'Ray's a glass' to 60 years of trading for Castlebar pub
By Tom Gillespie
THE renowned Ray Prendergast’s pub in Castle Street, Castlebar - better known as Ray’s, with the catchline ‘Ray’s a Glass’ - is celebrating a landmark anniversary.
For it was 60 years ago last month that the late Ray, a GAA legend, purchased the licensed premises - by default.
After his passing in 1982, his wife, Joyce, took over the running of the business, making her now the most senior female proprietor in Castlebar.
In GAA and indeed sporting circles in Mayo, Ray Prendergast can be described as somewhat of a household name.
He, along with older brother Paddy, who won All-Ireland titles with Mayo in 1950 and 1951, have gone down in Mayo folklore as two of the greatest full-backs in the history of the Mayo team.
In his late teens Ray emigrated to England and returned with the intention of purchasing the then Erris Hotel next door to the pub.
Ray's son, Philip, told me: “We are just going into 60 years in business - a long time to be in business. Dad bought the pub in 1964 from Harry Jennings.”
Philip’s mother, Joyce, added: “I still have the original licence, which was transferred to Ray from Harry Jennings in 1964.
“Harry had renewed his licence for 1964 and he transferred it to Ray when he purchased the premises.”
Philip continued: “Dad went to England when he was 17 or 18 where he was playing football. He came back to actually buy the Erris Hotel which is next door to the pub.
“However the deal fell through three times.
“He was in this pub trying to complete that deal and he actually ended up buying the pub from Harry.
“He signed for Castlebar Mitchels and then moved back from England to open the business here.
“Ray was the first inter-county player to break the ban. He was involved with Castlebar rugby and he got suspended from the GAA for playing indoor soccer.
“He was a sportsman. He had no interest in the ban.”
Joyce added: “Initially Ray was running the pub on his own.
“I met him in 1966 and we got married in 1968 and I joined Ray in running the pub.
“Ray passed away in 1982 and I continued to run the pub and Philip is now at the helm.”
Philip continued the story: “We lived upstairs over the bar and from an early age I helped out in the bar. The pub always attracted a lot of sports people and when Ray was here it was a big GAA pub.
“We now have a mixed clientele, from teenagers to more senior clients. We get an older crowd in the bar while the younger ones occupy the pool room or the beer garden.
“There are several customers who are coming here for three generations.”
Joyce stated: “Going back, a lot of the younger ones used to come in here playing pool. Now they are married and their children are now customers here.
“After Ray passed away a lot of the youngsters used to come in here playing pool at lunchtime.
“I would make them go and whether they went back to school or not is another story.
“The bar work was hard then but I was younger then too.”
And, she added: “I would be one of the few female proprietors in Castlebar. I still come in some days of the week.
“It is to get out of the house and move around and meet people. I come in here a do bit of tidying or whatever.”
Philip said the pub opens in the evening time Monday to Thursday, and early on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, adding: “We would be one of the longest family run pub businesses in Castlebar.
“I have seen changes in the drinking habits.
“Younger people now come out once or twice a week. They have different drinking habits to the older, seasoned drinkers.
“And customers tell me there are very few pubs they feel comfortable to come into and have a game of pool, a chat or watch a match.
“Most publicans know it is getting harder and harder to trade with ever-growing overheads.
“Now there is less out of it and that is what is killing the business. It is a tough business with the unsocial hours, particularly with a young family. It is not conducive to family life.
“Ninety-nine per cent of the people we deal with are good fun and good craic. They come in sometimes to talk to me.”
Joyce added: “For me, going back years ago the things I have been told I would never, ever repeat them, but people would confide in me.
“On the other hand, years ago, the customers knew everything about you. But that was the way of life then and you accepted it.”
Over the years many celebrities graced Ray’s, as Joyce recalled: “Ray and I went to see the Joe Loss Orchestra at the TF and after the dance was over Ray went up chatting to him and obviously asked his down to the pub. One of his band members came with him.
“But he asked Ray a few questions and queried if there would be other people there and Ray said no, just us.
“Why he asked that was he used to get caught with people inviting him to parties and he would end up with a house full of people annoying him. He was very reserved.
“He had never been in behind a bar before and Ray brought him in filling pints. He was a lovely man and he said he would send a couple of LPs of his music and he took our address.
“I remember saying to myself that we would never see those and he did actually send them.”
Joe Loss was a renowned British dance band leader and musician who founded his own eponymous orchestra.
Philip spoke of the off-the-field camaraderie among rival county GAA players, stating: “I remember John O’Gara of O’Gara’s Hotel in Roscommon was great friends with Ray and he used to come in here and stay for a few days.
“I was only a gassur then and he saw I was bit upset and he asked what was wrong with me and I said ‘that’s my bed gone for three or four nights’.
“Likewise, when Ray was sick the whole Roscommon team, after losing an All-Ireland, came into St. Luke’s to visit him.
“It was the first time I saw my dad nearly filling up with tears.”
Joyce added: “Off the field the players socialised.
“For example, Cyril Dunne played against hm. I was at a function. Ray had gone home and I came back to the pub to find Ray and Cyril Dunne all palsey walsey having a drink.
“That was the good thing with them years ago that they had a great friendship off the field.”
The late Ray Prendergast played 62 times for Mayo between 1965 and 1972, during which the county won two Connaught titles but lost the subsequent All-Ireland semi-finals.
Ray has the distinction of having the Ray Prendergast Memorial Park named after him at Clogher.