A boutique whiskey distillery based in Co Tipperary has secured a €5m investment to help fund the company's expansion.
The funding was secured as part of a partnership deal between Tipperary Boutique Distillery and Jeffrey Leo of Steelworks Investments.
The investment will go towards the construction of a new distillery to be located on the grounds of the Dundrum House Hotel Golf & Leisure Resort in the county.
Company Managing Director Jennifer Nickerson said the €5m funding secured "will realise our plan to distil our own whiskey, making us a field-to-bottle operation".
Tipperary Boutique Distillery said it will also invest in "a unique tourist offering where people can come and visit our distillery whilst being given the option of staying on site in first-class surroundings".
The Irish whiskey tourism sector has grown exponentially in recent years, and a recent report from the Alcohol and Beverage Federation of Ireland estimates just the tourism aspect of the industry to be worth €1.3 billion by 2025.
The distillery is aiming to create 15 jobs once it is operational, while also projecting tourist numbers of 15,000 for 2020 - rising to 40,000 be 2025.
The company was founded last year and to date has produced four premium Irish whiskies.
