An artist impression of the plans for the former stable building
Former stable building to be transformed into café
Planning permission is being sought for a major upgrade to an Elizabethan castle in South Dublin.
South Dublin County Council (SDCC) have lodged a planning application to transform the former stable buildings at Rathfarnham Castle into a café.
In their application, lodged on May 8, the council are seeking permission for the “refurbishment and change of use of the former stable buildings and former council depot yards, to provide mixed-use cultural/arts/cafe/ restaurant uses”, plus a retail space and toilet facilities.
They are also seeking permission for “works to the building to the north of the castle known as Cromwell’s Fort, and its change of use to two multi-purpose event spaces and associated lobby areas”.
The castle was built during the 16th century for a wealthy and powerful clergyman, Adam Loftus, who went on to become Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland. According to the OPW website, Rathfarnham Castle is an “excellent example of the Elizabethan fortified house in Ireland” and was remodeled on a “splendid scale” in the 18th century.
Now owned by the State, it was occupied by the Jesuits for a time until the 1980s and held a seismograph for detecting earthquakes which belonged to one of the priests.
In the planning application, SDCC are also seeking permission to create a new car park on part of the Sean Keating garden adjacent to the boundary with Castleside Drive, with entry from the existing Rathfarnham Road car park, which includes the “regrading and relevelling of the existing sunken pond and garden area to provide 54 car parking spaces”.
Submissions or observations regarding this application are not being accepted at this time from the public.
