Landmark Cuckoo’s Nest sold again in €1.2m deal
By William O'Connor
THE LANDMARK Cuckoo’s Nest is under new ownership following the recent sale of the famous establishment in a deal believed to be in the region of €1.2 million.
There has been plenty of speculation locally in relation to the future of the popular pub on the Greenhills Road and this week The Echo met up with new owner, businessman Brian Mulvaney to tell us about his future plans for the pub.
Originally from St Peter’s Crescent in Walkinstown, Brian has a number of pubs in Dublin and in Orlando in America. As part of the Cuckoo’s Nest deal, the new owners have also bought the Tallaght Theatre, which was built as part of the Temple Woods housing development plans.
The site was purchased last Thursday from developer Micheal Keogh who built the Temple Woods estate at the back of the Cuckoo’s site.
Former Cuckoo’s Nest manager Mark Kavanagh, from Tallaght, has been appointed manager of the pub and he will also be a share owner of the business. The new owner, who also owns The Castle Pub in Rathfarnham Village along with Molloy’s in Talbot Street and pubs in America, explained that he hopes to open the pub in the near future and he currently has revised plans with his architect.
“Micheal Keogh (the previous owner) had planning permission to keep the old house and put a four-storey apartment block in here. We don’t want to do that. What we want to do, is put the pub back in it, maybe a shop and a couple of apartments up above it, that’s what we are thinking,” explained Brian.
“I was with the architect this morning (Tuesday) and I have asked him to redraw new plans and we will resubmit them with the council.”
Explaining how the idea of purchasing the pub came about, Brian went on to say: “Over the years I have had a lot of pubs. Oddly enough I was meeting a mate of mine over in the community centre last year and it came up in discussion and I heard it was vacant. I decided to pursue it. I then got in touch with the builder and subsequently we came to an agreement on price”.
Pushed on when he thought the pub would open its doors again, Brian said: “That depends on the council, what were going to do is get the architect to draw up some plans. He does not think there is going to be an issue but we have got to run it by the council – it’s up to them. Until we get the go ahead from the council, we don’t really know what we can do.”
At the moment, the owners are looking at keeping part of Peader’s old Bar, which was on the theatre side while the big lounge will be completely gone.
In relation to the Tallaght Theatre building, the drama group has “a long-term lease, I said to the lads you might as well throw it in with the package”.
On parking issues, Brian said: “We will put up a wall around the back of the site where the fence is, as we don’t want to be a nuisance to the neighbours so it will block off that. The council are supposed to be realigning the road (Greenhills Road) so the road now becomes a local one and we are going to ask the council can we put one of the lanes in for some car parking space which seems straight forward enough”.
Describing he condition of the old house as “rough”, Brian said they are planning on taking out the second floor in the house to make it a big open space.
Only last year, planning permission was granted by An Bord Pleanala for a cafe and first floor apartment in the original Cuckoo’s Nest building – and an extension to the existing building to accommodate 15 apartments. An Bord Pleanala has approved a planning application for the demolition of the rear and side extensions of the existing Greenhills Road building. The original front part of the building would be retained to accommodate a cafe at ground level and an apartment overhead at first floor. The planning application lodged by Legendstand also sought the construction of a three and four-storey building to the side and rear of the existing building to house 18 apartments.
However, in granting permission, ABP ruled that three apartments were to be omitted and the resulting space incorporated into six apartments – to meet the standards for four-person, two bedroom apartments. Passing the planning application subject to 21 conditions, ABP also ruled that the on-street parking spaces at the eastern side of the application site at Temple Woods be retained.
The Nest ceased trading on May 20, 2015, after the Lynch family, who bought the pub in 1962, “had no choice” but to close the doors of one of Tallaght’s most famous establishments. Originally from Cavan, Peadar and Phyllis Lynch bought the Cuckoo’s Nest 59 years ago and as their family and surrounding community grew, so too did the pub – which was a well-known haunt for football and music and a key player in Tallaght’s economic and social history.
