County Leitrim is preparing for a historic moment as Drumshanbo’s Shed Distillery Nature Reserve will be officially twinned with China’s Giant Panda National Park on Wednesday, September 3. The ceremony will mark an extraordinary link between Ireland’s wild peatlands and the world’s most iconic endangered species.
Two Chinese Panda Guardians, Ms Yang Qin of the Giant Panda National Park and Ms Zhang Li of the Sichuan Green Foundation, are travelling from Sichuan to Drumshanbo to take part in the celebrations. They will join Pat and Denise Rigney, founders of The Shed Distillery, alongside public representatives, environmental groups, and members of the local community.
According to organizers, “The official twinning will further unite these two nature sanctuaries, symbolizing a deepening commitment to protecting rare species and safeguarding the planet’s natural heritage.”
The Shed Distillery, Leitrim.
For Irish Americans with roots in Leitrim, the event is a source of pride. In 2023, the Rigneys purchased 80 acres of mountainous peatland near Drumshanbo to establish a permanent nature reserve. Already, five beehives with 50,000 bees have been installed and 150 meters of native hedgerow planted to encourage biodiversity. “This land will be kept wild, as nature intended,” the Rigneys said.
On the other side of the globe, the Giant Panda National Park spans over 27,000 square kilometers across Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. It is home to the largest panda population in the world and has been central to pulling the species back from the brink of extinction.
Read more
The connection between Leitrim and Sichuan began in November 2024, when the Rigneys signed a partnership agreement in Chengdu with the Sichuan Green Foundation. Through sales of the Panda Conservation Edition of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, the distillery pledged ongoing financial support for local communities caring for the pandas.
Wednesday’s events will begin with a morning photoshoot at the Drumshanbo reserve before the official ceremony at The Shed Gathering Grounds, the town’s former Methodist Church.
As one local supporter put it, “This is about more than pandas and peatlands — it shows that even a small Irish town can play its part on the world stage.”
Comments