More than just a bar: How a Limerick village saved its only pub

Fearing the loss of their last pub, Kilteely locals raised €300,000 to save Ahern’s and keep their community together

“You never know what you have until you lose it”.

This is a phrase that rings true for a “very proud” small community in Co Limerick, who came together to save their only pub from closing its doors.

A group of 26 locals in Kilteely invested €300,000 to buy the family-owned Ahern’s pub, after the previous owners decided to retire.

Paddy Fleming enjoying his pint at The Street Bar.

The pub was put on the market following the retirement of Noreen Ahern, after 40 years of service.

Fearful the 150-year-old establishment would close — and leave Kilteely without a pub — the 26 stakeholders worked closely with the family to purchase the pub and have now renamed it The Street Bar.

For one of the stakeholders, Niall O’Dowd, getting involved was a no brainer.

“I went home to my wife and child and told them what was happening. They said it was a great idea. A 10-minute decision and it was done, that's how quick it happened. No regrets, none whatsoever,” Mr O’Dowd told the Irish Examiner.

“You never know what you have until you lose it. When it's lost, you realise, ‘Wow, we should have kept this’. And we found it just in time.” 

Eileen O'Dea, manager of The Street Bar.

Last weekend, the group got the pub ready for its first night trading under the new name. According to Mr O’Dowd, there is “so much” depression in Ireland — and community spaces are vital for rural communities.

So many people retired, left at home with no place to go, so it's nice to get them all back out again.

The Kilteely pub always held a special place. But Mr O’Dowd remembers one Sunday in 2018 as if it was yesterday. When Limerick ended a 45-year wait and brought Liam MacCarthy home.

“That was special. The laughter, the happiness, and what that hurling team brought to Limerick, to each parish, each community. That would be my everlasting moment in here. I hope we'll have them days again,” he said.

Nicole Carmody, Caellun O'Neill and Sinead Mullen enjoying The Street Bar.

The whole endeavour started last January, when the pub was put on the market, but the Ahern family was keen it would continue to operate as a bar.

Stakeholder Noel O’Dea said: “They worked exclusively with us even though it was on the market. They gave us time to put something together, whatever it was to raise the funds to buy it. There was only a couple of us at the time, we spoke to a few people and we decided the best thing was to form a syndicate.” 

Mr O’Dea says over the years he saw the village lose pubs, shops and a creamery. Ahern's was the last meeting place.

Rural isolation is a massive problem, so this helps in that regard. We just couldn't see the village without a public place, everybody was so determined to make it happen.

“The community has been unbelievable. It's gone national now as well, people are wishing us all the best,” he said.

Jonathan Meehan, Chris Alymer and Mikey Ryan.

For Noel’s sister, Marie Chavan, it’s a bit of a family affair. She has six siblings, three of whom, Noel, Eamon and Theresa, are also stakeholders.

“One of them influenced me and asked me would I be interested in it, so I thought about it. I am a very much a community person. The thought of losing the pub was incomprehensible,” she said.

Ms Chavan said Noreen, the previous owner, also played a big role when she made the decision to get involved.

“She’s an amazing person, she looked after the pub, her family and the public. She always had a kind word for everyone. I think she influenced me quite a bit."

So far, it has been hectic. Eamon O’Dea said the upcoming Kilteely Dromkeen Community Festival would keep them busy.

“The festival is coming up next week again, that's going to keep the crowds coming. It’s up to us to make it a success now.” He said most pubs in rural communities are family owned — which is one of the reasons so many are closing their doors.

“The people who worked in them have been at it all their lives. If they have kids and they move on, they find another life.

“People have reached their end and moved on, want to retire. We saw that happening here and we decided maybe this is our chance to come in and do something. You gotta grab the bull by the horns yourself and say, ‘Look, we've got to make it happen’."

Bar manager Eileen O'Dea with Shane Boland, Heineken rep

And if one of the shareholders has too much to drink and needs escorting off the premises? It’s quite simple — bar manager Eileen O’Dea is in control.

“She makes the decisions and if she doesn't want you here, she has the right to put you out or refuse you a drink — it’s the same across the board for all the shareholders as well as the rest of the public.” 

The bar manager said she was still not over the “crazy” idea.

 “It's phenomenal. I can't believe from a community aspect how well they've done," Ms O'Dea said. "Each and every one of them are absolutely the best to work by, they've supported me so much.” 

From accountants to farmers to lawyers, there is not one publican among them. But since the get-go, they have all been treating it as a business. One of them, who moved here about 17 years ago and met his wife who is from the local parish, hails from Australia.

Josh Gore said he too had his fair share of memories of the pub — and mementos to prove it.

“I was in a newspaper article and Noreen cut it out and it was up on the wall since 2009. It only came down when we revamped the pub, it's tucked away somewhere special,” he said.

Liam Carroll BL, who organised the shareholders of The Street Bar.

Speaking of the investment, he said: “It’s a lot of money. I have kids, they're young at the moment so we are also looking at their futures. There's low profit margins, which we understand. It’s a long-term investment, but I think there is return at the end of the day if it's ran correctly.” 

John O’Dea only lives up the road from the pub — it has been his family’s local for as long as he can remember.

“It’s been my father's local, my grandfather's. Probably someday, I hope my kids will come here too, you know?

“No matter if there's a match on or a funeral, everyone seemed to have it here. No matter what hour of the day you come in, you'll always get someone to chat to in here,” he said.

I'm a farmer myself and it can be lonely at times. A lot of people from the farming community come in here. It’s a meeting place, that’s the reason I got involved.

A sentiment shared by Liam Carroll whose late grandfather, John, used to be a regular.

Tracey McCarthy with Ann and Marie Ryan.

“For me, the fact my grandfather used to come here, it would be a pity to have seen it die out in those circumstances. Everybody had so many fond memories of their relatives who are no longer here,” he said.

What would his grandfather say?

“I think like a lot of people, he’d probably ask the question ‘How is this feasible? How is this going to work?’,” Mr Carroll laughed. 

“I think when people hear that a large group has bought something as intimate as a pub, they wonder how it could possibly work. I think we’re seeing throughout the country it’s a model people are now buying into. It’s quite simply the same as running any other business.”