Dublin pub among 7 premises issued with closure orders

A popular Dublin pub, The Hole In The Wall, is among seven food businesses in Ireland that were issued closure orders by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) last month. The establishment, recognized as Europe's longest pub, located on Blackhorse Avenue near the Phoenix Park, was instructed to close a portion of its premises due to the discovery of rodent droppings.

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The food business operator failed to maintain the premises in a clean condition with a significant number of rodent droppings found also leading to a risk of contamination of food contact materials and packaging.

Inspectors found numerous holes in the pub's walls, indicating a lack of protection against pest contamination. Specifically, first-floor storerooms and the ground-floor kitchen, where food preparation and service occur, were ordered to close. The FSAI noted a failure to maintain the premises in a clean condition, with significant rodent activity posing a risk of contaminating food contact materials and packaging.

Dried mouse droppings were found in a storeroom near coffee syrups, boxes of straws, biscuits, and crisps. The area used for storing Christmas decorations was also inaccessible due to accumulated black bags, providing ample shelter for pests. Elsewhere, the Indian restaurant Sheela Palace at the Liffey Valley Complex in Dublin 22 was ordered to close entirely due to a "grave and immediate danger to public health."

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The rooms used to hold Christmas decorations were inaccessible due to the level of black bags, in turn providing ample harbourage for pests.

Inspectors at Sheela Palace discovered a rat carcass in an area adjacent to the kitchen, along with evidence of rat droppings and high bait consumption. A prefab food storage unit at a Mace newsagents in Co Meath also received a closure order because its ceiling was in disrepair and had fallen into the room.

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a grave and immediate danger to public health

Four other closure orders were served in May on businesses including: A table serving food at Fairgreen Shopping Centre, Mullingar; Shapla Indian Spice in Carlow; Captain’s Catch takeaway in Limerick; and Jilly & Joe’s restaurant in Tipperary. FSAI Chief Executive Greg Dempsey expressed concern over the basic food safety control failures observed, highlighting ongoing lapses in hygiene, cleaning, and pest control, which are legal obligations for all food businesses.

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We continue to see lapses in hygiene, cleaning and safe food handling practices, alongside evidence of pest activity in some food premises.