New grants and exemptions for converting vacant buildings into housing are giving the publican catchcry “Have ye no homes to go to?” fresh resonance. In a housing crisis, pubs that have long since shouted “last orders” are getting a new lease of life as homes.
Look at any main street in a city, town or village and you’ll find a shuttered pub. Some 1,800 of them closed their doors between 2005 and 2021, according to Drinks Industry Group of Ireland figures. Often within walking distance of shops, schools and public transport, the Government wants people to reimagine these pubs as homes.
Last year, pubs were added to the list of vacant commercial properties which, under the Government’s Housing for All Plan, are exempt from planning permission where they are being converted to homes. A pub has to be vacant for two years to qualify for the scheme, which is in place until the end of 2025. Already, there is strong demand; in 10 months, local authorities received notifications for the conversion of 53 pubs across 25 local authorities.
The 53 applications relate to the creation of 169 homes. This suggests many of the vacant pubs are being converted into multiple dwelling units, perhaps by builders and developers, rather than into homes by owner-occupiers.
For those looking to convert a pub into a home of their own, there are grants available to help. The Croí Cónaithe fund offers €30,000 for the refurbishment of a vacant property, including a pub, for occupation as a principal private residence. The building must be vacant for two years or more and must have been built before 1993. If the building is confirmed derelict, you can get a top-up grant of a further €20,000. The grant can be combined with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland Better Energy home grant that covers further relevant works up to €26,750.
However, critics argue that the available grants are not enough to convince someone without a construction background to take on a renovation, never mind their bank.
The Department of Housing has said the Croí Cónaithe scheme is to be expanded to vacant properties built before 2007, and to properties developed for rent, not just those owner-occupied. However, no time frame has been set for this extension.
Into the west
When it comes to converting vacant pubs into homes, Co Mayo tops the leader board having the largest take-up, with the scheme receiving applications for 12 vacant pubs. According to Mayo County Council, the applications include: three pubs in Castlebar; three in Ballyhaunis; two in Charlestown; and one each in Ballinrobe, Kiltimagh, Westport and Swinford
Other applications to covert former drinking establishments include: six in Limerick; three each in Donegal, Kerry and Offaly; and one in each of the 20 other local authority areas.
If you are thinking of buying a vacant pub and doing it up, Tom Corrigan of Achill Formwork and Construction could teach you a thing or two. He has transformed the former Connaught Bar in Charlestown, Co Mayo into one one-bed and two two-bed apartments. A pub for more than 50 years, the Connaught Bar served its last pint in the mid-90s. It has been shuttered since, but now the residents of the new apartments are about to receive their keys.
“It was in a serious state of disrepair inside and it really was sort of a blot on the streetscape in Charlestown,” says Corrigan of the former bar.
The exemption of this former pub from planning permission saved time and money. “We didn’t have to go through the long rigmarole of a planning application which can take months and months… it’s just two or three weeks after you get a decision back from the council,” says Corrigan.
The pub was refurbished using local trades and labour. “We made a conscious decision when we came to Charlestown to use the local hardware shop,” Corrigan explains.
“They have been brilliant, every piece of material we have used we have got there. They have been very appreciative of the business.”
Corrigan has “five or six” more vacant buildings in development at the moment, including high street pubs and banks.
There is a lot of local pride in transforming vacant and derelict properties into housing, says Tom Gilligan, director of services with Mayo County Council. “Once the building falls into disrepair, it becomes a huge problem and it creates an eyesore,” Gilligan says.
“People feel there is a problem and they are solving it, bringing a building back into use and giving employment to local people.
“These pubs, when they are done up, they are giving new life to the streets in towns and villages.”
In developing the Connaught, Corrigan availed of the Government’s Repair and Leasing Scheme. This gives the owners of vacant commercial units or institutional buildings up to €60,000 to repair them, but only for conversion to social housing.
The owner gets the money for repairs from the local authority or approved housing body (AHB) upfront. The owner then leases the property to the local authority or AHB, who will use it to house those on its social housing list. The owner gets an agreed rental payment and the value of the repairs is gradually offset against this rental payment over a specified period.
Under the scheme, the former Connaught Bar, now unrecognisable and with a cosy B2 energy rating, will be leased by Mayo County Council for 20 years. The repair costs far outweigh the €60,000 grant, says Corrigan, but for his firm, the building is a long-term investment.
‘It’s buyer beware’
Vacant and derelict pubs are not easy to convert, Corrigan warns. Would-be owner occupiers, take note: “It’s buyer beware. You need to make sure you don’t overspend. If the roof is rotten, you could end up spending €30,000 on that alone. You might not have the budget for that.”
Corrigan advises getting the building professionally assessed, either by an architect or an engineer before buying. While vacant and derelict properties may come cheap, you don’t want the cost of repairs to sink you. A building that has been vacant for years is likely to be damp, it may have water ingress and will not have adequate insulation or heating. If the pub is mid-terrace or on a main street, there may be challenges with access for building works too, adding to cost.
Pubs tend to be dark by design with little sunlight, so a rejig of windows may need to be included in the budget.
If the cost of the work looks like being more than the property will ultimately be worth, a bank will be slow to lend.
Considering the cost of renovation and the very specific requirements for public housing, anyone converting a pub through this route needs to know what they are doing and work in lockstep with the local authority. To achieve sufficient return on the cost of repair, a pub will likely have to be converted into a number of dwelling units, but not all old pubs are big enough or wide enough for this.
“There is a minimum spec of 45sq m for a one-bed apartment and pubs sometimes don’t lend themselves to that,” says Corrigan. He advises working closely with the council’s vacant homes officer on the design. There is no point in developing upstairs units if the local housing requirement is for accessible ground floor homes, for example.
Another pub owner who is in the building trade, but who does not wish to be named, says that while these buildings hold potential for housing, not all local authorities are facilitative.
“Everyone was disconnected. No one was talking to each other,” he says of decision-making dispersed between multiple council offices in his county. Planning sat with one office, the Repair and Lease Scheme approval with another, while the property itself was located in a place with its own municipal district office. The delays cost time and money.
“It was just painful in the end, to be honest,” he says. “I feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t have my background, because they would be in for a shock.”
Pubs for sale
Sissy McGinty’s, Main Street, Castlerea, Co Roscommon, €200,000
Ber D1, John Higgins Auctioneers
The two-storey property consists of a residential space over a ground-floor commercial area with a traditional style bar and an open-plan lounge area.
M. Minihan’s, 15 North Street, Skibbereen, Co Cork, €240,000
Ber F, Charles McCarthy Auctioneers
Licensed premises with residential accommodation overhead measuring about 1,800sq ft.
Central location, separate vehicular entrance and spacious yard to the rear. In need of renovation and repair throughout, the property has a wonderful charm.
The Blue Bull, Sneem, Co Kerry, POA
Ber C2, Kerry Property Sales
Set in the heart of the picturesque Sneem village on the scenic Wild Atlantic Way. Former patrons include U2 drummer Larry Mullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber. A listed building, the sale includes an adjacent building, Jack Micín’s.
