Massey Bros to open funeral home beside Chawke’s Goat Bar and Grill premises

Funeral directors Massey Bros are to open their 10th branch in Dublin in a unit beside the Goat Bar and Grill in Goatstown owned by well-known publican Charlie Chawke.

This follows Mr Chawke receiving the final grant of permission from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council after a rival funeral directors, Fanagans, opted not to appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanála.

Fanagans had objected to the funeral home proposal when the application was before the council, claiming that there is no local need for an additional funeral home.

Susan Guinan, the managing director of Massey Bros, said she was “thrilled” that no appeal was lodged to An Bord Pleanála.

“We are delighted to be opening our 10th branch in Dublin,” she said.

Ms Guinan said that the planning objection “was outside our control, and ourselves and the Chawke family were delighted that the council didn’t see any merit in it”.

She expressed the hope that the funeral home would be open by the end of the summer.

“When I heard the building was up for rent I contacted Charlie and we talked it through. Charlie has been very supportive to us,” Ms Guinan said.

Mr Chawke described Massey Bros as “top class” and said he expects an increase in business at the The Goat Bar and Grill with funeral removals to be held at the new funeral home.

It is now almost three years since An Bord Pleanála refused €186m plans for an apartment scheme on the site of the landmark pub in Goatstown, south Dublin. Mr Chawke now says he expects to lodge revised plans “in the next two months”.

He said the scheme “is a little bit more in line with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council plans for the area”.

The final grant for the funeral home coincides with the release of new accounts for Mr Chawke’s Old Orchard Inn pub in Rathfarnham, which showed post-tax profits of €572,649 for the 12 months to the end of April 2023.

“The performance is OK and is in line with what we expected ,” Mr C hawk es aid:

“It is difficult now with the increased Vat rate, energy costs and increase in the interest rates – all these things are piling up against us.

“Where you make half a million it is eaten up before we get any of it. It is getting near to impossible to make a profit.”

The accounts for Old Orchard Inn firm College Inns Ltd show accumulated profits of €3.4m at the end of April 2023.