Alltech Names New Dublin Distillery

Historic St. James’ Church, which has been deconsecrated since 1964, is set to open in the spring of 2017 as Alltech’s Pearse Lyons Distillery. Spearheading the project is Deirdre Lyons, co-founder of Alltech and wife of Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech, who is rejuvenating the property to make it a working distillery and thriving tourist destination. On the later point, the Pearse Lyons Distillery will be located on The “Dubline,” Dublin’s newest tourist trail developed by Failte Ireland, which runs from College Green to Kilmainham.

Purchased by the Lyons family in December 2013, the property’s standing as a historic old church has caused delays in its renovation into a whiskey distillery. Alltech had originally established its foothold in Irish whiskey with plans to turn Carlow Brewing into a brewstillery, mirroring the joint development of Town Branch and Kentucky Ale in Alltech’s home turf of Lexington, Kentucky.

The company then acquired St. James, but ran into problems typical when working with a historic building. The major issue was the doors were too small to admit even disassembled distilling equipment, but preservation requirements barred even the smallest change to the building.

According to sources at Town Branch, this dilemma was resolved by the need to restore the roof. Repairing the roof of the church will create an opening, through which distilling equipment can be lowered.

With a projected opening date of spring 2017, Pearse Lyons Distillery should become the second of a trio of new whiskey distilleries in Dublin’s Liberties district. It will join Teeling Whiskey Company, and Dublin Whiskey Company will follow in the summer of 2017.

“We are carefully restoring the property, which will allow visitors experience a working boutique distillery, including a visitors centre that will showcase the rich traditions of distilling in this historical area of Dublin city,” said Mrs. Lyons. “We have decided to name the property Pearse Lyons Distillery, as traditionally many distilleries are named after the person who established them.”

The property can be identified from various points in the city by an innovative spire, enhancing the Dublin city skyline. As part of the restoration process, the stone columns of the church have been carefully preserved, which originated from the city of Caen in Normandy, France, coincidentally host city to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy. The slate roof tiles have been meticulously replaced as part of the aforementioned repairs, with Lyons sourcing them from the original quarry in Wales.

The earliest documented history of St. James Church was in 1268, when a gathering of pilgrims journeyed to the Church of St. James in Galicia, Spain. The existing church building dates from 1861. A walk through the church graveyard reveals the many people buried there as grocers, tanners, skinners, coopers, distillers and brewers, many of whom worked in one of the 30 breweries operating in the area.

The Lyons family has strong connections to St James’ Church.  Pearse Lyons’ father, Thomas Lyons, was born near the church, on South Earl Street. In 1948, his grandfather, John Hubert Lyons, was one of the last people buried in the graveyard.

“We are thrilled by the latest addition to our family, in the heart of Dublin’s historic brewing and distilling district,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons. “The Pearse Lyons Distillery and visitors center will showcase the rich history of distilling in Dublin’s Liberties. Visitors will have the opportunity to feel, taste, see, smell and learn about the process of distilling Irish whiskey and take home some of their very own to share the story with their family and friends.”