As reported in The Business Post, a pub group co-owned by Noel Anderson and current and former Leinster Rugby players has agreed a deal to buy the Three Tun Tavern pub in Blackrock, South Co. Dublin, for a price understood to be in excess of €2.5 million.
A deal for the sale of the pub was apparently agreed between the group and its current owner, the British pub chain JD Wetherspoon, before Christmas and is expected to close soon.
Three Tun Tavern Purchase
The purchasing group is co-owned by Noel Anderson, the chairman of the Licensed Vintners’ Association (LVA), and rugby stars Seán O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip, and Rob and Dave Kearney.
The group already owns and operates two prominent Dublin pubs: Lemon & Duke, just off Dawson Street in the city centre, and the Bridge 1859, in Ballsbridge.
It is believed that up to 30 jobs could be created within the business as a result of the deal, and that the pub could open under its new ownership before the summer.
When contacted, Anderson declined to comment “at this time”.
The Three Tun Tavern was the first JD Wetherspoon pub in the Republic of Ireland when it opened in 2014.
It had been acquired by the firm the previous year, for €1.5 million.
The British chain instructed Savills, the estate agent, to find a buyer for the property late last year, and it was listed with a guide price of €2.5 million.
It is understood that the total cost to the buyer was slightly in excess of the guide.
The Three Tun’s close proximity to the Forty Foot – another Wetherspoon pub, in Dún Laoghaire – formed part of its decision to sell the Blackrock business.
The property, which is located at the corner of Temple Road and Carysfort Avenue, includes a large open-plan bar and restaurant dining area extending to 498 square metres on the ground floor, as well as a large beer garden.
The first floor includes a kitchen, store rooms, and office and toilet facilities.
“Important Role”
A spokesman for JD Wetherspoon said that the Three Tun Tavern had played an “important role in the company’s expansion” in Ireland.
“People might find it surprising that the company put it up for sale, however, on occasion, Wetherspoon does put its pubs on the market. Since opening the Three Tun Tavern, the company has opened a further eight pubs and is looking to open more,” the spokesman said.
Last month, JD Wetherspoon opened its latest Irish pub, the South Strand, on Hanover Quay, near the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin’s Docklands.
It also operates the Silver Penny on Abbey Street and the newly opened Keavan’s Port, on Camden Street.
The group spent a reported €27.4 million developing the eight derelict Georgian townhouses that now constitute Keavan’s Port.
The British group also has outlets in Blanchardstown, Swords, Cork and Galway, and further projects planned for Waterford and Galway.
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