Castlebar pubs of bygone days
THE award-winning Rua on Spencer Street in Castlebar was once one of the leading bar and lounge premises in the county town, writes Tom Gillespie.
The Green Olive later became the headquarters of Castlebar Chamber of Commerce, before being taken over by Aran McMahon of Café Rua.
The modern pub was run by Bernie Reilly and boasted a palatial, spacious lounge. I only frequented it on a few occasions, usually when coming from the nearby County Cinema, for a pint before closing time.
Across the road was Jim ‘Yank’ Kelly’s pub, now Tolster’s. There was a lounge off the main bar and the ceiling had wallpaper with a constellation of stars.
My late uncle, Bernie Gillespie, and his colleague John MacHale from The Connaught Telegraph were regular callers to Kelly’s and it was there that many a story was concocted and sold on to the tabloids.
One such porkie alleged that a local man had used a goose to clean his chimney. He did so, they claimed, by lowering the goose into the chimney pot and as it descended to the ground it flapped its wings, cleaning all the soot from the flue.
A tall tale, of course, but the tabloids, pre-1969, lapped it up.
In the 1970s one of the most popular pubs was The Rainbow, which was run by Nat and Dolores Ruane on Castle Street.
Nat had returned from the UK, where he was a taxi driver, and told the story of once bringing Tommy Cooper to a theatre and at the end of the journey Tommy slipped a teabag into Nat’s hand, telling him to have a drink on him.
The Rainbow, later Stalky’s (pictured), was a haven for anglers and many travelled annually from the UK to fish the trout-rich lakes of Mayo.
Nat and Dolores’s daughter, Donna, now a leading light in musical societies across Mayo, cut her singing teeth in The Rainbow, where she usually sang 'The Cliffs of Duneen' - much to the appreciation of the customers.
Another pub of note was Paddy Hoban’s on Main Street, later Hennelly’s and now Eason.
The head barman was Tom Coll who was assisted by Bruce Plunkett and Mick McHugh. A blazing fire greeted customers in the front bar which was a hive of activity and where you could get pickled eggs from behind the bar, prepared by the chef in the supermarket which was run by Mrs. Hoban.
The comfortable lounge at the back had a horseshoe shaped bar counter.
The wedding of Charles Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer took place on Wednesday, July 29, 1981, and I recall watching the ceremony on television in Hoban’s lounge. Our interest then was on Lady Di and her Castlebar connections with Spencer Street and Spencer Park.
I recall writing a story then for The Connaught Telegraph with the heading ‘Lady Di’s hairdresser has Mayo roots’.
It being nearly 40 years ago, I cannot remember the name of the hairdresser but she had Parke, Turlough, connections.
One of the earlier pubs I remember being in with my father, Dick Gillespie, and uncle Denny Fahey was Michael Lally’s (pictured) on Linenhall Street.
It was a pub and grocery and home of Joe Lally, who went on to become the head of Ireland West Tourism, and Angela (Lally) Reidy.
A few doors down was McNamara’s pub - where Country Fresh was.
We used to frequent it when we attended hops in the town hall. Though just underage, we got served pints of beer which had to be paid for up in advance before they were pulled.
After one or two pints we gained false courage which stood to us later in the town hall.
The Cobweb was next door to McNamara’s and was run by Sean and Betty Kelly. It started out as a single room with a an L-shaped counter.
It was a great house for a game of penny poker.
Later a lounge and toilets were added.
It was one of the very last licensed premises in Castlebar to have a six-day licence, preventing them opening on a Sunday.
Of all the streets in Castlebar, Linenhall Street boasted the most pubs - nearly every house.
Smack bang in the middle was Phil Hoban’s bicycle shop, where The Western People offices are now.
At Christmas, Phil’s shop turned in to a wonderland of toys, only to be matched with both Wynne’s on Main Street and Buzzard Munnelly’s on Market Square, and later McDermott’s on Spencer Street.
Back on Linenhall Street was McNeela’s confectionary, where Fadden’s is, and Leonard’s shop, next door, which did a thriving trade when dances or functions were staged in the town hall.
On a fair day Linenhall Street was a hive of activity with livestock, horses and donkey and carts, and farmers and jobbers selling and buying animals.
* Read Tom Gillespie's County Town column in our print edition every Tuesday