Tánaiste announces 25 new jobs at opening of new €3.5 million Leitrim Visitor Experience

Tánaiste Leo Varadker today announced 25 new jobs for Leitrim at the official opening of a new €3.5 million Visitor Experience at the home of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin in Leitrim.

The Shed Distillery Experience, in Drumshanbo Co. Leitrim is expected to attract 30,000 visitors by 2023. This brings total job numbers at to 75 at the Leitrim Distillery.

The Tánaiste expressed great admiration for the courage and vision of Pat and Denise Rigney, owners of the family-run distillery:

“I really admire the courage and vision of anyone who has been brave enough to open a new business during the pandemic. I know they’ll do well.”

Head Distiller Brian Taft invited the Tánaiste behind the scenes to meet the local team who proudly slow-distill, hand-bottle and label Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin and Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey for over 60 countries across the world.

“It’s great to be able to get out and about around the country and meet and engage with people again.”

“The Shed Distillery Experience is a testament to the hard work and talent of Pat and Denise and their team who have worked so hard to build this Experience. Today’s announcement that 25 additional new jobs will be created, is further good news that the future is bright for Drumshanbo. Congratulations to all the team.”

In a poignant finish, The Tánaiste presented flowers to Mary Rigney, (Pat’s mother) on her first visit since her husband (and Pat’s father) Seamus sadly passed away last November.

Pat Rigney told those gathered that he couldn’t have done it without the support of his parents. “The banks shut the door in our face when we looked for finance. Thanks to my parents and other family members and friends and a HPSU loan from Enterprise Ireland as well as investing everything we had, we were able to get off the ground. Then with the wonderful support from Bord Bia’s Consumer Insight team, we created The Shed Distillery and the first-ever brand, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin.

Thanks to our incredible, resourceful local team, we have grown over the last 7 years, and have now paid back the borrowings and everything else has been reinvested in developing international markets and indeed building the €3.5 million experience”

“We could not achieve what we have without our incredible, resourceful team and the visionary Drumshanbo Community.”

Media contact: Emily Cox, Cox Communications, 086 383 2703