The St Stephen's Green club is to undergo a much needed revamp which will make it easier to insure and its bedrooms more accessible to older members and wheelchair users.
Dublin City Council granted planning permission for the refurbishment of 9 St Stephen's Green, a protected building with fine Georgian interiors, which according to the architect for the project, T Austin Dunphy, "suffered from an almost complete lack of maintenance" during the 20th century - although the diningroom was redecorated in 1982. The club was founded 163 years ago by Daniel O'Connell and was established as a more egalitarian alternative to the Kildare Street Club, which was dominated by landed gentry. It has accepted women as full members since the 1990s.
Its premises is made up of an 18th century building to the front and a 19th century building to the rear. The oldest portion is believed to date back to 1730 and is possibly the oldest surviving building on St Stephen's Green. The Leeson family - well-known brewers and property developers - were ground landlords of the building from its inception until well into 20th century. The façade was changed and its portico redesigned in 1905 and a third floor added with a mansard roof and dormer windows. Several of the rooms will be returned to their original use during this renovation . The members' bar, for example, is to be returned to its former glory as a billiards and snooker room.
The kitchen, considered too small for current needs, will be removed from the 18th century house and installed on the ground floor of the 19th century building, solving the problem of cooking smells wafting through the building. The current kitchen will be returned to its original use as a servery.
The plan is to install five new bathrooms on the top floor of the 18th century house, to refurbish and replan the old servants' quarters, built at the turn of the century, in order to provide new staff bedrooms and bathrooms on the ground floor, a new members' bar on the first floor larger than the current one, and extra members' accommodation on the top floor. The club also wants to demolish a 1920s squash court and laundry in the yard to create an all-weather winter garden. The 18th century basement will provide extra toilets, an exercise area and staff common rooms.
For years half the club's bedrooms were inaccessible to members and there was inadequate means of escape. The club had difficulty insuring the premises and, according to the planning application, was conscious of the need to comply more fully with current fire and disabled access regulations:
Given the age profile of members, it was considered essential that bedrooms can be accessed directly from the new lift and escape staircase, except on the first floor where there is important Lafrancini stucco work on the walls - regarded as being of superb quality.
Hugh O'Regan's has plans for the former gentlemen's club next door where he intends to open a new venue with a list membership, a restaurant, bar, meetings rooms and a spa.
However, unlike its former next door neighbours, the St Stephen's Green Club members have always rejected "any suggestion of abandoning" 9 St Stephen's Green.
