Maybe it’s a sign of the times, an apt statement on where modern-day life has gone. But whatever the social commentary involved, the fact is that two fine old Dublin buildings that were once the focus of religious activity in the city have been transformed into luxury hostelries offering accommodation and food.
Somehow, they epitomise the radical transformation of old Dublin from the somewhat run-down, a shade sleazy city of yesteryear to the modern-day tourist destination that is attracting visitors by the hordes.
It took the vision of U2 band members Bono and The Edge to transform the Clarence Hotel, on Wellington Quay in the heart of the city, into a luxury hotel suitable for the 21st century. The pair used to sup a pint or two in its old bar and saw the potential of a building with fabulous views of the River Liffey.
The job they helped oversee is spectacular. Even on a winter’s night, sitting in a de luxe room high up on the top of the building looking down the Liffey to the centre of the city is a magical experience.
What is equally pleasant is that the hotel hasn’t been completely ruined by development. For sure, it would be unrecognisable to the members of the clergy, many of whom made it their Dublin base in earlier days.
The hotel isn’t cosmetically overwhelming
But The Clarence, built originally in the 1850s, isn’t one of those hotels that have become too damn smart for their own good. Nor is it so cosmetically overwhelming that when you wake up in the morning, you have the feeling you could be in Denver, Dubai or Dubrovnik, never mind Dublin.
There is an individuality to it that makes it special. Mind you, for me, the residents’ lounge was more like a funeral parlour: dark and gloomy. And the gym is, to be kind, very limited in both size and number of machines.
But the plentiful use of lovely wood, American white oak, gives the hotel a unique feel. There is a rear bar, octagonal in shape, which is secluded and comfortable and the staff are efficient without being in your face or OTT.
Somehow, it feels like a beautiful day when you wake up in the hotel envisaged and brought to reality by Bono and The Edge.
Just as the transformation of the old Clarence Hotel has been startling, so too is the fact that you wouldn’t think of a former church as the likely venue for one of Dublin’s most spectacular eating houses. But John M Keating’s bar, cafe and restaurant off O’Connell Street in the city centre is a brilliant architectural conversion that deserves to be visited and admired whether you want to eat and drink or not.
The former St Mary’s Church, at the junction of Mary Street and Jervis Street, is one of the earliest examples of a galleried church in Dublin. It was built for the Church of Ireland in the early 1700s, but by the late 1990s it had fallen silent.
Plentiful use of American white oak
What has emerged in its place is a superb creation. I sat there on a recent Sunday morning, happily drinking cups of coffee and devouring the Belfast and Dublin Sunday papers.
It was one of the most civilised couple of hours I have spent for a long time.
If you want a snack, you can relax where you are - on a wonderfully comfortable sofa - and be served there. You can also sit down more formally to dine or just pop in for a drink at the bar which fills the centre of what was once the aisle.
Religious believers might be appalled at what a wonderful church has come to. But I don’t think they should be. And maybe there is some poetic justice in the transformation of St Mary’s, because among those married here was Arthur Guinness.
Author Jonathan Swift and John Wesley, founder of the Methodist church, also attended services and the playwright Sean O’Casey was baptised in the building. The place merits inspection solely for its historical connection.
But stop a while and sup a glass in fine, comfortable surroundings. For this is one of the best, most innovative architectural conversions you will ever see. And the high-quality fare makes a meal a lovely experience.
If you go…
The Clarence Hotel, 6-8 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2. Tel: 00-3531-407-0800.
Website: www.theclarence.ie Rooms from �340 (about R3 255) to �750.
Penthouse suite: �2 500.
John M Keating’s bar, cafe, restaurant, cnr Mary and Jervis streets, Dublin 1. Tel: 00-3531-828-0102
Website: www.jmk.ie
amp,hine
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