New bar to open on Cork city's Washington Street

A new bar has been granted permission on Washington St, between new venue The Hungry Hippo and The Alibi.

Westside Leisure, which also operates several pubs and nightclubs across the city including An Bróg, Alibi, Voodoo Rooms, BarBarella, and BarBarossa are to open the new premises.

Cork City Council granted permission to the company for a change of use for numbers 32-34 Washington St West to a licensed premises. Number 32 had been an electronics shop, while numbers 33 and 34 were solicitors’ offices.

The properties will now be joined together and both the ground and first floors used as a bar, while the top floor will be used as attic space.

The new bar will be located on the corner where Washington St meets Courthouse St, and will be interconnecting with The Alibi Bar & Kitchen and The Hungry Hippo, which are both also owned by Westside Leisure.

The planning permission application included both internal and external refurbishment, alterations including a new shop front and signage, building façade restoration, and roof repairs.

Permission was granted subject to several conditions, such as the submission of further detailed drawings showing that “the level of illumination shall not be excessive” and that best conversation practice is followed in order to protect the historic building fabric and integrity of the historic structures.

Once the new bar is open, “noise from activities associated with this development” are not to go above 55 decibels (dB) between 8am and 10pm, or above 45dB overnight, with no speakers allowed outside the development in the smoking area.

The council said it deemed that, subject to compliance with the conditions, the proposed development “would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities of the area”.