Decision due next month on plans for iconic pub

The pub magnate who purchased the landmark Murphy’s Bar on High Street is planning to put a restaurant upstairs in the premises.

Louis Fitzgerald – who already owns The Quays on Quay Street – has applied for planning permission to convert the office and storage space on the first floor of Murphy’s to a licensed restaurant measuring around 79 square metres, with seating for around 25 people.

Tatuape Ltd – which is headed by the Fitzgerald family – has also sought permission to construct a new internal staircase at the premises, which is a protected structure and parts of which date back to pre-1700.

A Conservation Report submitted as part of the planning application warned that the Council “must distinguish between conservation and preservation with the latter leading the death knell of buildings by the inflexible ability to allow for adaptation through different times”.

“We believe the local authority must allow for the inevitability of development and change. In this case, the original fabric of the building is not affected.

“We do not consider the amount of intervention to be detrimental to the character of the building. The degree of refurbishment and investment in this property should be encouraged in order to preserve the architectural heritage.

“The pub has undergone internal alterations in the past without significant adverse effect on its character. The changes would respect the character of the structure and ensure that it remains structurally sound premises in future.

“The applicant has a portfolio of existing public houses which includes protected structures such as Keoghs, The Stag’s Head, the Gin palace [Dublin] and the Quays in Galway. Accordingly, its commitment to the protection of our historic built environment is well established.

“None of the works involve the removal of any original fabric from the building. They are, in essence, just the addition of a new stairs to the ground floor and first floor to open the upper floor to a more sustainable use. All works are reversible,” the report reads.

A decision is expected from the City Council in May.