New Events Space for Historic St Patrick’s Tower

The Digital Hub has announced the start of construction works to convert the ground floor of the historic St Patrick’s Tower off Thomas Street 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 feature of Dublin’s skyline, located on The Digital Hub campus and is owned and managed by The Digital Hub.

The renovation, which is being funded and supported by Dublin City Council, 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.  The new venue will accommodate up to 50 people and will be wheelchair accessible.

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.

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.

St Patrick’s Tower is a well-known and protected structure, occupying a central location on The Digital Hub’s campus. 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.

Speaking at the announcement of the project, 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.”

About St Patrick’s Tower 

St Patrick’s Tower was built as part of the George Roe whiskey distillery in 1757 and was once the largest smock windmill in Europe. 

Although it has lost its sails, it remains an iconic reminder of the industrial heritage of the area, particularly its extensive associations with the distilling and brewing industries.  The Roe distillery was one of the predominant distillers in Dublin and merged with Jameson and the Dublin Whiskey Distillery to form the Dublin Distillers Company in 1889.  A copper cupola with a figure of Saint Patrick was added to the tower in the late nineteenth century. The form and scale of the structure is of technical interest, while the brickwork is of a non-standard bond, presumably to accommodate both the curve and tapering walls.  ‘Smock’ mills took their name from their resemblance to smocks worn by farmers in the Netherlands, where their construction originated. Prominently sited off Thomas Street, this building makes a striking contribution to the skyline. 

Read More about St. Patrick’s Tower.