Grants Unveil Exciting Plans For Heritage Centre
Thursday, 15 December 2011
WILLIAM Grant and Sons recently unveiled their plans for the transformation of the Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre and have described the moves as very exciting.
Speculation is also mounting that Grants are actively seeking a base to begin distilling the popular Tullamore Dew whiskey in the county town again, according to national newspaper reports.
It is understood that representatives of William Grant Sons have met Offaly County Council officials to explore locations for a distillery in the town.
The revamped heritage centre will include an exhibition space, audio visual installations, ancillary bar and restaurant and retail facilities.
Visitors will enter through a new doorway into the shop area where they will become aware of the central feature of the design which is a four storey cylindrical stairway styled around the idea of a giant ageing barrel.
At ground level there will be an auditorium to the rear of the cylinder.
Visitors will then proceed up through the curved stairway through each floor to the top floor where there will be a small bar and tasting tables where they can sample the various names in the Tullamore Dew range.
The building will be extended to the rear south side to create two new stairways and a lift shaft. Ground level will accommodate a new boiler and plant rooms.
There will be no additional parking provided as Grants envisage most visitors will arrive by bus and can park in Kilbride Plaza and around the new Arts Centre.
It is hoped building will commence in 2012 subject to approval and Grant's are keen to have it re-opened by late summer.
The building is a protected structure and they have prepared a detailed conservation report;
The conservation report states that W. Grant and Sons intend to create a new Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre, putting special emphasis on the heritage and history of the building but also would like to make a state of the art museum space unequalled in the region.
The heritage experience will include emphasis on the Grand Canal and how the building was closely linked with trading along the canal.
Plans for the building were recently lodged with Offaly County Council and can be viewed at Aras an Chontae.
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