A group of villagers has saved the last pub in their area from closure by pooling all their money together and buying the business.
26 like-minded individuals from the village of Kilteely, near Pallasgreen in County Limerick, decided the premises needed to be saved, so that it could continue to be the heart of the community, hosting everything from GAA meetings to 21st parties and funerals.
The 25 men and one woman sank their savings into becoming the new owners of Aherns bar, after it went on the market for €300,000.
Speaking to Oliver Callan on RTE Radio 1, one of the new owners Liam Carroll said the village is halfway between Limerick city and Tipperary Town, and was the last pub left in the village, and the hub of the community.
Liam Carroll said the village has seen lots of changes over the years, with the closure of the post office and a number of shops.
He added "The pub has been there 150 years, or so, and the way rural pubs are, they double as venues for other things, like parties or the after’s of a funeral, or an engagement party or the GAA Lotto, that space is just utilised for all of those different purposes."
When the Ahern family decided to retire, the pub went up for sale, but there was no interest in anyone buying it. So the group of locals held a number of meetings to discuss how they might save the pub.
The result of these meetings was a syndicate who divided the cost into 20 shares, averaging €15,000 a share, and while it was made very clear to people that there were better investments that could be made, and they all needed to be prepared to say goodbye to the money they invested, they all had one goal, to save the hub of their community.
The group has renamed the premises ‘The Street Bar’ and has also extended an invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit anytime he is in Ireland.
Not one of the 26 investors has experience of pulling pints, and they all realise the nature of rural pubs is they are notoriously difficult to turn a profit on, so they have retained the staff of the pub, saving their jobs, and any profit will be paying their salaries.
Liam Carroll said that all of the investors are busy with their own jobs, and would not have had time to run the business, so retaining the staff was the best plan.
The investors include a clinical psychologist, an accountant, a solicitor, a barrister, a pharmacist, a carpenter, a teacher, a sign-maker, builders, farmers and electricians, and they are now considering their next move, and that’s how best to use the shop that comes with the pub, as is normal in rural public houses.
The Street Bar in Kilteely is open six days a week, with the exception of Tuesdays. It just goes to show that it does indeed "take a village."
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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