Closure of ICON visitor centre to cost 64 jobs

ICON, the £6.5 million (#8.3 million) visitor centre and entertainment complex opened by R&A Bailey & Co in April 1999, will close with the loss of 64 jobs. The centre at Leopardstown Racecourse in Dublin has failed to meet its visitor targets and is closing its doors following a review by the drinks group.

"ICON was developed primarily for the tourist market and following the review of ICON's performance and its future potential, R&A Bailey & Co has decided that this potential does not fit with the international marketing criteria that was set for ICON," said a company spokesman. The business plan for the centre had been based on 200,000 visitors by the end of 2000 but total numbers were closer to 80,000. The location of ICON, more than five miles from the city centre made it difficult to attract tourists - the target market - to the centre, he said.

R&A Bailey, part of international drinks group Diageo, hopes to recoup some of its investment in the project through the sale of the business. The ICON site is leased from Leopardstown Racecourse and is not owned by R&A Bailey. The drinks company believes the restaurant and bar complex - which is fully licensed - could be operated as a viable business if it were refocused on the local market.

ICON was managed by Mr Donal O'Gallagher, the former general manager of the Shelbourne Hotel. His company, Ubiquity Ltd, employed 49 full-time and 15 part-time employees who are being made redundant. The other partner was Kilkenny, the fashion and giftware chain, which had an outlet at the centre.

ICON was to be a "brand identity centre" for Baileys and was intended to meet a perceived interest on the part of visitors to Ireland in finding out more about Baileys Irish Cream. The whiskey and cream liqueur was developed 26 years ago and is manufactured at an ultramodern plant in a west Dublin industrial estate.

ICON was meant to fulfil the same role as the visitors' centre at the historic Guinness brewery in the city centre and the Whiskey Corner at the former Jameson distillery in nearby Smithfield.