Councillors criticise plan to demolish pub from 'Ulysses'

Dublin City councillors have criticised plans to demolish a 19th-century pub mentioned in James Joyce's Ulysses, to make way for a six-storey development with apartments and a new pub.

Hedigan’s, also known as the Brian Boru, is located on Prospect Road, Glasnevin, and is a major landmark on the main route from the city to Glasnevin Cemetery. The pub is close to Phibsborough village and faces the Porterhouse North pub, opened last year.

Its owner, Michael Hedigan, last month applied to the council for permission to demolish the existing pub and replace it with a new 540 sq m pub and 57 apartments. Some 1,700 sq m of office space designated for "media and associated uses" is also planned for the development.

Councillors heard yesterday that seven objections had been made so far to the planning application. One of these related to the architecture of the building, which is not listed.

The others were from residents at the nearby housing estate, Delcassian Downs, who felt they would be overlooked.

However, councillors said yesterday the pub should be preserved for its literary and historical merit. "This site itself is a historical site. It is mentioned in Ulysses and is also supposed to be where Brian Boru camped before the battle of Clontarf," said Sinn Féin councillor Nicky Kehoe.

Fine Gael councillor Mary Fitzpatrick said Hedigan’s was one of the few alternatives to "super pubs" in the area. "I’m not sure if there is architectural merit to the pub, but there is a literary tradition, and I’d like to know how they intend to maintain that. "What they’re currently proposing is not right and not suitable or appropriate. "I don’t think we should allow overdevelopment on this site," she said.

Fianna Fáil’s Maurice Ahern said the development could worsen traffic, which was already extremely heavy in the area. Members of the public have until Friday to lodge objections to the application.