The Dublin licensed property market has had a busy year in 2025, but it’s been a year of two halves: a very active first six months with several high-profile sales, followed by a more subdued second half of the year when very few pubs came publicly to the market.
At the time of publication, 17 Dublin pubs have changed hands, with a capital value of €46.05 million, equating to an average price of €2.7 million. However, there are a further 12 pubs at an advanced stage of the sale-agreed process, with a capital value of €24.49 million (and an average price of €2.04 million). While it is unlikely that all 12 of thesetransactions will conclude before year-end, nonetheless it points to an active year with some highlight sales. By comparison, 17 pubs changed hands in 2024 too, with a capital value of €62.4 million, equating to an average price of €3.67 million.
The most significant Dublin pub sale of 2025 was that of Peter’s Pub, in Johnson Place, Dublin 2. Located close to Grafton Street, Peter’s Pub was regarded as a trophy asset, with many high-profile publicans competing strongly for the property. The property was sold by Enda Keogh, a former chairman of the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) who, along with his wife Paulina, was retiring from the business after a lifetime of dedicated service to the trade.
It was acquired by the popular and highly successful publican Eamonn O’Malley whose other pubs include The Yacht, Clontarf; Fagan’s, Drumcondra; The Old Stand, Wicklow Street; The Autobahn, Glasnevin Avenue; and Cumiskey’s, Blackhorse Avenue. It is understood Peter’s Pub, which had a guide price of €4.25 million, sold for more than €5 million.
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As one former chair of the LVA was retiring, another was on the acquisition trail. Willie Aherne, owner of the historic Palace Bar on Fleet Street in Temple Bar, went around the corner to Aston Quay and acquired Fitzgerald’s licensed premises. The four storey over basement building of 512sq m (5,511sq ft) offered significant business uplift and achieved a price around €2.85 million. The affable Aherne has renamed his new pub “Bill Ahene’s” in tribute to his grandfather who purchased The Palace Bar in 1946.
Aherne has had a busy year and would appear to be a man on a mission as he is one of the founders of Changing Times Brewery along with several other publicans behind some of Dublin’s best-known bars and who have recently teamed up with Pat Rigney of The Shed Distillery Drumshambo/Gunpowder Irish Gin to expand the distribution of their stout, lager and pale ale.
Another man who expanded his hospitality portfolio was Donegal man Paddy Doherty and his Doherty Hospitality Group. Hot on the heels of the acquisition of The Eagle House, Glasthule, in 2024, the group acquired Queen’s, in Dalkey, Co Dublin, for a price in the region of €3.5 million. After an extensive refurbishment the property reopened in July, adding to the great vibe around the historic village of Dalkey. The group also added a hotel to its portfolio with the acquisition of McGrory’s Hotel, in Culdaff, Co Donegal.
The Twin Oaks in Castleknock sold for a price in the region of €2 million after very competitive bidding from the many publicans who live in the Castleknock area. The property, acquired by former insurance guru John Roe, has since been extensively refurbished and rebranded as D15.
Other suburban licensed premises to change hands during the year include The Step Inn, in Stepaside, Co Dublin, which sold for about €3.25 million; Vaughan’s, in Terenure, which sold for about €1.55 million and The Ivy, in Drumcondra, which sold for about €3.25 million.
The Woolshed, Parnell Street, Dublin 1, which was offered to the market with a guide price of €2.5 million, sold for about €3.75 million after a very competitive bidding war between a number of specialist late-night pub operators. It was eventually acquired by Eoin Pardy and Rory Keogh who own the Bad Ass Café in Temple Bar and The Grand Social, Liffey Street.
This duo also emerged as the buyers of the Market Bar, Chelsea Drug Store and Idlwilde, situated on South Great George’s Street/Fade Street, the leasehold interests of which were sold in an off-market deal for a price in excess of €4 million. This area of Dublin 2 is fast becoming a destination hospitality area of the city, with many new openings and refurbishments such as the conversion of the Rustic Stone restaurant to MJ Wright, Public Bar, the reopening of The Globe and the refurbishment of Dame Tavern, augmented with recent hotel openings of The Hoxton and The Mercantile.
A trend of the market in 2025 was that many of the licensed premises to transact were advertised publicly to the market, compared with 2024, when many pub sales were off-market deals. Having said that, there was some significant off-market activity, such as the Market Bar deal mentioned earlier.
The highest price paid for a licensed premises in Ireland during 2025 was not in Dublin but in Galway with the off-market sale of The King’s Head. This historic and centrally located property in the heart of Galway city was sold by the Grealish family who have traded there for 36 years. The off-market deal, which transacted via share-purchase/company sale, was acquired by another Galway family with a long history in the hospitality business – the Linnanes. The price achieved is rumoured to be close to €8 million, considerably more than its €7 millon guide price.
As with several other transactions during 2025, there is a common thread to many of the highlight sales this year – the phrase “location, location, location” comes to mind. In addition, many of the properties had established, high-volume turnover with significant EBITDA/profit conversion. The buyer profile continues to be dominated by established and experienced publicans expanding their portfolios.
John Ryan is head of the licensed and hospitality division at BDM Property
