Setanta Centre
The Setanta Centre is a 9-storey office block with ground floor retail space in Nassau Street, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
| Setanta Centre | |
|---|---|
| Etymology | Named after Setanta |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Dublin |
| Country | Republic of Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53.342214°N 6.2576929°W |
| Completed | 1976 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 7 |
| Floor area | 123,000 sq ft (11,400 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Brian Hogan |
| Developer | Hardwicke |
History
In March 1967, Setanta Investments applied for permission for an office development on the former site of C&C Group's factory spanning from Nassau Street to Molesworth Street and from Kildare Street to South Frederick Street. Setanta Investments was a joint venture between New Ireland Assurance and Hardwicke Ltd. The company directors included Senator Eoin Ryan and developer Mont Kavanagh. Over the course of a few years, a 2.5 acre site was assembled, containing over 55 properties. Uinseann MacEoin, commented on the use of the name Setanta stating "If ever a redevelopment group hiding under the patriotic name of the young Cuchulain represented a powerful phalanx of wrap-the-green-flag-round-me-boys, it is this one."
The initial planning permission was refused, with Setanta Investments successfully appealing to the minister, Kevin Boland, who granted permission in September 1968. Owing to objections from groups like the Irish Georgian Society, some of the development included replica Georgian facades including those on the corner of Kildare Street and Molesworth Street.[1]
The Setanta Centre was built by Hardwicke Ltd and completed by 1976. It was designed by Brian Hogan and consists of 7 floors of office space with 4 retail units at ground level, and a large public car park.[2][3] A large mosaic was commissioned for the centre from Desmond Kinney, depicting the events of the story of the Táin.[4]
Redevelopment
The centre was bought in 2003 by Larry Goodman for €85 million, and he subsequently attempted to sell it in 2016 for €100 million. In April 2018,[4] Goodman announced plans for a €150 million redevelopment of the complex.[5] The plans included a new 8-storey office block, with Dublin City Council voicing concerns about the proposed redevelopment, such as the extent of the demolition and the preservation and reinstatement of the Kinney mosaic.[4] It has also led to legal cases being taken against Goodman as the Setanta Centre Unlimited Company by two tenants of the centre, Reads of Nassau Street and Kilkenny Shop over rights of access and the disruption the redevelopment will cause to the businesses. Any redevelopment of the site has been halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][6][7][8]
See also
References
- McDonald, Frank (1985). The destruction of Dublin. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. pp. 64–66. ISBN 0717113868.
- Casey, Christine (2005). Dublin : the city within the Grand and Royal Canals and the Circular Road with the Phoenix Park. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press. pp. 530, 548. ISBN 9780300109238.
- "Setanta Centre". Hardwicke. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- "Dublin council has 'serious concerns' about plans for the Setanta Centre". TheJournal.ie. 5 May 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- Carolan, Mary (6 July 2020). "Court told hearing into dispute over Setanta Centre redevelopment not so urgent". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- O’Loughlin, Ann (6 July 2020). "Row over €150m Setanta Centre revamp may be on hold as project paused". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- O Faolain, Aodhan (3 June 2020). "Reads gets injunction to keep shop access to its premises from Dublin's Nassau Street". Irish Independent. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- "Court hears of row over access to Reads of Nassau St". RTÉ News. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2021.