'Ulysses' pub is to make way for flats

Dublin City Council has granted permission for the partial demolition of a 19th-century pub, mentioned in James Joyce's Ulysses…

Dublin City Council has granted permission for the partial demolition of a 19th-century pub, mentioned in James Joyce's Ulysses, to make way for a six-storey development of apartments.

Hedigans's, also known as the Brian Boru, on Prospect Road, Glasnevin, is a landmark on the main route from the city centre to Glasnevin Cemetery.

The building is not listed in the record of protected structures but features in Ulysses as the pub where mourners stop on the way to the cemetery. The pub is also reputed to have been built on the site where Brian Boru camped before the battle of Clontarf.

The council has granted permission for the construction of 66 apartments. Parts of the existing structure, including the facade, will be refurbished and a pub will be retained, but it will be surrounded by retail and office units as well as the apartments.

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The council received more than 20 objections, most from local residents concerned their homes would be overshadowed and overlooked. The council's decision has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála and a decision is expected in November.

Olivia Kelly

Olivia Kelly

Olivia Kelly is Dublin Editor of The Irish Times