EU Bureaucrats Force Closure Of Popular Dublin Café
The Silk Road Café is being forced to close by state and EU bureaucrats as part of the draconian security measures being erected around Dublin Castle.
Well-known Dublin institution, the Silk Road Café, is being forced to close its doors for six months by the government and EU to facilitate Ireland’s upcoming EU presidency, which will be headquartered in Dublin Castle.
The popular café, which is situated in the Chester Beatty library for nearly 25 years, will be prevented from trading for the entire six-month duration of the presidency. The owner, 72-year-old Abraham Phelan, told the Irish Times there had been a ‘lack of information’ about the closure.
The café has not been offered any compensation for its losses during this enforced closure as part of the draconian security measures being erected around Dublin Castle in preparation for the incoming presidency, leaving it unlikely to ever reopen.
This move comes only months after the government prioritised extensive tax cuts for the hospitality sector, at the expense of any measure for PAYE or self-employed workers in Budget 2026.
The café has long been a supporter of both local Irish produce and the global BDS movement, including stocking Palestine Cola. It is not known what role this has played in the decision of state and EU bureaucrats to force the closure of the well-loved venue.
A petition on the campaigning website Uplift calling on the government to compensate the café for the closure has already received over 500 signatures.
