A floating pub and restaurant on Dublin's river Liffey has been granted a seven-day licence in the Circuit Civil Court.
Carol O'Kennedy, SC, counsel for pub owner Larry Crowe, who is head of Richmond Properties, told Judge Alison Lindsay he had spent almost €4 million on a complete refurbishment of the passenger vessel Cill Airne.
She said the ship had been fitted out with several bars, lounges and a restaurant and would be docked close to the National Conference Centre in Dublin Docks.
Ms O'Kennedy, who appeared with Dorothy Collins, successfully overcame Garda opposition to the venture on the grounds the ship was not a premises and that its presence would create problems in relation to the congregation of people on the quayside.
David Higgins, project manager of the Dublin Docklands Development Association, said the Cill Airne had been granted a 10-year licence to berth on the river. Noel O'Regan told the court the ship would not be going anywhere as the engine had been decommissioned.
He said all necessary certificates relating to fire safety and ship worthiness had been put in place.
Ms O'Kennedy told the court there had been a precedent for the licensing of a ship as a pub on the river Liffey.
The broadcaster Eamon Andrews had run a pub and night club in the MV Arran which had been docked close to the Custom House.
It had been decided to permanently dock the vessel as otherwise the owners would have had to go for a passenger vessel licence which would have meant the ship would have had to be powered in and out of Dublin Bay.