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a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories The Silk Road Café is located in the Chester Beatty Library on the grounds of Dublin Castle.Alamy Stock Photo Silk Road Café Landlord of café ordered to close for EU presidency seeks to resolve row through arbitration The court was told the Office of Public Works, which operates Dublin Castle, has no objection to the café remaining open if staff passed garda accreditation. 2.01pm, 19 Jun 2026 Share options THE LANDLORD OF the Silk Road
Café, the Chester Beatty Library, will next week begin proceedings for court orders directing the dispute over the restaurant’s closure during Ireland’s EU Presidency be dealt with by arbitration. Barrister Hugh O’Flaherty told Judge James O’Donohoe in the Circuit Civil Court today it had been indicated on behalf of the Office of Public Works (OPW) that it had no objection to the café remaining open if all staff passed garda accreditation. The OPW operates Dublin Castle. O’Flaherty, who appeared with Margaret Rice and Renata Beselea
of M.E. Hanahoe Solicitors for the café owner, Hannah’s Coffee Shop Limited, said the Chief State Solicitor Maria Browne had indicated this on Thursday. Liosa Beechinor, counsel with Arthur Cox Solicitors for Chester Beatty, told the court the library would be asking the court next week to grant it leave to seek to refer the dispute to arbitration under a licensing agreement with the café which, she alleged, the café had breached. On Tuesday last, the café owner was granted an interim injunction restraining Chester
Beatty from interfering with the operation of The Silk Road or removing its equipment. Advertisement Since then, staff had been allowed back in under the protection of the court. They saved its food supplies and had since served 50 free meals to Revenue Staff who are not affected by the lockdown of Dublin Castle. O’Flaherty said that in her letter to ME Hanahoe Solicitors, the Chief State Solicitor Maria Browne had indicated the gardaí required, for security reasons, that the entire Dublin Castle campus should
be closed to the public from mid-June to end December next. Browne said this recommendation would be implemented by garda and Defence Forces personnel and only fully vetted and accredited individuals would be allowed access during the duration of Ireland’s EU Presidency. She said the implementation of these arrangements would necessitate vetting and accreditation which was not something that had been directed, required or requested by OPW which would facilitate Silk Road Café staff in accessing the accreditation system. “It is unfortunate that it is
considered necessary to close public access to Dublin Castle for such a long period,” Browne stated. “We do not doubt that this could have a serious adverse impact on your client.” Browne stated that after 22 June, the security cordon would be manned by gardaí and Defence Forces personnel and access would be strictly controlled. “While our clients (OPW) are not a party to the injunction proceedings, we can confirm that they have no issue with your client’s personnel having access to the Silk Road
Café if they are legitimately within the security cordon,” Browne said. Related Reads Dublin’s Silk Road Café to reopen after securing injunction preventing closure for EU presidency Taoiseach ‘not clear’ on why café at Dublin Castle must close for EU presidency Owner ‘furious’ as busy café at Dublin Castle ordered to shut down for EU presidency Beechinor told Judge O’Donohoe that the application for an interim injunction had been issued in breach of an arbitration clause in the licensing agreement with the Silk Road Café
owners. She was granted leave to issue a motion to bring an application to stay the proceedings so that the dispute could be dealt with by arbitration. She gave undertakings in similar terms to the interim injunction that had been granted last Tuesday, including that access would not be denied or Chester Beatty would not take steps to grant a new licence to anyone else. The proceedings were put in for mention on 13 July and the application to refer the dispute to arbitration will
not be heard until the last week in July. The café would be allowed to continue operation subject to security measures being met. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone. A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Support The Journal Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy
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Silk Road Café, Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle, Office of Public Works, OPW, EU Presidency, arbitration, interim injunction, garda accreditation, Circuit Civil Court, James O'Donohoe