Dublin Castle cafe forced to close during EU presidency
The owner of a cafe in Dublin Castle’s grounds has said he does not see it returning to business after a forced six-month closure due to the European Union presidency unless there is compensation. Ibrahim Phelan, the 72-year-old owner of the Silk Road Cafe, which has been located in the Chester Beatty library since 2001, believes the decision to close the cafe for six months is “unfair” after he was left in the dark on the matter.Phelan said the reality of such a closure is the “demise” of his business.Despite being involved in catering for previous events including the 2013 EU presidency and the visit of Queen Elizabeth in 2011, “suddenly this year, it’s like we don’t exist”, he said. READ MOREPádraig O’Hora and Irish team reach the summit of Everest‘He gets a bit of enjoyment out of the power’: Is this man now Ireland’s most powerful civil servant?Trump accuses his opponents of treason. But it’s clear who the real traitor is‘An older man was chatting up my date, I’m humiliated and reluctant to let it go’Phelan said the cafe has seen its revenue shrink by 30-40 per cent in the last year. He claims that is primarily due to the recent closure of the Palace Street entrance to Dublin Castle in preparation for Ireland’s hosting of the presidency.While accepting the level of security needed during the EU presidency may require the cafe’s closure, the lack of compensation and lack of information stood out as a big problem for the business. “There is a drip and drab of information, and you have to ask for information,” Phelan said. The cafe’s staff found out about the planned closure only by “sheer accident” when people who had heard about the closure offered their sympathies. The Chester Beatty library will close to the public on June 15th to accommodate the EU presidency.Phelan doesn’t see himself returning to the cafe unless compensation is provided to the cafe for the six-month closure. This has caused the cafe to begin “haemorrhaging” staff. Phelan acknowledged the support that the team has received since the news of the cafe’s closure broke, but said many of the staff are still anxious and that the atmosphere reflects that.In relation to those securing work elsewhere, Phelan said he was unable to replace them. Lucy Johnston and Padma Chinathoo at the Silk Road Café. Photograph: Jack Brady Padma Chinathoo (39) has worked at the cafe for more than eight years and said a significant amount of shock followed the news. She has yet to look for work elsewhere as the team is “still waiting for answers” on the closure, she said.Lucy Johnston (19), who has worked there for over two years, said while she is able to return to college in September, it’s unfortunate to be forced to leave her “first proper job”.The closure is going to “affect everyone negatively,” she said. With some staff members having worked at the cafe for ore than two decades, Phelan said he considers his team family rather than staff. Responding to queries at Fianna Fáil’s ardfheis last week, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that while there were “various aspects to getting Dublin Castle ready” for the EU presidency, he wasn’t aware of any individual business having to close for six months.The Office of Public Works said it had responsibility and oversight for Dublin Castle but did not have “operational oversight” over the Chester Beatty and its tenant, Silk Road Cafe.The Chester Beatty was approached for comment.Despite the closure of the cafe, the Silk Road cookery school in Kimmage and the online shop will remain in business.
