Galway pub calls redevelopment plans ‘catastrophic’ as 14 new apartments are approved
Approval has been granted to demolish and redevelop a Galway city building including a popular pub and a number of apartments, despite objections from the public house.
On December 17, 2025, Canfeen Investments Limited submitted a planning application for the demolition and subsequent redevelopment of a building on Upper Salthill Road. Galway City Council approved the project on June 1.
The building is currently home of a popular pub, Cullinane’s Public House, which has 11 apartments overhead.
Following demolition, the pub will be redeveloped and a total of 14 one, two, and three-bedroom apartments will be be built over it. In total, the new building will have four storeys.
The applicant recognised the everyday use of the pub but claimed the “upper structure is dilapidated, semi-derelict, and not in-use,” in the application.
The original application included a penthouse level however, Galway City planners decided the density was “excessive” for the site and omitted the three penthouse apartments initially planned.
The basement levels, previously used as a nightclub in the pub, will be turned into a bar storage and a plant area.
Location and rendering of site. Approved plans omitted top penthouse floor.
Two submissions were made by Stephen Cullinane under Chadlock Ltd, on behalf of Cullianne’s pub. In the first submission, dated shortly after the application was lodged, Mr Cullinane shared concerns of overdeveloping the site.
“Should the proposed development be granted permission and the development is carried out, the consequences for Chadlock Ltd and its 12 members of staff will be catastrophic,” the submssion reads.
The second submission is dated mid-May 2026, shortly before the approval of the site. In it, the pub owner accused the applicant of not publishing both the newspaper and site notice required after further information was requested by the planning offices.
“We can confirm that it is just by good fortune that we happened to note that the newspaper notice had in fact been submitted late and this has naturally disadvantaged our right to make a submission/objection on this significant further information, as is the case with other members of the public,” Mr Cullinane said in his submission.
However, city planners found the newspaper notice timeline in compliance with planning regulation.
The plans were approved with 20 conditions attached.
Within those, it is specified the site will not be used as short term lets.
Also, it will be the responsibility of Cullinane’s Public House to ensure the pub protects residents from the “annoyance” of noise, the council’s decision reads.