About 10 Bridge Street

We are a family run event venue and restaurant, with award winning food, hand-chosen wines, a full bar and a great space for weddings, events and parties. The restaurant is open only for the summer season, but we are open for events all year round apart from an annual shutdown in January. We offer a professional approach to event management whilst keeping the best of Irish hospitality.
When we first opened as a restaurant, in 2006, it was called Sol Y Sombra – a Spanish phrase meaning “light and shadow” and referring here to the play of light inside the building through the stained glass windows.”With a new name we launched in 2022 as 10 Bridge Street.
 
We have taken this opportunity to re-invent the menu whilst keeping the ambience, welcome and service for which Sol Y Sombra has a well-earned reputation.

Over 300 years of history - St James' Church

It is believed that a private Chapel for his family was built on the present site of 10 Bridge Street in the 1690s by John “Black Jack” Blennerhassett, then the owner of Castle Conway on the opposite side of Bridge Street. The site and chapel came to be owned by Lord Ventry, Thomas Mullins (later de Molyens), when he purchased in 1795 the historic Blennerhassett estate, castle and lands of 7000 acres around Killorglin from Harman Blennerhassett.

Around 1812, Lord Ventry sold the chapel site to Rev Frederick Mullins to develop a Church of Ireland building. Rev Mullins did that with financial help from The Board of First Fruits, a body established the previous century by Queen Anne to develop churches in Ireland – of course at that time the Church Of Ireland was the Established Church.

Nimmo’s map of the time clearly shows the church, built in 1816, and that it was No 10 on Bridge Street. This numbering fell into disuse as the street evolved into what is now Lower Bridge Street.

In 1868, the Church was substantially rebuilt. It is believed that the Belltower and the minor nave remain from the original structure, but the main nave of the present day church dates to the 1868 building. Killorglin town and the Church of Ireland population had expanded significantly since the 1812 building.

In 1996 the church was deconsecrated and the building offered for sale. It was subsequently purchased and painstakingly restored by Nicholas Foley and his daughter Cliodhna. The building’s new role as a restaurant and event space allows us respectfully to maintain a beautiful space for future generations. A new Church of Ireland was built in Killorglin, St Michael’s, in 1997 with broad support from the local community.

Sol Y Sombra

When first opened as a restaurant in 2006, what is now ‘10 Bridge Street’ was then called ‘Sol y Sombra’. The Foley family, who established and ran for 30 years the famous ‘Nicks Restaurant’ next door, purchased the property from the Church of Ireland in 1996 opened one of Ireland’s first Tapas bars. At that time good quality casual dining was relatively new to Ireland and the Foleys had a long-standing passion for Spanish food and tapas in particular.

Over subsequent years, the Sol y Sombra team won many hospitality awards while also becoming known as a great venue for concerts and weddings. The somehow spacious, intimate atmosphere and lively vibe wouldn’t have been out of place in an urban environment.

16 years on and Ireland is a different country in terms of food quality and choice. With so many great food producers closer to home, the time is right to make a change for our customers, team, the environment and to add another chapter to this building’s long history…

We look forward to welcoming you to 10 Bridge Street – The menu and wine list will be different, but the team, the service, the welcome and the ambience continue!

Local activities

Killorglin is a bustling town in the heart of in County Kerry. Located on the Wild Atlantic Way touring route it is the perfect location for exploring both the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula.

The town offers a great selection of traditional Irish pubs and restaurants and a myriad of activities to keep you busy during your stay. Whether its hiking in the MacGillycuddy Reeks, a leisurely walk along the Atlantic Coast; Sea, River or Lake Angling, Golfing, Cycling, Canoeing and Outdoor Pursuits Killorglin has it all. In need of some inspiration?

Check out the Reeks District Website for lots of local Activities.