The Digital Hub has today announced the start of construction works to convert the ground floor of the historic St Patrick’s Tower in Dublin 8 into a new event, exhibition and community space, enabling it to be used for the first time since the 1860s.
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Ray McAdam joined Darina Kneafsey, Chair of the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA) and Fiach Mac Conghail, Chief Executive Officer of The Digital Hub, to officially mark the start of the construction works.
St Patrick’s Tower is an iconic Dublin building, located on The Digital Hub campus on Thomas Street in The Liberties and is owned and managed by The Digital Hub.
The renovation, which is being funded and supported by Dublin City Council (DCC), will make the ground floor of the landmark and heritage building accessible to the public, opening it up for use by The Digital Hub’s companies in addition to other local businesses, community enterprises, arts and culture organisations, schools, colleges and community groups.
Once complete, the venue will be suitable to host meetings and seminars in addition to exhibitions and talks. The works will carefully conserve the building’s ground floor, and the refurbishment will add significantly to the growing portfolio of refurbished buildings on The Digital Hub’s campus which have been returned to full-time use. It will also add a new unique venue to the list of available event, exhibition and community space in Dublin city.
Tolmac Construction has been awarded the contract to carry out the project, and it is anticipated that the refurbishment will be completed in the summer of 2026.
The new venue will accommodate up to 50 people and will be wheelchair accessible.
It is envisaged that the works, which will cost in the region of €1m, will allow for the potential development of a wider refurbishment plan to restore and renovate other parts of the 150-foot tower.
The refurbishment project is taking place as the Land Development Agency (LDA) advances plans to deliver new affordable housing on parts of The Digital Hub campus. The Digital Hub is working closely with the LDA on the housing masterplan, which is known as Pear Tree Crossing.
As part of a 2021 Government decision, The Digital Hub is due to be dissolved, but as recently confirmed, it will remain open until at least the end of 2027. The Digital Hub is engaging with both the LDA and DCC on the future plans for certain parts of The Digital Hub campus, which are not part of the LDA’s housing plans. The refurbishment of St Patrick’s Tower is funded and supported by DCC.
St Patrick’s Tower is a well-known and protected structure, occupying a central location on The Digital Hub’s campus in Dublin 8. A former windmill, it was constructed in 1757 and was and was one of the largest smock windmills in Europe. The tower was fitted with sails, which are no longer in place, and was originally used to mill grain for the George Roe Whiskey distillery.
Updated in 1805, the windmill operated until 1860 but fell into disuse when the distillery converted to the use of steam. Now a protected structure, it has been conserved by The Digital Hub and continues to stand as an iconic reminder of the industrial heritage of The Liberties.
The Digital Hub received planning permission for the refurbishment in 2022. The proposed project includes a detailed conservation management plan and conservation architects, archaeologists and structural engineers will oversee the works.
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Ray McAdam, said:
“I was delighted to be invited to mark the commencement of the renovation and conservation works at St Patrick’s Tower—an iconic landmark in Dublin 8. It is particularly welcome to see this historic building reimagined as a vibrant event, exhibition and community space. The Digital Hub has already brought a number of buildings across its campus back into full-time use, and that matters—because the best way to protect our built heritage is to put it back to work for people. By safeguarding and activating spaces that might otherwise remain vacant, this project shows the kind of imaginative, practical regeneration Dublin needs. I’m excited to see this innovative approach take shape, and I look forward to returning to St Patrick’s Tower to see the completed works next year.”
Fiach Mac Conghail, Chief Executive Officer of The Digital Hub, said:
“This is an important and exciting project for The Digital Hub, our enterprise and creative companies and the entire Dublin 8 community. St Patrick’s Tower is an iconic and beloved building, and it is fantastic that the renovation work will both conserve it and allow it to become a useable space. We are looking forward to hosting a series of events in what will be a unique and engaging venue including exhibitions, meetings, seminars and performances. I would like to thank the Lord Mayor for joining us to mark the start of the construction works and Dublin City Council for supporting the creation of what will be a valued and transformative amenity, not just for The Digital Hub, The Liberties and Dublin 8, but also for the city and wider community.”
He added: “The project will add to our portfolio of restored and now in-use buildings. It will be available for use by the local community, and it will also support the needs of the creative organisations located at The Digital Hub. as well as important local festivals and events Dublin 8 is rapidly becoming one of the City’s most vibrant areas and a venue of this calibre can become a major attraction.
Richard Shakespeare, Chief Executive of Dublin City Council, said:
“We are pleased to fund and support this important project. St Patrick’s Tower is a key landmark in the Liberties with a long and proud history. The building has not been used for many years, so it’s fantastic that is going to be transformed into an exhibition and event space that will ultimately benefit a new generation and give the building a new purpose. I would like to thank The Digital Hub for managing and protecting the building so far, and I would like to congratulate them for having the vision and the ambition to restore and transform it. I know the necessary works will be carried out carefully to the highest standards and will be crucial to ensuring this iconic building is conserved for many more years to come.”
