Dublin city councillors have blocked the planned sale of the Plough Pub on Abbey Street to property developers.
The historic boozer, made famous as a spot for theatregoers, has been owned by the Council since 2017.
The plans for the site involved selling it to private developers for around €550,000 and allowing for the construction of apartments on the site opposite the Abbey Theatre.
Dublin City Council would then rent the apartments back from the developers.
But the plans were shot down as councillors pushed for the authority to build the apartments themselves, according to the Irish Times.
Independent Councillor Nial Ring said: “I feel we are giving away a property when we should be building these ourselves.
"If we build them ourselves we have them forever.”
But Council director of services Coilin O'Reilly said that public procurement rules would prevent the Council from starting work on apartments on the site for years, whereas a private developer could have families on the site in months.
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