On-trade

McSorley’s of Ranelagh purchased for €5.5m by team behind Lemon & Duke

The group will now be known as “Grand Slam Bars” and McSorley’s is the fifth pub under their ownership, joining Lemon & Duke, The Bridge 1859, The Blackrock and Little Lemon


Pictured announcing their purchase of McSorley’s pub in Ranelagh for €5.5 million was Noel Anderson (2nd from right) and his fellow directors, Sean O’Brien (left); Rob Kearney (2nd from left); and Jamie Heaslip (right);. Their other director, Dave Kearney (not pictured) is away continuing his rugby career with Chicago Hounds.

The renowned Ranelagh pub, McSorley’s, has been purchased by the team behind Lemon & Duke and The Bridge 1859 for a sum of €5.5 million.

McSorley’s will join Lemon & Duke, The Bridge 1859, The Blackrock and Little Lemon in the pub group, which will now be known as “Grand Slam Bars”. The group is owned by Noel Anderson, former chair of the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA), along with former Irish international rugby players Jamie Heaslip, Dave Kearney, Rob Kearney and Sean O’Brien.

A total of 25 members of staff work in McSorley’s, bringing total employment across the Grand Slam Bars to over 200.

Finance for the purchase was provided by AIB, while Lisney Commercial Real Estate acted as agent for Grand Slam Bars in the deal.

McSorley’s remains open and the group plans to maintain many of the established features, including the Thursday night pub quiz and a DJ set every Friday and Saturday night from 10pm.

In the coming months they also hope to add an extensive cocktail menu to the venue, continuing the success they have had with this feature in the group’s other venues. Building on McSorley’s popularity with rugby fans and in a nod towards “Grand Slam Bars” own rugby heritage, the group is also planning some special events in the Ranelagh venue around the Autumn Internationals and next year’s Six Nations.

Speaking about the acquisition, Noel Anderson, group managing director of Grand Slam Bars said, “We are deeply honoured to be taking over as custodians of McSorley’s, one of the great suburban pubs of Dublin. We understand what McSorley’s means to its customers, and the special place it occupies in Ranelagh and beyond. We fully intend to maintain that, to keep the special heart and soul of McSorley’s intact. So we can assure customers there won’t be any major changes taking place. You don’t need to fix what certainly isn’t broken.

“McSorley’s is also a popular venue with rugby fans and we hope to develop some additional rugby features, drawing on our own sporting heritage in Grand Slam Bars to organise some special events around the upcoming internationals in the autumn and the next Six Nations.

“On behalf of the group, we would also like to thank the Murray Family and all the team who have made McSorley’s such a special pub. We look forward to continuing that excellent legacy, maintaining McSorley’s as one of the best places to socialise in South Dublin.”

They also announced that the new name for the group will be Grand Slam Bars as a nod to the sporting success of the directors.


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