In the early 20th Century, Café en Seine housed a wide range of businesses including a clerical club, a doctor’s surgery, an automobile showroom, a piano warehouse and showroom and a bicycle shop. Among the office residents of Café en Seine were Insurance Companies, Banks, Accountants practices, Estate Agents and Solicitors Offices. Even the Irish Government housed its revenue and passport department in here. Ultimately, 39-40 Dawson Street housed large insurance companies. In 1917, the Ballyknocken Granite facia with Doric columns were added to the front and the interior walls were covered over with lath and plaster, and drop ceilings were added to completely obscure the vaulted ceilings.
By the late 1980’s the insurance companies moved out, and 39-40, like much of Dawson Street, lay vacant and abandoned. In the early 1990’s Liam O’Dwyer happened across a vacant 39-40 Dawson Street with its white plaster walls and drop ceilings. Pushing a ceiling tile aside with the handle of a brush he saw the vaulted ceilings and the seed that was to become Café en Seine was planted. The original Café en Seine was first opened in July 1993 and it occupied only the ground floor of 40 Dawson Street.
Seven years later, structural problems required extensive remedial work but Liam O’Dwyer decided that rather than merely repairing the existing Café he would effectively start from scratch and expand to include both 39 and 40 Dawson Street. The project took eighteen months and Café en Seine, in its current form, opened for business in December 2001.
Café en Seine is currently operated by Splash Hospitality under the direction of Ray Byrne, owner of Wineport Lodge and operator of The Ice House, Ballina.
