Successful growth in Cooley Distillery's export of its whiskey brands won the company the 1997 DHL Export Award. The award, was presented by the Tanaiste, Ms Mary Harney, to the country's first Irish-owned distillery to be opened this century and which exports to 30 countries. The company, established in 1989 by Mr John Teeling, employs 50 people.

The managing director of DHL, Mr Stephen Day, said that Ireland's transformation from an agricultural economy to a technologically-based one was illustrated by the rise in the share of manufactured exports to total exports from 20 per cent to 70 per cent in 30 years.

"Ireland now ranks as the third largest exporter on a per capita basis, after Singapore and Belgium," he said.