December date likely for decision on Kilbeggan museum

December 31 is the date signalled for the proposed takeover of Kilbeggan Distillery Museum by Cooley - the company that produces Kilbeggan whiskey, it emerged at a meeting held in the distillery on Monday night last.It is suggested that the Museum Committee, which currently hold a 99-year lease, surrender its ties to the museum in return for a sum of compensation - of an amount not yet decided - that can be reinvested in community projects.What was described as “purely an information evening” by John Deegan Chairman of the Museum Committee, which came together thirty years ago to restore Kilbeggan Distillery that had fallen into serious disrepair and turned it into a successful visitors centre creating employment in the village, said Cooley Distillery aim to begin a new “boutique” distillery there.John Teeling, Chairman of Cooley Distillery, said while he has been very comfortable working with the Committee over the years, his intention was always to make whiskey in the distillery again, and that the Museum would be an added bonus.“Your legacy will be protected by us totally,” he assured. “We’re not here to make any money out of this as a museum, I can guarantee you that, the money that we make is in whiskey,” said John Teeling. “This will be a big plus certainly and any revenue that comes from it will be put straight back into it.”He reassured those present at the meeting that jobs would be safe and that if anything, the proposed takeover would create further employment:“What presumably you’re talking about is that we take over the lease and everything that goes with it, so everything that stands for all of you still stays,” he added. “There will be a few more jobs anyway in the distillery, not many because distilleries don’t many jobs, but there’ll be a few more,” he said.Museum Committee Chairman John Deegan reinforced this by saying “There’s nothing underhand going on, I want to assure people of that, nothing has been discussed yet.”He went on to say that from a personal point of view the Committee’s skills could now be put to better use elsewhere in Kilbeggan:“The committee members that are here come from various types of skills and I think we could put those skills to work somewhere else in the town. “There’s an awful lot of work to be done in this town, we’re in the middle of the great economic recessions that’s ever going to hit this place and I think we’re going to have to try and pull together and spend that money wisely, to do a few things younger people, for middle aged and for older people.”Cllr. Ger Corcoran who was also in attendance said that while he presumed the Committee believe in this move and therefore everyone must open their minds to it he asked if there could be still some kind of advisory committee involved in Kilbeggan Distillery:“I’m just wondering if it’s possible, outside of the lease, there could be still a committee input into some aspect of the distillery,” said Cllr. Corcoran, “to defend the history of the volunteers who worked so hard to restore Kilbeggan Distillery.”However, Committee member Kitty Flynn said she was not in favour of the move:“I realise the validity of those arguments but I remain unconvinced by them. I am not convinced and I am not in favour as a committee member of any compensation being paid to us, I feel that we would be compromised too much,” said Kitty Flynn.“No matter how noble the objective of putting compensation money back into the town, I’m a bit uneasy about it,” she said.