BACK in 2007, more than 430 staff at Irish Distillers, owner of Jameson whiskey and Huzzar vodka, raised a toast after the sale of the companys former headquarters in Smithfield in Dublin 7 to Joe Linders.

The €40m sale meant their Christmas bonus, which is based on profit sharing, swelled to €10,000 each.

Now Linders has unveiled his plans for the site, which involve demolishing all of the existing structures there and constructing a seven-storey development of nearly 16,600sq m (178,680sq ft) of offices, four shops and a double basement with 98 car parking spaces.

Linders knows Smithfield well – his Linders of Smithfield company was the first Toyota dealer in Ireland and he was involved in the Smithfield Market development with Paddy Kelly and John Flynn.

No doubt, he will be trying to pitch the offices at the Irish Distillers site to the well-heeled barristers and solicitors who descend on the Four Courts around the corner.