'I'm just one part of it' - 300-year-old Kildare building getting Michelin star makeover

A 300-year-old landmark building at the heart of Rathangan in Co Kildare is set to be given a new lease of life, as an ambitious project to transform the former Dillon’s pub into a restaurant and artisanal retail destination nears completion.

The historic building was purchased by local businessman and pharmacist Shane Ryan in 2018, beginning a journey which has involved years of planning, extensive construction and careful conservation work.

Shane, who runs Ryan’s Pharmacy just around the corner, said he was initially unsure exactly what the future would hold for the building, but knew it was too special an opportunity to pass up.

“I really hadn't any idea what to particularly do with the building, but I knew it was such a fine building that I knew something would possibly come out of it,” he said.

Having won the Pharmacy of the Year in the Retail Excellence Ireland Awards last year, Shane drew on his outstanding retail experience, and eventually developed a vision for something that would go far beyond a conventional shop or restaurant.

From early on, the plan was to create a food offering upstairs alongside a distinctive retail space downstairs, combining established brands with carefully selected antique and one-off pieces.

“It became apparent that this was not just going to be an ordinary retail experience, that it was going to be something that was unusual,” Shane explained.

“It would have to be something special to make it a destination, we're talking about a small village in Kildare, we need something that can attract people from the outside."

The scale of bringing that vision to life proved much greater than Shane initially anticipated.

Planning first begun in 2020 before the Covid-19 pandemic brought progress to a halt. Work later resumed, but conservation requirements brought further delays and required the involvement of a conservation architect.

Builders have now been working on the property for around three years, with the major construction work complete and the team turning its attention towards fitting kitchens, curating the retail offering, developing menus and recruiting staff.

Shane explains that the huge restoration has not been a solo effort.

“It’s not just me, it’s the people around me, I’m just one part of it,” he said.

“Being in business for so long in the town, I have used the same builder for years, same electrician and so on. I’ve a wonderful team around me and that’s what makes it.”

One of the greatest challenges facing that team has been adapting a building with three centuries of history for modern commercial use without losing the character that made it special in the first place.

The property previously contained approximately 16 different levels, which have now been reduced to three, while the basement has also been expanded.

Some original architectural features, including stairs, coving, doors and windows, were carefully removed and stored before being incorporated back into the building. Original stonework has also been exposed in areas of the building.

Shane compared the process to getting a large filling at the dentist, from the outside, the building will remain familiar, despite the extraordinary amount of work carried out within.

“We have to be very cognizant of any changes that we make that we're not obliterating the heritage of the building,” he said.

That heritage is particularly important given the role Dillon’s has played in Rathangan for generations.

Shane purchased the property from the Dillon family and intends to continue using the Dillon’s name, describing it as an “absolute honour”.

He said the family and business were highly respected locally, while the property itself has long been a landmark in the town, with its commercial history stretching back even further to P&H Egan and the era when the canals played an important role in local trade.

“I'm literally standing on the shoulders of those giants when it comes to what they have done,” Shane said.

When the pub closed, he believes people in Rathangan were eager to see the building revitalised and continue its long history as a commercial focal point in the town.

“My dream was to make sure that it was a business that would continue on the tradition of it being a focal commercial point in the town.”

While the history of the building will remain central, what is being created inside is distinctly new.

The ground floor retail space will have a strong focus on Irish brands, with renowned Irish pottery brand Nicholas Mosse among those collaborating with the business.

Upstairs, customers can expect wholesome food using locally sourced produce wherever possible, while a bakery will produce fresh bread and other baked goods.

Coffee will also form a major part of the offering, with the team developing its own blend and branded coffee, and hopes to potentially move into roasting its own coffee in the future.

A specialist team has been assembled to bring the many different strands of the project together, including head chef John Kavanagh and buyer Sarah Donnelly, who have been involved in the journey from near the beginning.

Renowned Irish chef Derry Clarke has also joined the project as a culinary adviser, bringing decades of experience to the team.

“He's bringing not just his reputation, which is outstanding, not as a chef, but just as a human being,” Shane said.

“He's going to be working here, showing us his 50 years of experience in the kitchen.”

With such an ambitious project taking shape behind the doors of one of Rathangan’s most recognisable buildings, Shane said the reaction from the community has been hugely positive.

Initial planning proposals generated interest as far back as 2020, but excitement has grown as more details about the plans have emerged.

Shane says ensuring the finished business lives up to the affection locals already have for the building is a responsibility he takes seriously.

“It's not just something that's going to be a bright light in the town, it's going to be something that they're going to enjoy,” he said.

“It's going to enhance the whole community and provide employment and certainly, certainly something to be proud of.. That's certainly something that I'm really conscious of, that this is something that I want the community to be proud of, that they've been proud of it up to now.” Shane explained.

“So that's my responsibility to make sure that they continue to be proud of it.”

After a journey stretching back to Shane’s purchase of the property in 2018, the wait is now almost over.

Dillon’s is currently aiming to open its doors in November, bringing food, coffee, Irish retail and new employment to a building that has stood at the heart of Rathangan for 300 years.

“There are quite a lot of strands to it,” Shane said. “And it's ambitious. And yeah, I’m excited to see how it works.”