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Boland's Mill

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Mixed use development in Dublin City
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Boland's Quay development nearing completion in 2023, including 3 new office/residential towers alongside restored 1830s warehouses

Boland's Mill is located on the Grand Canal Dock in Dublin, Ireland on Ringsend Road between the inner basin of Grand Canal Dock and Barrow Street. The site, originally associated with Boland's Bakery, includes a number of 19th century warehouses. As of 2019, it was undergoing a €150 million reconstruction to become Bolands Quay, a development of new residences and commercial, retail, and civic spaces. By July 2024, the development was due to be opened on a "phased basis between late 2024 and early 2025".

History

Mill development

Boland's Flour Mills

The mill site includes a number of buildings that were formerly owned by Boland's Bakery. There are two six-storey stone warehouse buildings dating from the 1830s, and others on Barrow Street dating from the 1870s. In the several decades before its involvement in the rising, it was used as a flour mill. Much of the complex consisted of concrete silos built between the 1940s and 1960s. The mill stopped production in 2001 and the site lay derelict pending development from that period until the redevelopment commenced in 2016.

Within the complex of buildings, the older 19th century calp limestone buildings facing onto Ringsend Road and Grand Canal Dock together with two terraced houses on Barrow Street are protected structures. The taller concrete silos on the site were not protected structures, and were demolished during the construction in 2017-2018.

During 1916 Rising

During the 1916 Easter Rising, the area around Boland's Mill (including what is now the Treasury Building and Boland's Bakery) was headquarters to the 3rd Battalion of Irish Volunteers under Éamon de Valera. From Easter Monday, 24 April 1916, a unit of Irish Volunteers occupied the area with a view to controlling the main approaches from Dún Laoghaire (then Kingstown) towards the city centre. De Valera raised a green flag with a golden harp, the symbol of an independent Ireland, on the mills. On Wednesday 26 April 1916, a detachment of Sherwood Foresters, sent to Dún Laoghaire from England, made their way into the city via Mount Street Bridge. The ensuing engagement, the Battle of Mount Street Bridge, saw the first direct engagement with the Boland's Mill garrison. While the west side of the mill was subject to "unceasing sniping, which lasted all the week up to Saturday", returned fire from the Boland's Mill garrison kept British forces at bay until Patrick Pearse's surrender order was received on 30 April. Patrick Whelan, an Irish Volunteer of the Boland's Mill garrison killed on 26 April 1916, was posthumously awarded the 1916 Medal.

Redevelopment

Celtic Tiger era plans

The derelict Mills in June 2015

The Boland's Mill site had planning permission for an office, residential and retail/hotel redevelopment granted by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (under Section 25 of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority Act, 1997). The site was sold to Versus Limited/Benton Properties for 42 million euros in 2004, who had planned to develop 67 apartments, two houses, 13,284 square metres (142,990 sq ft) of office space, as well as retail and leisure facilities on the site.

The property collapsed in value by a significant 84 per cent following the property market bust, from €61m in 2007 to €9.9m in 2009, according to accounts filed by Versus with the Companies Office. Versus owed parent company Benton €15.8m. The National Asset Management Agency took control of the site in late 2012.

Google expansion

On 19 May 2014, it was reported that Google was considering the derelict site for further development of the company in the area.

A €150 million reconstruction due to be known as 'Bolands Quay' began in 2015, accommodating new residences, commercial, retail, and civic spaces.

In May 2018, it was announced that Google had bought the site from the National Asset Management Agency for €300 million. As of July 2024, 80% of the development's units had been leased and were proposed to be opened on a "phased basis between late 2024 and early 2025". Planning permission for change of use of one of the units to a pub was approved in August 2024 over residents' objections.

References

  1. ^ Kelly, Olivia (2 July 2015). "Green light for €150m Boland's Mill development". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  2. ^ "80% of units leased at Dublin's Bolands Mills". rte.ie. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  3. Kelly, Olivia (2 December 2014). "€150 million development planned for Boland's Mill". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Boland Mills".
  5. Dublin City Development Plan, 2005-2011 (PDF). Vol. Record of Protected Structures. Dublin: Dublin City Council. 2005. p. 82. ISBN 1-902703-26-X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 July 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  6. "Witness Statement of Acting Captain Joseph O'Byrne" (PDF). Military Archives.
  7. "An Account of the Experiences and Activities during Easter Week 1916, of the Garrison at Boland's Mills, Ringsend Road" (PDF). Military Archives.
  8. "Boland's Mill Garrison". www.irishmedals.ie. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  9. Brophy, David (20 February 2005). "Setting his sites on reshaping the city". Sunday Tribune. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  10. ^ O'Donovan, Donal (2 December 2012). "Toxic bank takes control of historic Boland's Mill site". Irish Independent. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  11. Webb, Nick (19 October 2014). "Google eyes historic €75m Boland's Mills site in Docklands". The Independent.
  12. "Google gets approval for new pub within its campus near Grand Canal Dock". breakingnews.ie. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  13. "Google Dublin pub plan gets permission despite opposition". RTÉ.ie. 12 August 2024.

External links

53°20′31″N 6°14′14″W / 53.342024°N 6.237135°W / 53.342024; -6.237135

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