Gaiety Investments, a company controlled by businessman Denis Desmond, received permission from Dublin City Council in November of last year to demolish the SFX centre and build a fivestorey residential building consisting of 41 apartments (17 one-bedroom, 19 twobedroom and five threebedroom units) with underground car-parking for 41 cars. The Society of Jesus, who own neighbouring properties and formerly the SFX itself, appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala but last week withdrew the application, in the process bringing down the final curtain on one of Dublin's oldest venues.

Cork-born Denis Desmond is best known for concert promotion company MCD, which runs rock festivals such as Oxegen and Heineken Green Energy.

Desmond also owns the Gaiety and Olympia theatres and is one of the backers, along with U2 manager Paul McGuinness, of the coming alternative rock music station Phantom FM.