop selling whiskey attached to the museum.

US sales
Sales of Irish whiskey have soared in recent years, led by the success of Jameson, particularly in the United States. Exports are forecast to double to more than 12 million cases a year by 2020, according to the Irish Spirits Association.

A number of new distilleries are due to open here in near future, including one for Tullamore Dew in Offaly, and one in Dublin by members of the Teeling family. Irish Distillers has also expanded its facilities in Cork.