Death of publican whose Tubbercurry bar featured in TV series Normal People

The death of a Co. Sligo publican, whose bar featured prominently in several episodes of the hit TV series Normal People, has evoked widespread sadness.

Nathy Brennan, who ran Brennan’s Bar in Tubbercurry with his sister Nora for many decades, will be laid to rest in his native town tomorrow.

The bar, with its cluttered shelves and walls adorned with memorabilia and souvenirs, was described by one smitten tourist recently as “a pseudo museum."

The pub was specially chosen as a location for a number of scenes in the film adaptation of Mayo writer Sally Rooney’s acclaimed novel Normal People because of its incomparable quaintness and ‘old Ireland’ atmosphere.

In the film Tubbercurry became the fictitious location of Carricklea where Connell and Marianne lived before moving to Dublin as students.

The bar on Teeling Street was the location of filmed New Year’s Eve scenes as well as smaller scenes during Connell’s visits

The filming also included shots from another Tubbercurry hostelry, Killoran and the local SuperValu.

Coming from a family and a town deeply interested in amateur drama, Nathy took more than a passing interest in the filming of Normal People and was delighted with the worldwide exposure generated for his premises.

“I just fell in love with Nathy’s place," recalls a frequent U.S. visitor to the pub.

“It had such a warm, convivial, atmosphere and Nathy was such a learned, interesting, character."

Nathy passed away peacefully earlier this week in a local nursing home.

Predeceased by his brothers Bernard (a District Court Judge) and Mattie, he is survived by his sisters, Nora and Mary Enda, his brother, Mickey and other relatives, to whom deepest sympathy is tendered.

He will be laid to rest in Tubbercurry Cemetery tomorrow (Saturday) following Requiem Mass at noon in the local Church of St. John the Evangelist.

May his gentle soul rest in peace.