Spouses and partners of customers at one of Ireland’s leading stores will be able to “quietly anaesthetise” themselves in comfort while waiting to hear the size of the shopping bill, a judge was told on Thursday.

Circuit Court president Mr Justice Raymond Groarke was told this was part of Brown Thomas’s plans in Dublin’s Grafton Street in its application for a legal facility that will ensure it a full pub licence when plans to refurbish its third floor restaurant are completed.

Constance Cassidy SC, counsel for Brown Thomas, said the store had been operating a wine licence at its restaurant for the last 40 years and wished to improve facilities for customers and in particular for partners and spouses who had to wait while the shopping list was completed.

Ms Cassidy, who appeared with barrister Nicola-Jane Andrews and Compton Solicitors, said Brown Thomas & Co Ltd had bought out extinguished a full pub licence from Falcon Irish Pubs Limited, which owned Ned McKnights in Main Street, Cappamore, Co Limerick.

Legal necessity

The extinguishing of an existing pub licence is a legal necessity for the granting of a new licence elsewhere.

Brown Thomas had asked the Circuit Licensing Court for a declaratory order which, if plans are completed in accordance with planning permission, will guarantee the refurbished restaurant’s obtaining of a full pub licence.

Lorraine Bedford, health and safety compliance manager with Brown Thomas, told the court the store wished to make a full drinks menu, including beer and spirits, available to customers and those who currently wait while their money is spent.

Frank Kenny, of Kenny Kane architects, designers, planning consultants and licensing specialists, produced historical maps showing developments at the Grafton Street-Wicklow Street development over the last 300 years.

He said that since the early 1700s maps showed various developments up to the acquisition by drapers Switzer & Co of sites for development in the area. Switzers had been taken over by Brown Thomas.

Historical maps

Mr Kenny told Ms Cassidy it was clear from the sequence of historical maps that the individual buildings, which included two old pub licences in Wicklow Street, had been demolished to facilitate construction of the Switzers block.

He said planning permission had been granted for a new kitchen and carvery area, dry goods and refrigerated storage areas, dining areas and staff facilities.

Judge Groarke, who was told by Ms Cassidy that those in waiting could at least slightly anaesthetise themselves against what spouses and partners would spend, granted the store a declaratory order.