€5m for Harcourt St HQ of Conradh na Gaeilge

INVESTMENTS:AFTER 42 years at 6 Harcourt Street in Dublin 2, Conradh na Gaeilge is relocating to larger premises in the city. The move allows it to sell its headquarters which are near the bottom of the street and close to the entrance to the Iveagh Gardens.

Paul Scannell of HWBC is suggesting offers around €5 million for the four-storey over basement building which goes to tender on July 15th. The premises have been used by the Irish language organisation since 1966 and have a rare mix of retail use on the ground floor, three floors of offices overhead and a private members club facility in the basement.

The building has 531sq m (5,716sq ft) and two car-parking spaces at the rear. The agent says there may be scope for some development at the rear of the house.

The building has an interesting history. It was used by John Henry Newman in 1852 as part of the Catholic University which later became UCD. No 6 was later purchased by the Sinn Fein Co-Operative Peoples Bank in 1910 and was used by Arthur Griffith for the publication of various newspapers including the Irish Volunteer.

The 1918 general election was run from No 6 and in 1919 Michael Collins set up the new Department of Finance at No 6. The building was used by various State agencies until 1931 when Coláiste Mhuire was founded there and remained until 1933.