Cassidys Hotel – A Short History

Name: Cassidys Hotel
Address: Cavendish Row, Upper O’Connell Street, D01 V3P6, Dublin, Ireland
Telephone: +353 1 8780555

Cassidys hotel is located in Three converted Georgian buildings which have undergone restoration and modernisation to provide present day comfort in the historic surroundings of the Georgian age.

6, 7, & 8 Cavendish Row were first built in the mid-eighteenth century and were originally residential townhouses.

Cavendish Row is named after William Cavendish (1737-45) the 3rd Duke of Devonshire and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

Richard Kirwan

No. 6 Cavendish Row, now home to our Restaurant Six was the home of the rather eccentric chemist and geologist Richard Kirwan who was also President of the Royal Irish Academy.

He is notable for inviting his friends to visit at Six O’Clock, and then removing his door-knocker at Seven so that the company would not be disturbed by late-comers. He is remembered for keeping a pet eagle, six large dogs, and he was buried with his butler.

Groomes Hotel

Groomes hotel occupied No. 8 Cavendish Row until the mid 70’s and was run by Joe and Patti Groome. It was a legendary late-night drinking spot and was frequented by politicians of all hues, lawyers, journalists and actors.

After the closure of Groomes hotel in the 1970’s, no. 7 & 8 Cavendish row became county council office space.

The Beatles connection

The Beatles only played Dublin once, on 07th November 1963 they played the Adelphi theatre on Middle Abbey street.

Following their sell out performances they enjoyed some after show drinks in Groomes hotel, now the site of our Groomes bar. They were smuggled to the hotel in the back of a laundry van to escape their adorning fans.

The cast of musical called ‘Carrie,’ which was being staged at the Olympia theatre, were enjoying a few post-show pints in Groome’s Hotel. A fresh faced George Harrison asked one of the cast if she would like to dance? Only to be abruptly asked to “Shag Off”

Afterwards, when it was explained by her friends who he was, she was described as “very mortified”.

Poor George.

The Cassidy Connection

In 1995 the Cassidy family bought 7 & 8 Cavendish row and subsequently 6 Cavendish Row in 1997. The Cassidy family has owned and operated the hotel since opening in June 1996. Over the following number of years the original 68 bedroomed hotel was developed and extended to the 119 bedrooms currently on offer.