19th-century circular window to be preserved on Camden Street

British pub chain Wetherspoon to open bar in disused city centre property

The circular stained glass window on Camden Street in a property JD Wetherspoons intends to turn into a pub.
The circular stained glass window on Camden Street in a property JD Wetherspoons intends to turn into a pub.

Pub chain Wetherspoon has said it will retain a 19th century stained glass window as part of a pub it intends to open on Camden Street.

A Dublin City Council committee this week agreed to write to the British company urging it to preserve the circular stained glass window on the building opposite the Camden Court Hotel.

The window, designed and built by Thomas and John Earley, dates from the 1850s and sits in the former Earley and Co studios.

The circular stained glass window on Camden Street in a property Wetherspoon intends to turn into a pub.
The circular stained glass window on Camden Street in a property Wetherspoon intends to turn into a pub.

The building is now in a state of disrepair and was acquired recently by Wetherspoon to be turned into a pub.

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Following a motion by Cllr Greg Kelly of Sinn Féin, the council’s Arts, Culture and Recreation Strategic Policy Committee agreed to write to Wetherspoon requesting that they preserve the window when they develop the property.

Mr Kelly said he had looked through the planning permission which had been granted for the pub but did not notice an express order to preserve the window.

“I’m a bit worried that they’ve overlooked it,” he said. “The window has been there since Earley and Co Studios opened in that particular premises in 1852. So the stained glass window alone is 164 years old. It was designed and built by Thomas and John Earley who started the Earley and Co Studios.”

The committee said it would forward the matter to the council’s planning strategic policy committee but on Friday morning a Wetherspoon spokesman said: “We can confirm that Wetherspoon will be retaining the circular stained glass window and it will be a feature of the pub.”

Dan Griffin

Dan Griffin

Dan Griffin is an Irish Times journalist