A POPULAR BEER garden and late night bar venue in central Dublin that has been described as “a unique cultural centre” faces closure due to a new hotel development.

Planning permission has been approved by Dublin City Council for a large extension to the Holiday Inn Express on O’Connell Street, despite opposition to the plans because it will result in the loss of a popular courtyard used by three well-known pubs.

Dublin City Council has sanctioned the development of a six-storey extension to the hotel which is designed to provide an additional 95 guest rooms.

The proposed changes involving some internal alterations will result in the total number of guest rooms increasing from 214 to 303 – a net increase of 89 rooms.

The developer had originally sought approval for a seven-storey extension which would have provided eight additional bedrooms but lowered the height of the building following concerns raised by council officials.

Most controversially, the plans also provide for the demolition of an existing courtyard which acts as an outdoor seating area for three popular bars – Fibber Magee’s, The Living Room and Murray’s.

Most of the dozen objections to the project expressed concern that the proposed development would rob Dublin city of a unique cultural centre and one of the few late bar venues in the O’Connell Street area.

The potential loss of the shared outdoor space had been criticised by several politicians including local Green Party TD, Neasa Hourigan, who claimed the hotel extension would be contrary to the city development plan which sought to safeguard cultural spaces in the city.

“There are few similar music venues in the city and none of such long standing,” said Ms Hourigan.

The Green Party TD said the O’Connell Street area was more suited to venues related to the night-time economy than “quiet” hotels.

Labour councillors, Darragh Moriarty and Declan Meenagh, said it was a fact that the balance towards Dublin catering for tourists “has swung too far.”

In similar statements, they stated: “Numerous music venues, late bars, night clubs and dance venues have all been forced to shut their doors in recent years making way for either the new hotel developments or the further expansion of existing hotels.”

Another objector said the shared courtyard was “a beautiful mixing ground of several pubs which has a fantastic atmosphere and showcases the cultural diversity found in Dublin.” Consultants acting for the three pubs said the proposed extension to the Holiday Inn Express would “remove a vibrant social gathering area from the heart of the city with the clear-cut, knock-on effects on the businesses they run.”

They claimed Murray’s showcased traditional Irish music and dancing that appealed to both tourists and locals while Fibber Magee’s was “an iconic rock bar and a vibrant part of Dublin’s cultural and music scene since 1979.”

They noted Fibber’s had hosted bands including Foo Fighters, Aslan and U2’s singer, Bono, while it continued to provide a platform for up-and-coming bands.

The consultants said The Living Room was widely regarded as one of the best places in Dublin to watch sporting events, while it was also an important meeting point for eastern Europeans living in Dublin.

They also expressed concern that the hotel could be used as a direct provision centre at some point in the future.

However, the developer said the proposed extension would enhance and improve the hotel accommodation offering at a city centre location which would “support the growing city centre business and tourism industries” and would be done “without any significant impact on surrounding streets.”

They claimed the site as a city centre location was appropriate for an infill scheme.

They said the architectural style of the proposed extension would be identical to the existing Holiday Inn Express and will not appear incongruous or out of place.

In its ruling, the council said it was satisfied that the revised plans, which included the omission of one floor, would not seriously injure other surrounding buildings in terms of loss of daylight and was in accordance with the city development plan.

However, objectors may still lodge an appeal with An Bord Pleanála to try and reverse the decision.