High Court
The public restaurant and bar in the Four Courts is due to close on July 31st and be replaced with consultation rooms. This is a disturbing development. The public who attend at the Four Courts are generally litigants or would-be litigants with their much-needed support from family and friends or witnesses.
Their experiences may be stressful and sometimes deeply upsetting. Their day may be long and involve anxiously waiting around or being in court.
It is reasonable that they should expect there to be somewhere that they may go within the building for a short break or for lunch, especially on occasions when time may be limited.
Come July 31st, those members of the public will have no alternative but to join what will be an extremely long queue at the tiny Friary Café, that seats about 20 people, or else leave the complex altogether to find refreshment nearby (time permitting).
I cannot think of any other public service building that requires people to attend all day that does not provide some form of restaurant or café-style facilities for their welfare.
With respect to the views of the OPW, we should prioritise the welfare of the public over the provision of consultation rooms.
Marie O’Shea, BL
Dublin 7.
Lunch at the Four Courts (The Irish Times)
Rollingnews
Why is it closing? Was it losing money? Who was running it? The OPW or was it licensed?
I would have thought it would be easy enough to turn a profit there?
Probably cheaper for them to convert food court to consultation rooms if they are short of space than to build/purchase/extend the four courts or for them to expect the legal peeps to suffer the indignity of having to walk from the four courts to some other building down the road.
She doesn’t want so many people cluttering up her lunchtime in the Friary Cafe. Can’t they just go to the pub, or Costa like normal plebs?
I’m no food expert and this is just my opinion, but I thought the food there was of a low standard at reasonably high prices. There’s a lot more competition close to the courts than there used to be. There’s also less demand since the opening of the Criminal Courts a few years ago.
there are a number of cafes nearby. have you ever been to blanchardstown courthouse. there isn’t even a water fountain.
Niche in the market?
*searches Done Deal for Chip Van
I’d say you’d get a lovely coffee in the Four Courts what with all them baristas.
or maybe a nice ice cream, a jailatto if you will..
Or a slice of apple tort.
They are incredibly stuck for space there and the consultation rooms used by State Solicitors are a joke.