Pernod Ricard, the French drinks giant that owns the Midleton Jameson distillery, has sold off its Bushmills whiskey brand to Diageo for €298m.

Bushmills Distillery is to receive a £10m (€14.5m) cash injection to develop its cream liqueur and other products.

For years the Old Bushmills Distillery has been lauded for its whiskey – today it was hailed for its loos.