Planning given green light to convert former Ballsbridge Post Office into bar
Gordon Deegan
Dublin City Council has given the planning green light to plans to convert the two-storey former Ballsbridge Post Office (PO) on Shelbourne Road in Dublin 4 to a licensed bar restaurant with retail and gallery space.
The Council has granted planning permission to Declan O’Regan’s Telfer Ltd to convert the post office after concluding that the reuse of the Protected Structure “is welcomed in such a central location within the Ballsbridge commercial area”.
The Council’s planner’s report noted that the Ballsbridge post office had provided “a valuable community service for over 135 years” before its closure.
The council has granted planning permission after Telfer lodged revised plans for the site.
O’Regan’s hospitality group also operates Hogan's pub on South Great Georges Street in Dublin. The application came on the back of the group’s revenues and profits increasing last year.
The most recent accounts for Telfer Ltd show that its pre-tax profits increased by 48 per cent to €1.85 million as revenues increased by 10 per cent from €12.6 million to €13.92 million in the 12 months to the end of May 2025.
Numbers employed by the group increased to 140.
The application resulted in a mixed response from those who did make submissions.
With an address at number one Ballsbridge, local resident, David Kennan said: "The bar restaurant with retail use will maintain vibrancy in the area throughout the day and evening and will be a welcome and positive addition to the area.”
He said: “As a local resident I strongly welcome the adaptive reuse of the existing building, which is a protected structure, to ensure its long-term use and maintenance into the future.
Shelbourne Road resident, Danielle Coombs told the council that this pub concept for the former post office “has the potential to contribute positively to the atmosphere of the area which has recently seen the shuttering of a longstanding restaurant just across the road (Jewel in the Crown) and offices at the bottom of the road; this risks the area becoming a bit of a dead zone in the evenings”.
Robyn Crotty of Shelbourne Road told the council that “the potential for excessive chatter and music due to the potential commercial nature of the premises will be inconsistent with the current evening and night ambience on Shelbourne Road”.
Local residents, Les and Mary McClure, called on the council to refuse planning permission as the proposal “has the potential to negatively impact on neighbouring residential properties in terms of excessive noise, nuisance and anti-social behaviour”.
A planning conservation report drawn up by Crimmins Architects and lodged with the application stated that “the objective of the proposed works is to stop the deterioration of the building by sensitive repair and adaptation and to give it a use that can support its survival both physically and economically”.
The report states that built in 1889, Ballsbridge Post Office is on the Record of Protected Structures held by Dublin City Council for its architectural and social quality, which contributes to the character and heritage of the city.
The report added that to maintain and enhance the building’s vibrancy, “a licenced bar restaurant with retail and gallery is deemed an appropriate alternative”.
The conservation report stated that “all efforts will be taken to ensure that necessary new work on the historic structures looks appropriate and is in keeping with the fabric, materials, and style of the original work”.
The report stated that the proposed works will “have minimal detrimental impact on the character of the protected structure”.
