High Court Orders Eviction of Occupiers from Dublin Pub Within 3 Days

The High Court has ordered Eoghan Lynch and Sean Doyle, along with any other unknown persons, to vacate Ardee House, a former pub in Dublin's Liberties, within three days. This ruling follows numerous breaches of a previous court order that prohibited inviting or allowing others into the premises, with up to 40 people present on one occasion.

The order was issued after an engineer's report deemed the building dangerous and uninsured. Black Sheep Investments Ltd, the property owner since 2016, sought injunctions against the occupiers. The property, last used as a pub in 2011, is slated for replacement with apartments.

Lyndon MacCann SC, representing Black Sheep, informed Judge Brian Cregan that the property was being used as a cafe and for social events, including poetry workshops and film screenings, advertised on social media. MacCann also noted that the occupation followed a break-in, potentially leading to criminal consequences under the Prohibition of Forcible Entry and Occupation Act, 1971.

Doyle, a member of the Revolutionary Housing League, read a statement describing the court's order as a threat to their objectives of social justice, citing the homeless crisis. He disputed claims of forcible entry, calling it an «acquisition» of a vacant property, and suggested the building, vacant for 15-16 years, be donated to the community instead of being demolished for unaffordable units. Judge Cregan acknowledged Doyle's social justice motivations but affirmed the court's role in administering justice based on existing law and the right to private property as per the 1937 Constitution. He extended the injunction, requiring the defendants to vacate and cease trespass, but refused Black Sheep's application for costs.