O’Connell Street Ulster Bank building could become shop and restaurant

Plans to transform the building have been submitted.

Plans have been submitted to transform the building with a new restaurant and retail unit proposed for the landmark property.

A planning application was lodged with Dublin City Council last week by Kingstonway Limited, seeking permission to change how the building is used.

Under the plans, a restaurant would be created in the basement, while the ground floor would become a retail space. The existing office use on the first floor would remain in place.

The proposal would also divide the building into separate areas, with each space getting its own entrance from O’Connell Street. Some internal changes to the protected structure are also being proposed.

A report prepared by developers Brock McClure said the works would aim to “respect and protect the architectural and historic character of the building” while giving it a viable use for the future.

The application states that research was carried out into potential demand for the property, with both an "international restaurant operator" and an "international retail operator" reportedly expressing an interest in taking space in the building.

The property, at 2-4 Lower O’Connell Street, was put on the market last year with a guide price of €2.75 million. It was subsequently sold after Ulster Bank’s withdrawal from the Irish market in 2023.

The building has a long history as a bank, with the premises at number 4 operating as one since 1923. It was rebuilt following its destruction during the 1916 Rising, while number 2 was acquired by the bank in the 1960s.

Company records show Kingstonway Limited was incorporated last year. Its directors, Stephen McCarthy and Thomas Kelly, are also listed as directors or involved in a number of other companies.

The plans will now go through the normal planning process, with a decision from Dublin City Council to follow.

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