Lowry company buys former Tullamore DEW visitor centre
William Grant & Sons has announced that The Old Bonded Warehouse in Tullamore has been acquired by Emante Ltd, a partnership between Alan Clancy, a prominent figure in the entertainment and hospitality industry, and Shane Lowry.
The company said the deal came following an extensive consultation and competitive bidding process to select an appropriate new owner for the historic building.
Speaking about the sale, David Moore, Tullamore D.E.W. Head of Marketing, said: “Built in 1879, The Old Bonded Warehouse is an integral part of the Tullamore D.E.W. brand history and, in recent years, has been a hugely popular destination in Tullamore for tourists and locals alike. We are pleased to work with Alan Clancy and Shane Lowry to ensure that it continues to be an important destination for the town of Tullamore.”
William Grant & Sons announced the closure of the Tullamore D.E.W. Visitor centre on Bury Quay in September 2020. The landmark building had housed the Tullamore D.E.W. Visitor Centre since 2012 and welcomed up to 40,000 visitors each year. At the time the company said it was relocating its entire Visitor Centre Experience to the new state-of-the-art whiskey distillery on the Tullamore Bypass.
Providing an update on these plans, Mr Moore said: "To date, William Grant & Sons has invested over €100M in the state-of-the-art Tullamore Distillery, which employs over 90 people. The new Tullamore D.E.W. Visitor Experience, which will be located at the Distillery, is currently in development and we look forward to welcoming visitors from early 2022 onwards. Further details to be shared in the near future.”
Speaking about the acquisition, Alan Clancy, of Emante Ltd. said; “We’re delighted to acquire The Old Bonded Warehouse. We look forward to doing our part to boost the local economy in the years ahead and will be sharing more plans about the building next year.”
Independent TD for Laois-Offaly Carol Nolan has welcomed news that the former Tullamore Dew visitor centre in Bury Quay is to be revitalised following investment from entrepreneur Alan Clancy and Offaly golfer Shane Lowry. Deputy Nolan was speaking after being contacted about the announcement by Mr John Quinn, global ambassador for William Grant & Sons, the owners of the Tullamore Dew brand:
“I very much welcome the news that the former visitor centre is set to receive significant investment and a new lease of life following its closure last October. As I understand it, the centre will be re-purposed for use as a hospitality venue and will create valuable and much needed employment in the area. This is a fantastic initiative that will go a long way toward creating and maintaining investor confidence in Offaly,” concluded Deputy Nolan.