Built in 1869, Royal Irish Distilleries was so substantial that it had its own railway sidings to bring coal for the stills and to take the finished whiskey away for sale throughout the world.

Royal Irish Distilleries emerged from a wine and spirits partnership founded in 1808 by William Napier and John Dumvill. Dumvill later changed the spelling of his name to Dunville – the version that would later appear on the labels of the company’s whiskey. 

In 1825 Dumvill bought out his partners and founded Dunville & Co, a whiskey blender. In 1837 the firm began producing its most famous brand, Dunville’s VR. 

In 1869 the business opened its own distillery, Royal Irish, next to the marshalling yard of Great Victoria Street railway station. It was a vast operation, supplemented by acres of bonded warehouses in Adelaide Street, Alfred Street, Clarence Street and Franklin Street. 

The Dunville family also became known for their philanthropy and were responsible for building much-needed housing for the working-class people of Belfast. In 1880 the family helped to found Distillery Football Club, to provide staff with leisure activities and in 1891, Robert Dunville gifted Dunville Park to the city. 

By the end of the 19th century, Ireland was producing some 14 million gallons of whiskey per year, 2.5 million of which was distilled at the Royal Irish. However, in the 1920s and 1930s the entire industry began to decline and by 1936, Dunville & Co was liquidated and the distilleries were closed. 

However, in 2013, the illustrious name was revived by Echlinville Distillery in the Ards Peninsula, producing a number of highly regarded bottlings to once again bear the proud Dunville label.

Tógadh Drioglanna Ríoga na hÉireann sa bhliain 1869, bhí siad chomh mór sin go raibh a dtaobhlach iarnróid féin acu le gual a thabhairt do na stileanna agus leis an uisce beatha críochnaithe a thabhairt ar shiúl le díol ar fud an domhain.

D’fhás Drioglanna Ríoga na hÉireann as comhpháirtíocht fíona agus biotáillí a bhunaigh William Napier agus John Dumvill sa bhliain 1808. D’athraigh Dumvill litriú a ainm go Dunville - an leagan a bheadh le feiceáil ar lipéid uisce beatha an chomhlachta. 

Sa bhliain 1825, cheannaigh Dumvill amach na comhpháirtithe eile agus bhunaigh sé Dunville & Co., cumascóir uisce beatha. Thosaigh an gnóthas ar a bhranda is mó a dhéanamh sa bhliain 1837, Dunville’s VR.

Sa bhliain 1869, d’oscaill an gnólacht a drioglann dá chuid féin, Royal Irish, taobh leis an chlós eagraithe i stáisiún traenach Mhórshráid Victoria. Ba ghnó mór é, agus bhí a lán acraí de thrádstórais faoi bhanna ar Shráid Adelaide, Sráid Alfred, Sráid Clarence agus Sráid Franklin. 

Bhain clann Dunville cáil amach fosta as a ndaonchairdeas agus bhí siad freagrach as tithe a thógáil do lucht oibre Bhéal Feirste, tithe a raibh géarghá leo. Sa bhliain 1880 chuidigh an chlann le Distillery Football Club a bhunú, le gníomhaíochtaí fóillíochta a sholáthar do na hoibrithe agus sa bhliain 1891, bhronn Robert Dunville Páirc Dunville ar an chathair. 

Fá dheireadh an 19ú haois, bhí Éire ag táirgeadh thart fá 14 milliún galún uisce beatha in aghaidh na bliana, driogadh 2.5 milliún de sin ag Drioglanna Ríoga. Sna 1920í agus 1930í, áfach, thosaigh an tionscal ar fad ag meath agus fán bhlain 1936, bhí Dunville & Co leachtaithe agus druideadh na drioglanna. 

Sa bhliain 2013, áfach, rinne Drioglann Echlinville in Aird Uladh an t-ainm cáiliúil a athbheochan, ag táirgeadh roinnt buidéal a bhfuil an-mheas orthu, agus ar a bhfuil an lipéad bródúil Dunville arís.