IN PICTURES: Crowds turn out as Drumshanbo Methodist Church given a new lease of life

The Shed Distillery at the home of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin has kicked off celebrations to mark ten years of distilling and partnership with the local community by reimagining and re-opening the former Methodist Church in the town. Read more below. 

USE THE ARROWS OR 'NEXT' TO BROWSE THROUGH THE FULL GALLERY

Marking a decade of distillation and community partnership, the people of Drumshanbo were out in force to celebrate the nostalgia of the re-opening alongside the Winter Solstice on 21st December.
Pat and Denise Rigney, who founded the family run distillery on the 21st of December 2014 when the first distillation in Connacht in over 101 years took place chose Drumshanbo as the location thanks to the ‘can-do’ attitude of the local community.
Ten years later, it has become a landmark of the community, creating over 100 local jobs, 10 world-class spirit brands, including the internationally-renowned Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, which is a top seller in over 100 countries from London to New York, Paris to Sydney, Cape Town to Buenos Aires.
PJ Rigney, the ‘Curious Mind’ behind the multi-award winning brands credits much of the success to the very special partnership with the local people and their joint vision of a thriving rural community, which focuses on job-creation and sustainability.
Now Pat and Denise and Shed Distillery Director John Dillon have taken their involvement in the community a step further by breathing life back into the stones of the well-loved but unused Methodist Church. Opened on 6th October, 1861, the Church was a focal point of the town, charting births, marriages ad deaths as well as communal prayer and community support. The decision to re-imagine the Church has given it a future among the families it has served for generations. Pat said " It's a beautiful old Church with a rich history, but, more than that, it is the soul of the local community and I wanted to bring back that heritage, to have people see it not as a disused building but as a place full of light with open doors and as an asset for the community."
The inaugural event was held on the Winter Solstice when locals crowded to the Church to hear local writer Michael Harding speak at a ceremony hosted by broadcaster Bryan Dobson.
Michael regaled the gathering with his own stories of growing up in the town and quoted from John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, who actually preached at Carrick-on-Shannon in May 1762. Wesley was entertained at the home of the Laird family whose descendants started the jam factory (which has now become a social enterprise Food Hub where The Shed Distillery is located) in 1934 and which continued until the late 1980’s. The congregation had a reputation for ‘good singing’ which in 1885 was thought to be the best ‘in any provincial town in Ireland’.
Michael quoted Wesley’s: ‘Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.
‘I think’, he said, ‘that inspired people like the Lairds and others down the centuries in Drumshanbo. I think it really inspired Pat and Denise Rigney. I think that’s really its heart and that’s why we have this church open again, now maybe as a cultural institution for music and literature and all sorts of stuff. It’s a wonderful enrichment of the town. I’m very, very grateful that the Rigneys have done this for Drumshanbo.’
And the enrichment continues as the Church organ, originally bought in Belfast and possibly played for Queen Victoria at the Dublin Exhibition, is to be restored by the Rigneys.

Gary and Olive Laird were among the guests at the reopening, along with well-known faces from the drinks industry and the media and political worlds, the Rigney family and most-importantly the local community, including Noel McPartland, who originally founded the Drumshanbo Community Council who created the Food Hub.
Cathaoirleach Paddy O’Rourke told those gathered that he almost felt like one of the family, having officiated at the opening event on winter solstice 2014 as well as at the event to mark the coming of age of Connacht’s first whiskey in over 104 years in 2017, the opening of the Visitor Experience, Jackalope Café & Curious Gift shop in 2020, and more recently the visit by The Chinese Ambassador to Ireland Mr. He Xiangdong and Minister for European Affairs, Peter Burke last January to celebrate the historic launch of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin in China and the arrival of the 150,000 the visitor to The Shed Distillery Experience in September.
“What really stood out on all of the occasions were two things. Every development was accompanied by the creation of new jobs. At the very first event in 2014 - there were just 2 employees, now there are more than 100 and the incredible team at The Shed Distillery. The welcome you receive & their extensive knowledge about the brand and the local community as well as their immense pride in being part of something so special. I think all of Drumshanbo & indeed Co. Leitrim shares that pride. Here’s to the next decade of distillation!”
The celebrations also included a special event hosted by broadcaster John Lynch for the 100-strong ‘extraordinary team’ of hand-distillers, hand-bottlers and employees at The Shed Distillery Visitor Experience, Jackalope Café and Curious Gift Shop, at which every single staff member was presented with a commemorative piece of pottery featuring The Shed’s iconic Jackalope mark specially created by local business, Old Cow Pottery.
Pat, Denise and daughter Roisin Rigney (commercial manager of The Shed Distillery Visitor Experience) also made a special presentation to the two very first employees who were there from the very beginning – head Distiller Brian Taft and Senior Distiller Anthony English as well as Noel McPartland, Fergal McPartland (Food Hub Manager), Cllr Enda McGloin (Chair Drrumshanbo Community Council) and Emily Cox (Head of Communications), all of whom have been part of The Shed’s ten year journey since the very start.
Cllr Enda McGloin on behalf of Drumshanbo Community Council and Denise Rigney made a special presentation to the former and current Ministers for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring and Minster Heather Humphreys, to recognise their significant contribution to the local community and for supporting The Shed Distillery in creating over 100 new local jobs and attracting a record 150,000 additional visitors to Leitrim since the launch of their Visitor Experience just 3 years ago.
Drinks Industry attendees included Cormac Healy, Director of Drinks Ireland, Duty Free Global Founder and Commercial Director Barry Geoghan, Ashford Castle’s Noli Alonghuro, Hotelier Joe Dolan and representatives from Kilronan Castle, The Landmark Hotel and pubs and restaurants across Co. Leitrim. Reverend Dr. Stephen Skuce performed a special blessing at the Church and the Methodst Community was also represented by Reverend Stephen Taylor and local former patrons of the Church.
Other events to launch the decade of distillation celebrations included a stunning carol service and spectacular fireworks display at The Shed Distillery.