Dirty O’Sheas to open on Seel Street Liverpool at old Empire site

Dirty O’Sheas is to open this September at the site of the old Empire nightclub on Seel Street Liverpool.

The old venue was closed after Sam Cook was tragically killed in October of 2017. The site has been closed since.

Now local independent leisure company Pub Invest Group will re-open the site as an Irish Bar. Pub Invest Group have traded for many years with well-known venues around Liverpool, such as the Rubber Soul Complex, McCooleys, Level, Soho and the Old Bank. Other venues that are also based on Seel Street and owned by Pub Invest Group include Peacock and Brooklyn Mixer.

Pub Invest Group will keep the basement of the venue closed as a mark of respect to Sam Cook and only the ground floor will be used to operate. The new venue will create around 25 jobs when it opens on the 1^st September and will only open until 2am.

Liverpool nightlife ambassador and Pubwatch Chairman John Hughes who was one of the pioneers of the #Nomoreknives campaign in the city and reached out to Sam’s father, Alan, back in July and called him to inform him of the new site opening. John also made Sam’s Mum aware at a recent #Nomoreknives event to inform her also and offer any support needed. 

John commented “I have worked closely with Pub Invest Group for many years and when they informed me of this opening, I was told the basement of the site would remain closed as a mark of respect. I met with the Liverpool Echo bosses also earlier in the summer to explain that the site would be opening again under the vastly experienced operators Pub Invest Group. The company have over 30 sites and will turn the site into an Irish pub closing 2 hours earlier than had been the case when the site was Empire.”

A spokesperson for Pub Invest Group added “We are fully aware of the horrific event that took place in the basement of the old Empire nightclub in 2017. We will only operate across the ground floor of the site and have worked closely with licensing on this site.”

Get all of the latest news for Liverpool and beyond here.

Got a story you would like to share with us? Email us info@theguideliverpool.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for regular updates for Liverpool.