Major expansion planned for one of Dublin’s last Victorian pubs

One of Dublin’s last surviving Victorian pubs, Bowe’s on Fleet Street, is facing its biggest change in 160 years under plans for a three-fold expansion of the premises.

A planning application has been made to Dublin City Council to expand the pub at 31 Fleet Street into the ground floor and basement of the neighbouring buildings at 29 and 30 Fleet Street, formerly a branch of bookmakers Ladbrokes.

The former Ladbrokes shop, now vacant, is sandwiched between Bowe’s and Doyles, a large corner pub at 28 Fleet Street/9 College Street. Both pubs are owned by Declan Doyle.

The work would involve breaking through the eastern wall of Bowe’s at ground floor level to interconnect the building with number 29/30. The basement of 29/30, which is currently part of Doyles pub, would become part of the newly expanded Bowe’s, and the access from Doyles to that basement would be closed off.

The applicants are also seeking permission to change the use of the ground floor portion of 29/30 from the current retail and hostel/B&B use to licensed premises use.

The pubs and the former bookmakers were built between 1798 and 1812 on a site which rounds the corner at Fleet Street onto College Street, and are protected structures. A pub was opened at the current Bowe’s premises in 1854 by Christopher McCabe. In the late 1880s it changed into the hands of John O’Connor and in the early part of the last century it became Bowe’s.

Bowe’s has a traditional ornate Victorian pubfront and its interior has Victorian decorative joinery. The “visual character” of the pub will remain intact after the work, according to the application and the snug at the entrance will be unaltered.

The interior of the old Ladbrokes building is primarily 20th century and would be fitted out in a style “sympathetic” to the “historic character” of Bowe’s, the applicants said. Wall panelling and mirrors removed to create the new opening will be reused in the expanded pub.

Bowe’s existing bar counter along its western wall will be left in place and a new bar will be built along the back wall of 29 and 30. A new entrance to the expanded pub will be located at number 29.