The Digital Hub opens Dublin’s newest event and exhibition space in historic St Patrick’s Tower

• Ground floor of landmark Dublin 8 building opens for use for first time since the 1860s

• New venue will host events, exhibitions and community activities

• Renovation and conservation works funded and supported by Dublin City Council

The Digital Hub has today officially opened the ground floor of the historic St Patrick’s Tower as a new event and exhibition space, enabling the landmark Dublin 8 building to be used for the first time since the 1860s.

The opening follows the completion of renovation and conservation works to the ground floor of St Patrick’s Tower, which were funded and supported by Dublin City Council.

The new venue in what was once a working windmill, will be available for use by The Digital Hub’s member companies as well as local businesses, community enterprises and groups, arts and cultural organisations, schools and colleges.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daryl Barron, officially opened the venue at an event attended by Richard Shakespeare, Chief Executive of Dublin City Council; Darina Kneafsey, Chair of the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA); and Fiach Mac Conghail, Chief Executive Officer of The Digital Hub.

The venue can accommodate up to 50 people, is wheelchair accessible and benefits from excellent acoustics and an intimate setting.

St Patrick’s Tower will host its first official event as part of Beta Festival, Ireland’s festival of art and technology, when the festival returns to The Digital Hub campus in November 2026.

Fiach Mac Conghail, Chief Executive Officer of The Digital Hub, said:

“We are delighted to open St Patrick’s Tower and bring the ground floor of this remarkable building back into use for the first time in generations. It gives us a unique and much-needed new venue for events, exhibitions and community activity at the centre of our campus in the heart of The Liberties.

“We look forward to the space being used by our member companies, local businesses, artists and cultural organisations, schools, colleges and community groups. Renovating and reopening the ground floor of St Patrick’s Tower was a commitment in our Strategic Plan and the completed project reflects our wider approach to maintaining and enhancing the historic buildings in our care and finding new uses for them.

“The Digital Hub has spent more than two decades bringing enterprise, cultural and community activity into historic buildings across our campus at the heart of Dublin 8. We are very proud to add this new event and exhibition space, and I would like to thank Dublin City Council for its support and funding for this important project.”

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Daryl Barron, said:

“I am delighted to officially open St Patrick’s Tower and welcome this beautiful new event and exhibition space to Dublin.

“St Patrick’s Tower has stood over The Liberties for more than 250 years and is an important part of the history and identity of this part of the city. Bringing its ground floor back into use allows people to experience the building in a new way while creating another space for culture, creativity and community activity.

“Historic buildings are a crucial part of what makes Dublin distinctive. Finding new uses for them helps ensure they remain active parts of the city and can continue to be experienced and enjoyed by future generations.”

Richard Shakespeare, Chief Executive of Dublin City Council, said:

“Dublin City Council was pleased to fund and support this project, which has brought one of The Liberties’ best-known landmarks back into active use while respecting and protecting its historic character.

“The Digital Hub has developed considerable experience in restoring and managing historic buildings and finding new uses for them that support enterprise, culture and the local community. St Patrick’s Tower is another strong example of what can be achieved through that approach.

“The Council has worked closely with The Digital Hub over many years, and we recognise the important contribution it makes to The Liberties. We look forward to continuing that collaboration and to seeing St Patrick’s Tower become another active and well-used part of this historic area.”

St Patrick’s Tower is a protected structure and one of the most recognisable landmarks on The Digital Hub campus in The Liberties. Dating from 1757, the former smock windmill was central to the Thomas Street Distillery, a business that would later become part of the family-owned George Roe & Co.

As part of the renovation project, The Digital Hub carried out conservation works to the exterior of the tower, including the addition of new seating and the careful repointing of parts of the structure.

It also commissioned historian Catherine Scuffil to write a new history of St Patrick’s Tower and has erected new exterior and interior interpretation boards telling the story of the tower and its place in the industrial history of The Liberties. The new history is also available on The Digital Hub’s website.

As part of the official opening, The Digital Hub commissioned a poem by Annemarie Ní Churreáin. The Angels’ Share takes its title from the distilling term for the portion of spirit that naturally evaporates from an oak barrel as whiskey matures.

The Digital Hub received planning permission for the renovation works in 2022. The project included a detailed conservation management plan, with conservation architects, archaeologists and structural engineers involved in overseeing the works.

ENDS

Issued by Murray on behalf of The Digital Hub

For more information:

Richie Oakley, Murray
roakley@murraygroup.ie | 087 245 1824

Amy McMahon, Murray
amcmahon@murraygroup.ie | 083 896 3106

About St Patrick’s Tower

Dating from 1757, St Patrick’s Tower is a former smock windmill and one of the most recognisable historic structures in The Liberties.

Originally known as Roe’s Windmill, it was central to the Thomas Street Distillery, which later became part of George Roe & Co, one of Dublin’s major whiskey distilling businesses.

The windmill originally featured large sails used to harness wind power to grind barley for whiskey production. During the early 19th century, it was adapted as the distillery transitioned from wind to steam power. By the 1820s, the sails were no longer required and were removed soon afterwards.

In the late 19th century, the tower acquired a copper cupola and a St Patrick weathervane, giving it its modern name.

The former distillery site was acquired by Arthur Guinness Son & Company in the late 1940s, with repairs subsequently carried out to St Patrick’s Tower. In 2001, the tower was included among properties and land acquired by the Irish State for the development of The Digital Hub enterprise campus, which was established in 2003.

St Patrick’s Tower is included in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and is a protected structure.

About The Digital Hub

Located at the heart of the historic Liberties area of Dublin city centre, The Digital Hub provides high-quality workspace and support to small businesses in the technology and creative sectors, social enterprises, artists and craftspeople.

A total of 51,354 sq. ft. of multi-use office, studio, collaborative and flexible workspace is currently occupied, while a further 7,500 sq. ft. is used by businesses and academia for meetings, events and classes and by Ireland’s major theatre companies for rehearsals and performances.

At present, 57 innovative businesses and organisations are based on The Digital Hub’s campus, collectively employing over 600 people on location. Current member companies include indigenous enterprises such as Akara, Bizimply, Kavaleer, MEG, Neuromod, patientMpower and Tyro Schools, while the campus is also home to over 40 artists, craftspeople and arts organisations including Arts & Disability Ireland, Dublin Camera Club, Dublin International Film Festival, field, Flux, Pallas Projects and The Stinging Fly. Also based at The Digital Hub are social enterprises including Bee8, Change Clothes and Pocket Forests, as well as public sector agencies such as Codema, Post Primary Language Ireland and the City of Dublin Education and Training Board.

The Digital Hub is also a supportive partner of its neighbours and the surrounding local community, leading a series of initiatives and projects for people of all ages, abilities and interests. These wide-ranging programmes seek to develop 21st-century skills and demonstrate the potential of digital innovations to transform lives. Programmes include the Smart D8 initiative, Beta Festival, technology taster sessions delivered to local primary school children and creative programmes covering AI, podcasting, game development and robotics.

Helping to increase economic activity in The Liberties is a crucial part of The Digital Hub’s role. A partnership with We Love Markets, for example, brings thousands of people into the area every month for an event focused on local crafts and circularity.

The Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA) is the Irish State agency that manages The Digital Hub with a mission to deliver economic and cultural impact to Dublin 8 and beyond. DHDA was established by the Irish Government in 2003.

Further information is available at www.thedigitalhub.com.