The new Wetherspoon pub and hotel on Camden St in Dublin is set to open in less than a fortnight.
The company has invested €27.4 million developing the site on Camden Street Upper and Lower, and a further €6 million on the purchase of the property. Wetherspoon said it was the single largest investment it has made in its 41-year history.
The new facility will open on August 16th, some two months earlier than previously anticipated.
A total of 200 full and part-time staff will be employed at the pub and 89-bedroom hotel, which will be named Keavan’s Port.
The pub will be managed by Filip Mordak, who has worked for Wetherspoon since 2007 and has previously managed two Wetherspoon pubs in the Republic: The Forty Foot in Dún Laoghaire and The Silver Penny on Abbey St in Dublin 1.
Wetherspoon has developed a series of eight Georgian townhouses, a chapel and added a substantial modern extension featuring a 12-metre-high glazed atrium.
The pub offers 9,000sq ft of customer space over two floors as well as a 3,800sq ft garden across two enclosed courtyards.
The 89 bedrooms will all feature en suite bathrooms. There will also be accessible bedrooms designed for guests with disabilities, including wet-room facilities.
Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said: “We are delighted to have completed the development of Keavan’s Port.
“We believe that the pub and hotel will be a great asset to Dublin and will hopefully act as a catalyst for other businesses to invest in the city.”
Conservation and pointing work on the existing brickwork at the front of the premises have been carried out along the entire length of the buildings. Specialist contractors and joiners have worked on the installation of the new windows, and the roof has been re-slated.
Wetherspoon said the garden “reflects the original individual properties”, designed to evoke the once-linked residential gardens.
“The history is captured in the stonework, metalwork, reclaimed furniture and sculpture, as well as the commissioned artwork and lanterns,” it said.
“This nod to the stained-glass artwork history of the building is also referenced in the main bar area, within the back bar and its bar framework detailing. Reclaimed stonework, decorative windows and furniture are also incorporated in the design.
“The rear extension to the building has been constructed, while, inside the existing buildings, artisans and specialists have worked on repairing original stairs and replacing those beyond repair.
“Lost ceiling coving has been made and replaced, while further structural repairs and plastering work have been carried out, to retain the historic aspects of the premises.
“St Keavan’s local social history also provides inspiration for the bespoke designed carpets throughout the pub, reflecting a time when kilims and rugs were signs of wealth, brought back from travels or imported from exotic lands overseas.”
