Bank of Ireland begins €36 million makeover of Dublin's historic College Green

Bank of Ireland has begun work on its iconic College Green building as part of a €36 million makeover.

The project, which is expected to take three years, will involve the repair, upgrading and restoration of College Green’s 280 windows, 45 staircases and 200kms of electrical cabling, as well as its 54 roofs and 2.5 kms of roof walkways.

There will also be improved facilities for Bank of Ireland customers and workspaces for colleagues.

Dublin-based John Paul Construction is the main contractor for the works.

The first of College Green’s 80 roof lights, some of which date from the 1800s, have already been removed, restored, and replaced.

Bank of Ireland bought the former Irish parliament building in 1803 and opened it to the public as a banking hall in 1808.

College Green has served as a bank ever since, making it one of the oldest banking halls in continuous use anywhere in the world.

In addition to being a busy working bank branch, College Green provides office space for Bank of Ireland colleagues in personal, business, and corporate lending, and a wide range of support functions.

College Green, Dublin City. (Ireland's Content Pool)

Chief Executive of Bank of Ireland’s Retail Ireland division, Susan Russell, said: “As custodians of this special building, and after an enormous amount of planning and preparation, we’re excited to see work get underway.

"Over the next three years this major investment will breathe new life into College Green, carefully conserving its historic fabric while modernising its energy and heating systems and upgrading spaces for customers and colleagues.

"When completed, it will help ensure that College Green continues to play an active part in the future of Bank of Ireland and the city of Dublin. 

She added: "Our branch will remain open for business as usual during the works with minimum disruption to customers.”

Liam Kenny, Managing Director, John Paul Construction, said: "We are both proud and excited to be commencing works on this iconic building on behalf of Bank of Ireland.

"The unique nature of the building combined with the craftsmanship required to restore it to its former glory will make this a fascinating project to be involved in and continues our strong legacy of contributing to Ireland’s architectural landscape through the years.”

*This article was originally published on BusinessPlus.ie.