A cheerful and optimistic gathering took place on Cape Clear on Saturday 3 June to give a céad mile fáilte to the newly opened display cottage for Cape Clear Island Distillery. This visionary multi-generational project has generated considerable interest and excitement on the Island and much of this was harnessed to create this latest attraction. Located in a disused bothán at the entrance to the former fish farm the cottage has been lovingly restored with bright red window and half door and within are a series of story boards and other displays relating to this ambitions project. The display is not only a window into a brighter future for the Island, it also throws a shining light on the creative talents and great community spirit that thrives here. Some of the boards reflect stories from our history but all the characters have their modern day counterparts, and its great fun for locals to guess who is who.

A great deal of behind the scenes work has already been done, full planning permission achieved last September was followed by brand development, using the historic, Dún an Óir, motif, foreshore license, land transfer and company formation, business and technical planning and a host of other pre development activity. Over the next few weeks the website www.capecleardistillery.com will be updated and a new video commissioned from Dog Day media will appear. There is also a FB page, https://www.facebook.com/CapeClearDistillery/.

The search is on for a significant strategic investor or investors, who will see the exceptional opportunity that has been created by Ireland’s only Island Distillery to create an outstanding brand based on the great culinary and hospitality traditions of West Cork.

For anyone visiting Oileán Cléire this Summer, we welcome you to visit this display and perhaps even to purchase one of our stylish T-Shirts to lend practical and moral support to the effort.

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.