Sales of Jameson Irish whiskey grew by 16 per cent in volume terms in the six months to the end of December, according to figures released yesterday by its Paris-based parent, Pernod Ricard, which also owns Martell cognac, Chivas scotch whiskey and Havana Club rum. In revenue terms, Jameson grew by 23 per cent during the period. Ciarán Hancock, Business Affairs Correspondent, reports.

The French company said it sold a record 2.3 million cases of Jameson in the 12 months to the end of June 2007, an increase of 223,000 on the previous year. It has set a sales target of three million cases by 2010.

Jameson, the key brand in the Irish Distillers portfolio of spirits brands, is being supported this year by a €67 million global advertising campaign. The drinks group said it had renewed its sponsorship of the Dublin International Film Festival in 2008, at a cost to the firm of €1 million.

In Ireland, Pernod Ricard said Jameson performed "strongly" in the six-month period and the company gained market share in both whiskey and the overall spirits market. Jameson's sales volumes increased strongly in emerging markets, growing by 32 per cent in Russia and 48 per cent in eastern Europe as a whole. Sales rose by 29 per cent in South Africa and by 25 per cent in the United States, which accounts for one in every five sales of Jameson across the world and is the company's biggest market.

Jameson achieved double-digit sales growth in 37 markets in the first half of Pernod Ricard's financial year.

Paul Duffy, chairman and chief executive of Irish Distillers, said the drinks company would continue Jameson's strong focus on the US, where it achieved double-digit growth in 47 states between July and December.

"There's huge swathes of the US where we're barely represented," he said. "We've less than a 1 per cent market share overall, which is practically nothing. So we think there's a great opportunity for us there."

Mr Duffy said Irish Distillers has spent €36 million over the past four years expanding its capacity in Ireland, where it employs about 600 workers.

Irish Distillers owns five of the top 10 brands in the Irish spirits market - Jameson, Powers Gold Label, Paddy, Huzzar and Cork Dry Gin (CDG). The company said CDG bucked the downward trend in the gin category in Ireland, recording "good growth" between July and December.

It said its vodka brand registered a "very satisfactory" performance while its Australian wine brands - Jacob's Creek and Wyndham Estate - achieved a "particularly strong showing".