Dev’s drinks bill has tongues wagging

A FRESH controversy about Eamon de Valera’s legacy to Co Clare has unfolded in the small Banner village of Parteen.

It centres on a round of drinks the Chief is reputed to have ordered in a local pub. Some claim Dev left without paying.

Dev and a group of supporters went to Browne’s pub while he was electioneering in the village more than 60 years ago.

Pub historian Austin O’Donovan, who has written a book on Mid-West pubs, claims de Valera left without paying for the round of drinks after a day’s canvassing.

The pub at the time was owned by Jack Browne and Mr O’Donovan claims the publican entered the unpaid drinks in the pub accounts book.

Mr Browne’s grandson Billy now runs the pub.

Billy said: “Somebody said it to Síle (de Valera) when she moved to Clare years ago and she mentioned it to my father and offered to pay for the round of drinks. It came to one shilling and four old pence. But my father, who had the old shop books going back to those days, said that another customer stood the drinks to Mr de Valera and his supporters when they called.”

But Mr O’Donovan said he had it on good authority that Mr de Valera and his supporters left without paying for their round of drink.

Billy Browne said: “There was a shop with the pub in those days. There was a local man who was nicknamed ‘Dev’ and he may have bought something which led to the entry into the shop book in the name of ‘Dev’. It may have been this Dev rather than the Long Fellow who had the entry in the shop book.”

But Mr O’Donovan is sticking to his story.

He insists: “All the liquor that was consumed by Dev’s supporters on the night was entered in the book or put on the slate, as it was sometimes called, in Dev’s name.”

But the Browne family insist that the slate is clean as far as they are concerned.

Billy Browne said: “There has been a bit of banter in the pub about it. My father has the shop book with the Dev entry in it.”