Fáilte Ireland seek planning permission for food hall in Dublin 2

Gordon Deegan

Fáilte Ireland is seeking to establish a food hall and cultural use at the vacant St Andrew’s Church on Dublin’s Suffolk Street in Dublin 2.

In a letter to Dublin City Council, Laura McCarthy from Fáilte Ireland has stated that “the proposed change of use for the premises has the potential to create a major centrally based asset for the city, with the potential to inject cultural and economic value which would benefit local residents, employees and all visitors, both domestic and foreign”.

Manager at Corporate Services at Fáilte Ireland Ms McCarthy pointed out that food tourism generates around €2 billion to the Irish economy each year.

She said: “In order to generate and sustain further economic opportunity and economic development we need to create iconic food and drink experiences – the proposed change of use and redevelopment of St Andrew’s would be the embodiment of that vision.

Ms McCarthy added: “It is envisaged that the proposed food hall will showcase the best of local and Irish produce within a very high-quality setting which will not only reinvigorate but repurpose part of our capital city’s historic building inventory.”

Planning documents state that the new food hall has the potential to generate 30-40 full and part time jobs.

The Swords-based Wright Group secured planning for a food hall at St Andrew's church in 2019 through its Mink Fusion subsidiary but with the Covid-19 pandemic intervening the firm did not proceed with the five year planning permission.

In a separate planning report lodged with the application by David Mulcahy Planning Consultants, it stated that the proposed new use “will bring life back to this vacant building which is one of the most prominent buildings in the city”.

Mr Mulcahy stated that “the concept of a food/dining hall, which is essentially a permanent indoor market with associated dining facilities, is well established in most European cities and they are very popular for tourists, city residents and local employees”.

He said that the emphasis will be on showcasing local produce, fresh where possible, and all individual vendors will be required to provide a high quality offering.

The submission states that “this will be controlled by the overall operator. Time Out Market in Lisbon is considered to be of particular relevance in of what is sought at St. Andrews with food stalls and the perimeter and a central dining area”.

Mr Mulcahy states that “the cultural aspect of the proposal relates to music, poetry, theatre events which will occur within the church from time to time to enhance the overall dining experience for customers”.

Dublin City Council has invalidated the application on technical points and it is now open to Fáilte Ireland to re-lodge the application.

The food hall is to be operated by a tenant of Failte Ireland and a spokeswoman for Failte Ireland said today: "This planning application has been lodged to change to food/dining hall and cultural use so future tenants could utilise the space as a food market. It is our intention to go to market for lease of the site in the coming months."