New €8m brewery and distillery for Kinsale

A CORK spirits company has been granted planning permission to build a new €8m distillery and brewery in Kinsale.

Blacks of Kinsale plans to create a new 20,000sq ft complex overlooking the town’s harbour.

The development will comprise a brewery, distillery, visitor experience, and bar and will create 15 new jobs in the company.

The company’s founders said that the expansion would lead to even more jobs for the area as the development matures.

“I cannot begin to explain the joy which the entire team here at Blacks are feeling right now,” said co-founder Sam Black.

“This expansion has been in the works for a number of years, and to finally get the green light to start building our new and improved home is amazing.”

Mr Black set up the company with his wife Maudeline in 2013, creating the first co-located brewery and distillery in Ireland.

Blacks specialises in craft beer and has won awards for its range of spirits, which include a popular gin line and the first spiced rum to be made in the country.

Mr Black hopes to have the new complex opened by 2023 in time for the company’s 10-year anniversary.

“We have been living the dream since 2013 and are so excited to let others experience this passion.

“Visitors will get a front-row pass to our production process, getting to enjoy the picturesque sights over the Bandon river.

“Not only will this new facility allow us to bring a wider variety of beers and spirits to our loyal Blacks consumers, but this complex is also a fantastic boost for our local economy here in Kinsale both in terms of employment and also tourism, which has taken a hit over the last two years as a result of Covid-19,” he said.

The site, located at Cappagh, Kinsale, was once home to a tee-shirt factory, a sports car factory, and a boatyard.

According to the planning application lodged with Cork County Council, the steel frame and annexes of the existing structure will be demolished and the building’s ground floor will be modernised and become the brewery’s production hall.

Office and retail space will be located on the first floor and car and bicycle parking will be provided.

The works will be completed by Commogue Property Developments Ltd.