DUBLIN’S FAMED LATE bar The Globe is set to reopen in the coming weeks after a closure that spanned almost three years. 

There is no date currently set for its reopening as it finalises the finer details, but after several years under construction, the bar is almost ready to go.

The Globe officially closed its shutters in 2022 after it had remained trading for some part of the Covid pandemic. Planning documents lodged in 2020 stated that the bar was to be converted into retail space. Appeals were subsequently lodged.

It followed Dublin City Council giving the green light for new plans for a major expansion of the Central Hotel – now The Hoxton – on South Great George’s Street and Dame Court into a new 6,554 sq m five-storey hotel with 125 bedrooms and a rooftop.

The Hoxton has also completed its expansion and is set to open later this month.

The Hoxton and The Globe are separate businesses with separate operators. Former nightclub space Rí-Rá has been brought under the hotel’s remit and rebranded Groundwork.

A spokesperson for The Hoxton said Groundwork “is set to be an exciting first for The Hoxton” – “a basement nightlife venue celebrating community, inclusiveness and classic club culture”.

The Library Bar, also a part of The Hoxton, has undergone renovations and is to reopen alongside the hotel. It will retain the same name but has been reduced in size.

All three venues had closed during Covid and remained shuttered as they underwent works. 

According to Tripadvisor, The Globe began business in 1993 and was the city’s longest running late bar.

The new Library Bar. The Hoxton The Hoxton

The Library Bar was a quieter spot and popular for people meeting for a chat at all times of the day, with the open fire a big draw. It previously had embroidered armchairs and green wallpaper; it now has been turned into a swanky space in the hotel, with the fireplace still intact.

Rí-Rá, on the other hand, was an underground club space that was open from 11pm to 2:30am from Monday to Saturday. Opening times and dates are to be confirmed.