New plans lodged to knock down Cork's Rochestown Inn for a cafe, bar and apartments

The local Sweeney family had lodged their first plans two years ago

An artist's impression of the new development at the Rochestown Inn which is hoped to become a community hub for the area. Picture: gnet3d.com

A new planning application has been lodged for a café, bar, and 12 apartments at the iconic site of the former Rochestown Inn in Cork.

The Rochestown Inn, once a popular pub and a local landmark, was badly damaged by fire in 2015 and the structure was subsequently condemned by engineers.

Plans to develop the site have been lodged with Cork City Council for the second time in two years by the local Sweeney family through Nioresa Ltd. It is hoped that the derelict site will become a community hub for the area, which serves a large suburban population and is adjacent to a popular waterfront greenway.

When contacted by the Irish Examiner, Sean Sweeney said: “We feel it is very important to bring back this amenity to the community and despite our best efforts, including substantial building works to date, the re-opening is long overdue. The council refused a planning application in 2021 for the new build necessary.

“A huge amount of effort and time has gone into this planning application including liaising with the City Council on pre-planning, road and bicycle lane considerations and much more to bring back this building which is sorely missed.” 

Ranging from two to four storeys in height, the building slopes down to the neighbouring bakery and delicatessen the Cinnamon Cottage, and there pays homage to the old Rochestown Inn, Mr Sweeney said. The site is located where the popular Blackrock-Mahon Greenway merges onto the Rochestown Road.

Daniel Luxton, Director with Coughlan DeKeyser Architects, the company which designed the redevelopment, said that he hopes the new build will become “the nucleus” of the community.

“As someone who has lived locally for a number of years, I am delighted to be involved in the re-imagining of the Rochestown Inn which had been the centre of the community in the area for such a long time. Our design sought to create a vibrant new local hub with the new Rochestown Inn at its nucleus," Mr Luxton said.

The planning application includes a request for permission to demolish the derelict former Rochestown Inn, and adjacent house and to build a new structure, ranging from two to four storeys in height to facilitate a bar, café and 12 apartments overhead — six one-bed apartments, and six two-bed apartments — and one private office space.

"The proposed scheme is the result of extensive discussions with Cork City Council with regard to the potential of the site, appropriate design, and future interconnectivity with the Passage Greenway,” Mr Luxton said.

The new development, located immediately next to one of Cork’s most popular greenways and within 100 metres of multiple bus stops, will only include five car parking spaces. It will, however, contain up to 46 bicycle parking facilities, in line with Cork City Council aims to promote sustainable transport.