Green light for £15m distillery in Crumlin Road Gaol
A £15 million plan to develop part of the historic Crumlin Road Gaol into a whisky distillery has been given the go-ahead.
Belfast City Council’s planning committee approved the application, which will also see part of the old prison’s ‘A wing’ transformed into a tourist centre.
The development was originally granted approval by the council in April 2013 but work on the site ground to a halt in July 2015.
The project is part of a wider £25 million investment by US group Belfast Distillery Company to transform parts of the Victorian prison, which closed its doors in 1996.
Plans involve converting part of the prison’s A-wing into a whiskey distillery, complete with a visitor centre, shop, car park, bar and restaurant.
The decommissioned Victorian prison is a grade A listed building and was designed by Charles Lanyon. It was built between 1840 and 1859 and closed its doors as recently as 1996.
A report from Belfast City Council’s planners states: “The proposal will bring back into use a grade A-listed building which will secure the future use, maintenance and protection of the building for the intrinsic interest of tourists.”
A wing is one of four three-storey wings of the prison. Two others remain vacant while another has been converted into what is now Crumlin Road Gaol museum.
The planning report added: “All works seek to replicate the existing style, materials and design of the original building. The proposal also seeks to refurbish and repair existing stonework on several window openings and roof vents.
‘Intrinsic interest’
“The proposal will bring back into use a Grade ’A’ listed building which will secure the future use, maintenance and protection of the building for the intrinsic interest of tourists.”
Plans for a distillery were first put proposed by lottery winner Peter Lavery and gained approval in 2013. However, shortly after building started in 2015, work came to a halt.
Work on the current plans will now be carried out with Belfast-based Like Architects.
The McConnell’s Irish whiskey brand was originally established in Belfast in 1776 by brothers John and James McConnell and after more than 90 years was resurrected in 2020 with its return to the US market.
