Shopfront Improvements in 2025

40 projects were supported by Dublin City Council’s Shopfront Improvement Scheme in the South West Inner City (SWIC) in 2025.

The scheme, which has been running for 10 years, assists businesses and community organisations with supporting grants to help with the costs of shopfront refurbishments such as painting and repair, replacement of shopfronts, greening and accessibility changes, as well as certain improvement works to upper floors such as the repair of sash windows or painting of masonry.

The scheme operates across SWIC including neighbourhoods such as The Liberties, Dolphin’s Barn, Kilmainham and Inchicore.  In 2025, the bulk of applications came from businesses in The Liberties, with applications in Inchicore and Clanbrassil Street/ SCR following.

2025 has seen the biggest takeup of the scheme yet, with grants that supported a combined value of work of just under €300,000.

Among this year’s projects were:

• Gilna Opticians, Thomas Street – installation of a new timber shopfront and window display, as well as beautiful painted glass signage. The work included refurbishment of the upper floors.
• Arthur’s Public House, Thomas Street – new external lighting
• Lowe’s Public House, Dolphin’s Barn Street – repainting of pubfront
• Eurika Antiques, Francis Street – painting of a shopfront and hand painted signage
• Swift Bar, Thomas Street – New handpainted traditional signwriting
• Dublin Steiner School, Meath Street – restoration of traditional sash windows and repair of rainwatergoods
• Flowerpop, Tyrconnell Road – refurbishment of a shopfront, previously vacant premises
• Our Lady of Dolours Church, Dolphin’s Barn – installation of new floodlighting
• Shannon’s Hopeline, The Coombe – shopfront changes and new signage
• Why Not Flowers, Grattan Crescent – refurbishment of a shopfront, previously vacant premises
• Leonard’s Corner Public House, Clanbrassil Street – refurbishment of a pub front and hand painted signage
• O’Reilly’s Auction Rooms, Francis Street – repainting of shopfront

Each year’s scheme builds on the progress of previous years and the overall effect has been a significant overall improvements in the appearance of commercial streets in the area over the last decade.  In addition, the scheme has supported and encouraged the use of traditional shopfront materials and signwriting (as an antidote to plastic signage); has encouraged better maintenance and upkeep of properties, in particular upper floor windows and rainwater goods; and given a helping hand to new and establishing businesses across SWIC.

Applicants to the scheme can avail of up to €3,000 to assist with their refurbishments.

However, despite successful take-up of the scheme over the past 10 years, the challenge of maintaining commercial streets in the area to a high standard remains. There continues to be buildings in need of attention across the area, but still most noticably on Thomas Street and Clanbrassil Street. Some notable problem sites were highlighted in a social media post earlier this year, and in most cases these are longstanding neglected properties.

The topic of disused and uncared for properties in the city centre has grown in prominence in recent years. It is in everyone’s interest to make our commercial streets and city centre as inviting and attractive as possible.  2026 will see a renewed effort to bring some of the most persistently poor properties in The Liberties and surrounding urban villages up to a better standard.