Bewley’s on Grafton Street entitled to new lease, court rules

Bewley’s Cafe on Grafton Street is entitled to a new lease from landlord RGRE Grafton Ltd, a company of developer Johnny Ronan, the Circuit Civil Court has ruled.

Gavin Ralston SC, counsel for the iconic cafe in a legal dispute over whether Bewley’s was entitled to a new tenancy or not, told Judge Jennifer O’Brien that differences in opinion had been compromised and she could make a consent order confirming the cafe’s right to a new lease.

[ Case involving Johnny Ronan company and council firm goes to arbitration ]

Hugh O’Neill SC, who appeared with barrister Ross Aylward for Mr Ronan’s company, RGRE Grafton Ltd, confirmed that this element of ongoing legal proceedings had been agreed.

Mr Ralston, who appeared with barrister David Whelan and A&L Goodbody solicitors, told Judge O’Brien that two days in July had been set aside in the court’s calendar to determine the terms of the new tenancy.

Bewley’s has been paying an annual rent of just more than €1,460,000 and the company’s estimation is that it should, under the new lease, be reduced to about half a million euro per year.

[ Bewley’s cafe bounces back to profitability in wake of Covid ]

The second module of the proceedings will be hearing evidence by a number of valuers with regard to what the court should determine the new rent to be.

The Circuit Court proceedings are separate from the ongoing legal wrangling between the parties over the ownership of the Harry Clarke stained-glass windows, a work of art commissioned in the 1920s and estimated to be worth more than €1 million, in the premises.

Mr Justice Denis McDonald has already decided in the High Court that the windows form part and parcel of the Grafton Street building, apart from two which he held were the property of the tenant and operator Bewley’s Limited.

Judge McDonald’s decision is currently before the Court of Appeal.