A development site with planning permission for a mixed use scheme at the famous Dockers pub at 4-6 Sir John Rogerson's Quay is for sale through CB Richard Ellis Gunne with a guide of €3 million.
The site, in the heart of the south docklands area in Dublin 2 that is currently undergoing major residential and commercial development, offers easy access to the DART at Pearse Station, Grand Canal Harbour and occupies a prominent position on the south quays near the proposed Macken Street bridge.
Planning permission for the site incorporates a public house of 450 sq m (4,844 sq ft), six two-bedroom apartments, retail space of 224 sq m (2,411 sq ft) and 174 sq m (1,873 sq ft) of office accommodation.
The Dockers is one of Dublin's most famous pubs and has been in business for well over 150 years. It took its name and much of its custom from the once-bustling trade along the docks before Dublin Port was gradually moved upriver to its current location at the mouth of the Liffey.
"The Dockers is a strange pub," says its owner Christy Murphy. "We get very little local trade as such, apart from maybe the local offices for lunch. Most of our business comes from tourists to the nearby Windmill Lane studios. Bono and the boys come here a lot. We always seem to get a great deal of well-known faces in here. For example, Robert Redford was here, as was Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Naomi Campbell and Liam Neeson. TV and film people always seem to stop by."
Stories about this old pub are many. U2 recorded most of their albums at the nearby Windmill Lane studios and, as Mr Murphy testifies, band members would often stop by for a jar or two during recording sessions. Bono once told a Late Late Show hosted by Gay Byrne about being in the pub's toilets where "I just couldn't get my act together" at the urinals. A local observed Bono's difficulties, approached the megastar and observed: "Stage fright, Bono."
Another story circulating about the Dockers involves a well-known member of the Government canvassing during European elections some time ago. She was introduced to an old lady at the bar as "someone who's in the running for Europe". "Oh yeah," said the old lady, "what does she sing?"
