At last, the rundown Victorian structure at 77-78 Parnell Street in the heart of Dublin’s inner city, widely known for its past occupation by a group of anarchists nearly ten years ago, is set to change hands to Dublin City Council. This notorious derelict building, previously known as Neary’s pub and hotel, had been placed in the Derelict Sites Register over two years ago and has been left unoccupied for over two decades, its condition deteriorating considerably over the past decade.
In 2015, the decayed building fondly referred to as the Barricade Inn, was commandeered by squatters, who insisted they were anarchists. They occupied it for nearly a year before they were removed in 2016 by enforcement of the High Court, responding to a request from Vandelure Ltd, a firm holding a freehold interest in the building. This decision was triggered by the highly unsafe state of the building, with rotting and partially collapsed floors on all levels.
The building, which is a listed construction, was largely built in the 1850s as a hotel, but significant parts of it date back to at least a century ago, with a staircase from the mid-18th century located centrally inside it. Up until her passing in 2002, Ellen McGuill managed the building as a guest house, with rumours suggesting that she willed the property to the Scottish Catholic clergy. However, due to McGuill’s absence of living heirs for execution, the will was never activated, and extensive legal complications followed.
Despite declarations by Vandelure during the 2016 court proceedings to sell the property, the sale did not materialise and the company ceased operations in March 2021. In December of the same year, the council declared the property derelict and initiated proceedings to claim it under the Derelict Sites Act. The vesting orders, giving the council total ownership and rights to the building, are set to kick in on Friday.
In regards to the future plans for the derelict building, the council has not furnished any information, however, according to local Green Party Cllr Janet Horner, it is anticipated that the upper floors will be repurposed for residential use.
The council is considering a proposal where the ground floor of the redeveloped building would be set aside for retail or other commercial purposes, with apartments being housed on the upper floors, according to my sources. It’s expected that the premises would be put on the market under an agreement where the developer would have to offer the council the first chance to purchase the apartments.
This approach has the potential to speed up the building’s redevelopment process as opposed to incorporating it into the standard local authority building programme, as per sources. However, the disposal of the site would only take place under the stipulation that the council is given the initial right to buy the homes for use as social housing.