New Naas bar set to open for Patrick’s Day
The Forge, Naas
PRESSURE on Naas hostelries for the forthcoming St Patrick’s Day may yet be alleviated with the news that the long awaited re-opening of The Forge is set to happen in time for Monday (17 March).
“We have everything in,” said a spokesman for the Roche Group, “we’re only waiting on the fire officer”.
“We expected to be open today,” said the spokesman, when the called on Friday evening.
“We should be good to go when we get the nod.
“If we do we should be open before St Patrick’s Day."
The firm had initially hoped to have had it open in time for last year’s Punchestown Festival, however, this transpired to be a target just a little too optimistic.
When it does, the Forge pub will be the first part of the Naas Shopping Centre to officially re-open after the grand arches of the old bank building between it and the Bank of Ireland which opened last April following some architectural compromises with the county council.
This would be the first trading at the location in the 16 years since it was mothballed at 90 per cent completion in 2008 when the financial crisis of the previous year stymied the original developer Marshalsea’s plans for the site. Local businessman Ger Roche is behind the development.
