McSorley’s of Ranelagh to expand with seven-day food and drinks venue

The owners of McSorley’s pub in Ranelagh are finalising plans to take over the Wild Goose restaurant space above

The recently acquired McSorley’s pub in Ranelagh is preparing to expand, with plans underway to take over the Wild Goose restaurant space above the pub, according to The Irish Times. 

The new owners are aiming to transform the space into a dynamic food and drinks venue, operating seven days a week.

In an exclusive chat on Inside Business, a podcast by The Irish Times, Noel Anderson, managing director of Grand Slam Bars, shared the vision for the expansion. 

Anderson revealed that he was able to strike up a deal with the current restaurant operator upstairs, and they are now finalising the details.

Anderson explained that significant investment would be poured into the refurbishment, estimating the fit-out costs in the hundreds of thousands of euros. 

According to The Irish Times, the restaurant space is occupied by the Wild Goose Grill, which is scheduled to close by the end of March. 

Grand Slam Bars, the group behind McSorley’s, purchased the iconic pub for €5.5 million in mid-2024. 

The company is led by Anderson, alongside former Irish rugby internationals Rob Kearney, Dave Kearney, Jamie Heaslip, and Sean O’Brien. 

This expanding group, which employs more than 200 staff members, reported annual revenues of approximately €11 million, with food sales contributing €4 million to that total.

Additionally, Anderson holds a stake in the Changing Times Brewery, a local brewery producing craft stout and lager, the Irish Times reported.

While the ground-floor McSorley’s pub will remain focused on evening service, Anderson sees great potential for the upstairs space to complement the pub’s offerings.