Mayo native is Britain’s longest serving publican

BALLYHAUNIS native Tom Grogan was feted recently for holding the distinction of being Great Britain’s longest serving publican, writes Mike Byrne.

Tom, who hails from the village of Holywell, was the subject of a documentary on Showcase TV, Manchester, tracing his journey over 60 years in the licensed trade in Manchester.

Tom (89) emigrated from Holywell in 1952 and arrived in Manchester where he worked in various jobs around the city before entering the pub business in 1959. And, 60 years later, the affable publican continues pulling pints at his popular hostelry, The Albert, in Withington, ably assisted by daughters Patricia and Angela and staff members.

Tom spent several years as a tenant in a number of pubs around the south Manchester district before opening his own tavern, The Albert, over 34 years ago.

Last week, TV channel Showcase, Manchester, devoted a half hour tribute to Tom when customers, friends and fellow publicans dropped into the pub to congratulate him on his outstanding achievement.

Back in 1959, Tom and his wife, Anne, a native of Donegal, who sadly passed away 31 years ago, took over The Crown in Rusholme.

Tom remembers the occasion as if it was yesterday: “We were married on the Saturday and running the pub by the Tuesday,” he recalls.

“I didn’t have a clue about the pub trade, but at least Anne had worked in a shop in Ireland, so she knew how to work the till.

“It was a very busy pub back then, we could make £300 a week.”

Reflecting on six decades behind the counter, Tom said: “You wouldn’t believe the changes since I started. There used to be at least three local breweries in Manchester, like Wilson and Tetley. Now they are all worldwide companies.

“Also, most pubs didn’t have a separate spirits licence, so they only sold port and sherry - vodka was totally unheard of.”

Tom, no doubt, will celebrate this fantastic milestone with what has become his usual tipple, a half of Bitter!

Tom returns to the home ground of Holywell regularly to visit his sister Anne Lynch and his nephew Tommy and wife Eileen.

And, after 60 years of drawing pints, he still enjoys the banter behind the bar counter, where he loves to chat about everything from politics to football, and, of course, life growing up in the west of Ireland, bringing home the turf, saving the hay and almost everything that was part and parcel of growing up in rural Ireland in the dim and distant past.