PJ Rigney praises Leitrim workforce as The Shed marks major expansion
Drumshanbo business has grown from one employee to more than 110 as new visitor and events space opens
The founder of The Shed Distillery has praised the skills, resourcefulness and community spirit of Leitrim as the Drumshanbo business unveiled its latest investment during the Leitrim Ambassadors Summit. The two-day summit, held on September 24 and 25, showcased Leitrim and its business, cultural and community life, with the aim of creating 50 new ambassadors for the county.
As part of the summit, delegates visited The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo, where founder PJ Rigney welcomed the group and revealed they were the first visitors to its newly opened Mayura Suite and gardens. “This is a very special moment because this is the first group to visit our suite and gardens, which opens today,” Rigney said. He said the development represented another major milestone for a company which began in Drumshanbo with just one employee little more than a decade ago.
“Today, there’s over 110 people working here,” he said, adding that at least another 20 people are employed on a part-time basis. Rigney stressed that the latest development was firmly rooted in Leitrim, with local expertise used throughout the project. “This was built by local people, local craftsmen, electricians, you name it,” he said.
The new space will allow the distillery’s visitor experience to operate on a year-round basis and significantly expands the range of events that can be hosted at the site. Rigney said it could accommodate mini-conferences, events and weddings, while the development has also included doubling the size of the kitchen and creating new offices upstairs. The expansion comes as the Drumshanbo operation continues to grow internationally, with its brands now sold in more than 110 markets around the world.
Rigney recalled arriving in Drumshanbo in 2013 on what he described as a miserable, rainy day, after having already examined numerous potential locations. Despite the condition of the site at the time, he said he immediately saw its potential.
“I signed a lease the following Saturday. That’s how quick we did it,” he said.
Rigney said the community and social enterprise ethos in Drumshanbo was one of the primary reasons the company chose the town. “This is an extraordinary place, an extraordinary village, extraordinary people who pull together,” he said.
The new development has an Indian-inspired theme reflecting the international character of the brand and Rigney’s own travels. The name Mayura means peacock, an important symbol in India, while many of the materials used in the space were sourced and salvaged there before being brought to Drumshanbo.
The development also includes a new garden created by a local company as part of the effort to build a distinctive visitor experience. Rigney paid particular tribute to his daughter Roisín, who played a major role in bringing the project together alongside the visitor experience team.
He said the team had worked “night and day” to have the development ready for opening. Rigney reserved some of his strongest praise for the people who have helped the company grow in Leitrim over the past 11 years.
“The people down in Leitrim are incredible,” he said. “I’ve never met people like them in terms of how resourceful they are.” He said their generosity, pride and willingness to work together had been central to the company’s development. “We’re very, very proud of it,” he said. The Shed Distillery operates seven days a week for almost the entire year, closing for just five days annually, as it continues to develop Drumshanbo as both a production base and visitor destination.
Also speaking at the event Writer and broadcaster Vincent Woods has described Leitrim as his “true north” and a constant source of creative energy, declaring that the county’s greatest resource is its people.
Woods also praised the transformation of the former industrial site in Drumshanbo into a home for new enterprise, describing it as a testament to hard work, vision and entrepreneurial spirit. However, he returned to the people themselves as Leitrim’s most valuable asset.
“The abiding spirit of Leitrim is its people, with their wit and welcome, their quizzical take on things, their independence and determination,” he said. “They are the uisce beatha of here, our water of life. They are the gold of here. They are the rare earth minerals.”