Court blocks Dublin Castle caf closure ahead of EU presidency
Dublin’s Silk Road Café will reopen today after a High Court judge granted an injunction on Monday blocking its landlord, the Chester Beatty Library, from closing the café for six months during Ireland’s EU presidency. Abraham Phelan, the café’s owner, secured the injunction late on Sunday, arguing that the closure would cause irreparable financial harm ahead of the high-profile diplomatic event. The Chester Beatty had sought to terminate the lease, citing security concerns related to the EU presidency, which runs from July to December 2026.
Mr Phelan told the court that the café, located within Dublin Castle, had operated without incident for years and that the landlord’s decision was disproportionate. “This is a landmark ruling for small businesses in historic sites,” he said. “The court recognised that an arbitrary closure would wipe out months of trade.” The injunction, granted by Mr Justice Garrett Simons, prevents the Chester Beatty from enforcing the closure until at least the end of the EU presidency period, pending a full hearing on the merits of the case.
The dispute highlights tensions between cultural institutions and commercial tenants in Dublin’s most sensitive locations. Dublin Castle, a government complex, houses state offices, museums, and visitor facilities, including the Silk Road Café, which has been a fixture since 2018. The Chester Beatty, a state-funded library and museum, manages the site and had argued that the café’s presence posed security risks during the presidency, when heads of state and large delegations are expected.
Separately, the Irish government confirmed on Monday that a new national register for short-term lets, including Airbnbs, will go live on 1 December 2026, with most properties required to register by that date. Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said the move aims to shift properties from the holiday market back into the private rental sector, addressing Dublin’s chronic housing shortage. “This is one of the strictest regimes in Europe,” he told the Dáil. “We are prioritising homes for residents over holiday lets.”
The register will operate under the short-term let planning code, which was signed into law in April 2026. Properties operating without registration after 1 December face fines of up to €5,000. However, the government has acknowledged enforcement concerns, with local authorities warning of limited resources to police compliance.
Meanwhile, airlines welcomed news that the Dublin Airport passenger cap bill is now ready for enactment, ending years of lobbying by carriers to lift the cap, which has limited growth at the airport since 2019. The bill, expected to pass before the summer recess, will allow Dublin Airport to handle up to 32 million passengers annually, up from the current 30 million cap.
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