Temple Bar venue pitched to investors and pub trade

The Wild Duck theatre bar and entertainment venue in Temple Bar in Dublin, along with eight overhead apartments, is being offered for sale and joint selling agents BDM Property and JLL are quoting €8m for it.

It is located at 17-20 Sycamore Street which connects Dame Street with Meeting House Square and the bar faces the stage door of the Olympia Theatre.

The vendor is Gabrielle Whelan who was previously involved with Whelan’s music venue on Wexford Street.

Extending to a total floor area of 14,588 sqft, most of it is four storeys and basement at 17,18 and 19 Sycamore Street, with the remainder in three storeys and basement at 20 Sycamore Street.

About half the floor area, or 7,768 sqft, is devoted to the business on the ground floor bar, entertainment venue and catering kitchen with a first-floor lounge/private party area. In the basement there are customer toilets and extensive keg and storage areas.

After buying it in 2014 when it had accommodated Sin nightclub, the present owner undertook a complete refurbishment of both the hospitality and residential accommodation.

The apartments on the upper floors range in size from 657 sqft to 1,154 sqft. Seven of them are currently occupied and generating €216,000 in annual rent.

The apartment mix comprises one and two-bedroom units, some of which are duplexes with period details such as exposed timber beams.

John Ryan of BDM says the bar and venue, along with the eight overhead apartments, are situated within a period building which dates back to 1850 and was a former warehouse of the notable Bewley family, tea and coffee merchants. The property has many notable features and oozes charm and character from its brown brick exterior, cut granite sills and exposed timber beams to the upper floors.

Temple Bar is the centre of Dublin’s busy tourist nightlife scene with its many restaurants, cafes and bars and attracts about 3.5 million visits per year. The pub’s location is surrounded by a host of tourist attractions which generate strong footfall including Dublin Castle, Trinity College, Guinness Storehouse, Christ Church Cathedral and St Patrick’s Cathedral.

The location is served by extensive public transport with the Luas Green Line (Trinity) and Luas Red Line (Jervis) just a few minutes’ walk away. Dublin Bus operates along Dame Street.

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