Bank of Ireland calls time on new bar sign

By Harry Keaney

More than the locals are keeping a close eye on The Treasury, a new bar and restaurant recently opened by Dubliners Chris Martin and Rory Connolly on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, in the shadow of the Empire State Building.

What has attracted particular attention to the new bar is its name — or rather names. One sign calls it "The Irish Treasury," another "The Irish Bank."

Last weekend, however, a third brass-like sign, "Bank of Ireland" disappeared from the outside of one of the double doors leading into the premises.

Martin confirmed that lawyers for the real Bank of Ireland demanded that the sign be taken down. "We have complied with their request by taking down the sign as they demanded us to do," Martin said.

He declined to discuss the matter further.

Martin and Connolly first encountered opposition to the use of the name "Bank of Ireland" when they opened a new bar and restaurant in San Francisco more than two years ago. The real bank obtained a permanent injunction against Martin and Connolly preventing them from making any use of the name "Bank of Ireland."

Martin and Connolly then used the name "The Irish Bank," a name they also intended to use for the new Fifth Avenue bar. About two weeks ago, they said they would call their Manhattan bar "The Irish Treasury" after New York State’s department of state told them the word "bank" in the assumed name required the consent of the New York State banking department. The state banking department denied their request to use the word "bank."

Subsequently, came the demand from Bank of Ireland’s lawyers that the "Bank of Ireland" sign be removed, hence the disappearance of that sign last weekend.