Jobs boost expected as Dingle Distillery’s €2m upgrade granted planning

By Alastair Tibbs, The Kerryman

The Dingle Distillery has had planning approved for an estimated €2m upgrade, with the potential for new jobs at their iconic location in Dingle.

Kerry County Council approved modifications for an additional area for visitor use as well as the replacement of a production area with a new retail area.

Elliot Hughes, a director of The Dingle Distillery, welcomed the development and said the distillery would be seeking additional staff once the upgrades were completed.

“It's a positive development for the distillery and it will provide additional jobs,” he said.

“It is a challenging time for distilleries at the moment and so it's an even more positive thing for us to be moving forward. It gives us a stronger foothold in Dingle.”

“I'd say the distillery is quite challenging workwise, in terms the amount of tours we run and the operation of the retail shop…we would expect to hire more staff once we're up and rolling.”

Mr Hughes said the new cladding would improve the temperature control in the building, highlighting the building was ‘super-hot’ in the summer and ‘freezing cold’ in the winter.

“We just need to get a bit of a nicer building to work in and to visit,” he said.

Dingle Distillery’s previous plans to construct brand new distillery and visitor centre in late 2021 were put on hold following an appeal to An Bord Pleanála.

The national planning appeals body rejected the plans in 2023, raising concerns regarding the effect it could have on a neighbouring residential development and whether it could be “over-development” at the site.

The new plans are smaller in nature and mainly consist of internal alterations to the current distillery, with two additional grain silos for the building’s front and upgrades to exterior cladding.

Dingle-based Councillor Breandán Fitzgerald said the development was ‘very positive’ development for west Kerry and it would help provide security to those working at the distillery.

“I think overall it's a very, very positive development for Dingle and the Dingle Peninsula and for all the people who are working there,” he said.

“They’re open 12 months a year which is very positive as well because lots of work in the area is seasonal.

“It gives everybody who's involved with it a kind of security to know there's a plan for future expansion and development.”