The long-anticipated sale by the HSE of the former Royal City of Dublin Hospital in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, is expected to see strong interest from a wide range of parties, including hoteliers and developers of high-end residential accommodation for the owner-occupier and private rented sector (PRS) markets. The Victorian landmark is being offered to the market by agent Knight Frank at a guide price of €5.5 million.

The subject property occupies a prime position at numbers 14, 16 and 18 Baggot Street Upper in Ballsbridge. The majority of the main former Royal City of Dublin Hospital is set back from the building line, creating a landmark structure within the streetscape. The building, which is three to five storeys over basement, has an impressive Victorian facade designed by Albert A Murray. An additional period two-storey granite building, the Drummond Wing, is in the courtyard at the rear of the site fronting on to Eastmoreland Lane. The property extends to a gross area of 5,044sq m (54,293sq ft).

The property is zoned “Objective Z4 – Key Urban Villages and Urban Villages” under the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028. Permissible uses under this designation include hotel, residential and embassy office.

The City of Dublin Hospital, as it was known originally, was established in 1831 at number 9 Baggot Street and was further extended to incorporate numbers 14, 16 and 18. By 1832 it was operating as a 50-bed facility. The hospital continued to expand and in 1866, the Drummond Wing was built, bringing the hospital’s capacity to a total of 100 beds. In 1898 the hospital was reconstructed with a new facade designed by the architect Albert A Murray. It was renamed the Royal City of Dublin Hospital following the visit of Britain’s Queen Victoria to Ireland. The hospital continued in operation until its closure in June 1986. While it was reopened as a community hospital two years later, it closed in 2019 and has remained vacant since.