Irish whiskey exports 'set to double' by 2020

Whiskey exports are set to double by the year 2020 and double again in the 10 years after that, it has been claimed.

The Irish Whiskey Association was launched this morning to promote the spirit abroad and to support new entrants to the market.

There are currently more than 15 new distilleries being developed in locations across the country.

Launching the association this morning, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney says the sector is experiencing a real boom.

"We're seeing a new distillery being built outside Tullamore - so Tullamore Dew is actually going to be distilled in Tullamore again for the firs time in decades," he said.

"We really haven't' seen any distillery being built in Ireland now for nearly 100 years - yet there's about 16 distilleries being either planned or in construction at the moment across the country; and in parts of the country that a predominantly rural, parts of the country that are going to be come visitor attractions as well as whiskey distilleries."