{"id":303283,"date":"2026-02-17T23:13:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T23:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/303283\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T23:13:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T23:13:13","slug":"crowd-raves-in-protest-outside-dublin-hotel-seeking-injunction-against-yamamori-izakaya-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/303283\/","title":{"rendered":"Crowd raves in protest outside Dublin hotel seeking injunction against Yamamori Izakaya \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

The owners of Dublin<\/a> restaurant and bar Yamamori Izakaya have hit back at complaints made by the neighbouring Hoxton Hotel<\/a> amid claims of late night noise.<\/p>\n

The restaurant\u2019s owners said they find it \u201cextremely difficult\u201d to accept claims made by the new hotel, which is seeking an injunction against the nightclub, that they are not seeking to \u201ccurtail cultural or nightlife activity\u201d.<\/p>\n

The hotel, formerly known as the Central Hotel, on Exchequer Street, adjoins Yamamori Izakaya, which has operated for decades as a restaurant and bar, which plays live music several nights a week.<\/p>\n

Hoxton Hotel made headlines last week after seeking an injunction against Yamamori Izakaya<\/a> over the alleged late-night noise.<\/p>\n

A crowd of well over 100 people attended a protest outside the hotel on Tuesday evening. DJs played music while people chanted: \u201cWhose city? Our city!\u201d<\/p>\n

People Before Profit<\/a> TD Richard Boyd Barrett<\/a> told protesters they were \u201cstanding up for the heartbeat of what this city is really about\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"PeoplePeople Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett addressed the crowd. Photograph: \u00d3rla Ryan <\/p>\n

\u201cIf our reputation in this city and internationally is anything, it\u2019s about music, it\u2019s about culture, it\u2019s about the arts. And we say no to the corporate squeeze-out of grassroots culture and music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boyd Barrett said cultural spaces in the city need to be protected. The crowd booed when he spoke about the closure of The Complex arts centre<\/a> across the river Liffey near Capel Street last month after an emergency meeting between Dublin City Council<\/a> and the Arts Council<\/a> proved unsuccessful.<\/p>\n

He said artists are often \u201ctaken for granted\u201d by those in power and called on the crowd to \u201cstand up for culture, stand up for the arts\u201d.<\/p>\n

Claire Long (29) said she attended the protest because she is \u201creally angry\u201d about the number of cultural spaces in Dublin which have closed in recent years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s happened time and time again,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

A large crowd at the Hoxton Hotel v Yamamori Izakaya protest in Dublin. Protesters say cultural spaces in the city need to be saved, not closed down or threatened with legal action. pic.twitter.com\/jAOjc1KDX5<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00d3rla Ryan (@orlaryan) February 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The fact Izakaya is one of the few venues in the city without an entrance charge \u201cmakes such a difference\u201d, she said, \u201cit\u2019s an equaliser, anyone can come in\u201d.<\/p>\n

Long said the age range of people at the protest showed how important venues like Izakaya are to people from different generations.<\/p>\n

Amy Caulfield (27) said she was worried about the wider \u201ctrend\u201d of cultural spaces like The Complex closing. <\/p>\n

\u201cDublin has become very corporate and lots of smaller venues, we have a lot less that other cities. Less and less smaller venues are opening.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA section of the crowd that gathered on Exchequer Street and neighbouring Dame Court. Photograph: \u00d3rla Ryan <\/p>\n

The Hoxton claimed complaints from its guests due to late-night music from Yamamori Izakaya has resulted in the withdrawal of 31 of its 129 bedrooms. <\/p>\n

In a statement last week, the group behind the Hoxton, Trinity Hospitality, said it \u201chas been seeking to engage constructively with Yamamori Izakaya since late November to conduct joint acoustic testing across both the restaurant unit and the hotel bedrooms\u201d.<\/p>\n

The hotel group said the testing had not yet happened, leaving it with \u201cno choice but to seek this injunction\u201d.<\/p>\n

Yamamori offered to install sound-limiting devices and suggested that the hotel be soundproofed during its refurbishment.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0The Hoxton Hotel v Yamamori Izakaya row goes to the heart of Dublin\u2019s nightlife problemOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

The Hoxton says it did install \u201cextensive sound-mitigation measures\u201d during the refurbishment, but it now wants \u201cfurther acoustic works on the Yamamori side\u201d.<\/p>\n

On Friday, the Hoxton said acoustic testing had now been agreed to go ahead.<\/p>\n

In a new statement issued earlier on Tuesday, Yamamori Izakaya\u2019s management team said they found it difficult to believe the company \u201cwould like to see us thrive\u201d and found the hotels\u2019 actions \u201cinconsistent with these sentiments\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is also hard to accept the company\u2019s claim that it had no choice but to seek the injunction, it chose not to provide the requested information which would have facilitated a meeting between the respective experts immediately,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the company raised the matter in late November 2025, we immediately agreed to meet to discuss the issue and requested information about the sound attenuation measures that were installed,\u201d they said. <\/p>\n

Yamamori Izakaya claimed they only received the requested information from Hoxton on Tuesday morning. <\/p>\n

\u201cRather than provide this information in a timely manner the company sought an injunction,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe company\u2019s claim that we have not engaged and have acted unreasonably is incorrect and should not have been made. The agreed testing on 14th and 15th February 2026 was of limited use save that it highlighted several issues that the company will have to clarify,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are now analysing the technical data that we had originally asked for in November last year,\u201d it concluded.<\/p>\n

An online petition entitled Save Yamamori Izakaya From Being Shut Down had been signed by over 6,500 people<\/a> as of Tuesday.<\/p>\n