Write a commentIt looks like it won't be long before you will be able to sit down and savour a glass or two of Newry whiskey, following news of the reccomendation by Newry, Mourne and Down Council's, Planning Committee to approve an application for a Micro Distillery and Visitor Centre on the site of the ArmaghDown Bar in Monaghan Street, Newry.
The application by by Matthew D'Arcy and Company Ltd made in September 2017 will be considered at the Planning Committee meeting on the fourth of July with the recommendation that it is approved.
It's planned that the Matt D'Arcy Whiskey brand will launch in 2019 with a special release of premium matured merchant Irish Whiskey.
Newry was once one of the leading suppliers of Irish Whiskey and this new venture by Newry businessman and local historian Michael McKeown will bring names like MAtt D'Arcy and Co, Hand in Hand and Killeavey Cream back to the attention of a new generation of whiskey drinkers.
The proposed Distillery will be on the site of the present Armagh Down Bar in Monaghan Street, Newry and will involve the refurbishment of the bar with a Victorian theme and an extension to provide craft micro distillery and visitor centre, function/ theatre room, restaurant and associated facilities.
Whiskey tourism has become a popular attraction for visitors to Ireland and it's planned that Newry's re-entry in to the Whiskey market will kick start that trend here.
