Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard is to invest €100 million expanding its distillery in Midleton, Co Cork, to meet demand for its Jameson Irish Whiskey brand.

In the year to the end of June 2011, 3.4 million cases of Jameson were sold worldwide.

Sales of the whiskey have grown for 23 consecutive years and the Midleton distillery is operating at full capacity.

Sixty manufacturing and technical jobs will be created, bringing employee numbers in Ireland to 560.

The new jobs will be split evenly between the distillery in Midleton and a bottling plant in Dublin.

Subject to planning permission, 250 construction jobs will be created during the 15-month construction process, which is slated to start in 2012.