Drumshanbo From Jam to Gin—Sláinte! - Day 8
Irish Stew wraps its Off the Beaten Craic in the Hidden Heartlands Series in Drumshanbo, the Co. Leitrim town rewriting the rural renewal playbook. What began as a desperate effort to save a shuttered jam factory has become one of Ireland's most remarkable community-led success stories.
At The Food Hub in Drumshanbo, cohosts Martin Nutty and John Lee hear from Cllr Enda McGloin and onsite manager Fergal McPartland how a voluntary local committee refused to let the abandoned jam factory slip away, spending years securing a long-term lease and funding while recommitting the site to food production rather than easier options like storage. The Food Hub now houses multiple thriving enterprises including The Shed Distillery, home of Gunpowder Irish Gin which put this Leitrim town on the global spirits map. Together, the Food Hub and the Shed have transformed Drumshanbo from a symbol of industrial decline into a vibrant food, drink, and tourism destination studied by other towns seeking renewal.
Inside The Shed, the podcasters hear how its managing director and founder P.J. Rigney and his team have fused global imagination with local soul in their distinctive gins, whiskeys and now vodka. At the distillery’s heart beats an Irish storyteller's instinct for character, place, and pride.
The podcasters get to see the magic happen on The Shed Distillery Tour, a popular hospitality experience made complete with a stop at the onsite Jackalope Café, a local foodie destination.
Now P.J. is restoring the town's historic Methodist Church as a community and visitor hub, continuing the ethos of regeneration that began with the Food Hub. He calls it a partnership of "guardian angels" between business and community, each nurturing the other through shared purpose.
This final episode of Off the Beaten Craic in the Hidden Heartlands captures the alchemy of curiosity and connection that defines Drumshanbo, a small town that turned crisis into creativity and built a legacy of craft, courage, and collaboration. From jam to gin, from empty factory floors to bustling innovation, Drumshanbo proves that when community and imagination meet, even the most hidden heartlands can become a global destination.
Irish Stew’s next destination is Washington, DC. Join them next week for the first of several episodes on Irish films featured by the Solas Nua Capital Irish Film Festival.
Links
The Food Hub
Cllr Enda McGloin
The Shed Distillery
Episode Details: Season 8, Episode 5; Total Episode Count: 146
00:00 - Introduction
02:37 - Enda McGloin: When a jam factory closes
06:18 - Fergal McPartland: Launching the Food Hub
13:59 - How The Shed came to Drumshanbo`
20:42 - Two decades of learnings at the Food Hub
28:41 - Reconnecting with PJ Rigney
31:54 - Bringing Gunpowder Gin to China
34:38 - The Shed visitor experience
36:10 - Ceramic bottles and iconography
39:09 - The premium drinks competitive landscape
41:16 - Community Impact
42:52 - Talking Whiskey and Vodka
44:35 - Feedback moments
47:34 - How PJ Rigney takes his gin
48:58 - John & Martin Recap
53:03 - Credits
Founder
Patrick "P.J." Rigney is an Irish spirits industry veteran and serial entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience building globally recognized brands. He is best known as the founder of The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim, established in 2014, which has become the world's largest family-owned gin distillery.
Rigney began his career in the early 1980s in marketing roles with Bulmer's cider, Gilbey's Gin, and Carolan's Irish Cream before spending a decade with Baileys, where he created the innovative twin-bottle Sheridan's Irish Cream Liqueur. He later co-founded Boru Vodka and Clontarf Whiskey in 1999.
The Shed Distillery is renowned for producing Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, which has earned numerous accolades including Best Gin in the World at the 2019 Flaviar Awards and Spirit Brand of the Year at Wine Enthusiast's 2022 Wine Star Awards. The distillery also produces Sausage Tree Pure Irish Vodka and Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, marking the first whiskey distilled in Connacht in over 101 years.
Nicknamed "the modern Marco Polo" of spirits, Rigney draws inspiration from his extensive travels across Asia, Africa, and Europe, incorporating exotic botanicals into his products. A University College Dublin graduate, he combines traditional artisanal methods with premium branding, creating spirits that tell compelling stories while revitalizing rural Irish communities through employment and sustainability initiatives.
Business Development Manager of the Drumshanbo Food Hub
Fergal McPartland was appointed as full-time Business Development Manager of the food hub in March 2009. Fergal is responsible for the operation, marketing, and administrative progression of the Food Hub.
He is supported by the Food Hub management committee (who in turn report to the full Board of Drumshanbo Community Council Ltd). This committee has an excellent mix of commercial, community and public sector expertise to maintain the broad base of support for the project and to ensure that it is managed effectively.
Councillor
Cllr Enda McGloin was a member of Leitrim Co Council from 2004 to 2014. He was re-elected in 2019 for the Ballinamore MA and during his term Enda served as Cathaoirleach of the local authority and Chairperson of the Ballinamore Municipal Authority. He is seeking re-election at the 2024 local elections.
Enda McGloin is Chairman of Drumshanbo Community Council since 2006 and has been involved in many projects locally including the Food Hub which currently employs over 160 people at its business campus in the town, companies based there include chef in the box, McNiffe’s Boxty and the world-famous Shed Distillery by PJ Rigney home of Gunpowder Irish Gin.
Enda has championed for the area as a prime tourist destination and he has lobbied successfully for funding to promote and develop the local leisure and community infrastructure to ensure south Leitrim is good place to live, invest and work.
Millions of Euros have been invested in the local area by Fine Gael in government under numerous headings, Leitrim Co Council has had an ambitious investment policy in the county since 2014 and Enda Mc Gloin is seeking a mandate to continue that positive programme.
Enda is married to Jenny Duffy and they have one son, Caleb.
