Limerick publican Charlie Chawke toasts ‘Aunty’s’ All-Ireland title win

SUSTAINING your own pub is never an easy job. The bar trade certainly has seen its fair share of ups and downs - particularly in recent years - so, to secure the title of 'Irish Pub of the Year 2023' is no mean feat.

On Wednesday, November 15, staff from Aunty Lena’s in Adare made the journey to Dublin in quiet anticipation for the Irish Pub Awards 2023.

The Adare pub was crowned Irish Pub of the Year on the night, beating off competition from 63 other regional winners. They became the first Limerick pub to ever win the title.

The pub's proprietor, Charlie Chawke, a long-established publican, quite literally has the bar trade running through his veins.

Originally from Adare, Mr Chawke grew up between Bill Chawke’s (run by his parents) and his aunt Lena’s pub, both nestled in prime locations in the famously picturesque village.

In 1965, upon completing his Inter Cert, Charlie Chawke bid farewell to the village with the thatched cottages, for what the bright lights of Dublin had to offer. He was 16 years old at the time.

“I finished my Inter Cert on the Friday and I was in Dublin on the Sunday, working in the bar business, because I was reared in Bill Chawke’s by my mum and dad, and started in the pub trade. I spent my time in Davy Byrnes’ in Duke Street. I was there for five years,” Mr Chawke reminisced.

After spending half a decade working in the Dublin bar trade, Mr Chawke decided to purchase his first pub in 1970. He went into business with another man.

“We worked hard, we separated in 1974, we had two pubs at the time, we took one each. To make a long story short, we now have nine pubs in the Chawke Group - two of them in Adare and seven in Dublin,” Mr Chawke said.

“They’re all prestigious pubs and I’ve worked hard all my life to achieve what I have achieved,” he added.

You can take the man out of Limerick, but there is one thing for sure, you can’t take Limerick out of the man. Mr Chawke is only separated from Limerick by distance - he still holds a deep passion for all things Limerick, particularly the current Limerick hurlers.

“We’re also involved in the GAA. We sponsor the GAA, the boys and the girls. The Adare girls have won the camogie, the Limerick Senior B camogie championship this year,” Mr Chawke said.

“We sponsor the hurlers as well. We’re very proud of that and we have been doing it for years,” he added.

All-Ireland finals are becoming something of the norm in Limerick (fingers crossed it continues), and for any Limerick adult heading up to Dublin the night before an All-Ireland hurling final, there are a small number of hotspots for Limerick hurling fans. One is Searsons of Baggot Street, owned by the Chawke Group.

“Searsons is the home of Limerick people in Dublin on that night. We raised money for the Limerick team. We enjoyed the Limerick win in Adare, the team were there and we had a great day,” Mr Chawke said.

Back in Adare, business is going well according to Mr Chawke, with Aunty Lena’s being busy all week, particularly with evening and lunchtime meals.

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Spending his whole life in the bar trade, Mr Chawke is now taking pride in his latest Limerick victory, Aunty Lena’s being placed on a pedestal above the rest. It was a win he didn’t expect but was delighted with the outcome.

The Irish Pub Awards are run by the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) and the Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI).
“You never expect to win a national award because there are so many people involved in it. There’s nearly 5,000 pubs involved,” he said.

“I want to thank our hospitable staff and customers. Without them we’d have won nothing, so we would just like to say thank you to them and hopefully we will go onto greater things in the future, if we all stick together,” Mr Chawke added.

Following their big win, a spokesperson for Aunty Lena’s said: “It is with great pride we accepted the Irish Pub of the Year Award 2023 and a credit to our team. Since its establishment in 1804, Aunty Lena's has been an integral part of its community. We will continue to provide an experience not to be forgotten by all that visit!”

The Chawke Group own a total of nine pubs, in Limerick and Dublin, including Bill Chawke’s and Aunty Lena’s. The Dublin pubs include Searsons of Baggot Street, The Goat Bar, The Oval, The Old Orchard Inn, The Dropping Well, The Bank, and Lord Lucan.