End of an era in Limerick as landmark pub goes on the market

IT’S THE end of an era in a Limerick community as a landmark pub goes on the market after almost 60 years.

The Griffin family have taken the decision to seek a buyer for The Seven Sisters pub in Kildimo.

The bar, a popular meeting spot in the heart of rural Limerick, was bought by Jack Griffin in 1967.

In 1985, it switched to its current owners, Jack’s son John and his wife Joanna, pictured below.

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The pub gained its unique name, in honour of John’s seven female siblings.

Speaking to Limerick Live this week, Joanna acknowledged the pair “are not getting any younger”, and this is part of their reason to sell.

In a village with no community centre, The Seven Sisters more than makes up for it.

A perfect example is this Wednesday evening, when a cardiac arrest workshop will be held on the premises.

John said: “We would be very involved in the community. People would give me a shout for an awful lot of different things. We’ve had some great nights, some great events here. We did a tractor run in 2019 for a man who had cancer. He has since sadly passed away. But it was a fantastic day. We’ve had a few rambling houses come here.”

Joanna added: “There’s no hotel in the area - the nearest hotel is up in Adare and people prefer to come locally.”

From births to weddings and to sad deaths, The Seven Sisters has been to the fore over the years.

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“A local couple stopped off here after they got married in town at the registry office before going to a hotel. It's that sort of place. Just part of people’s lives here,” Joanna said.

“Another thing we would do is if there is a funeral locally, John would help dig the grave - he is one of the main gravediggers.

After the funeral, the families and others would come here for a meal, we would get an outside caterer in,” she added.

There’s been real sadness in the community since the For Sale signs went up - and many people have been in contact with the Griffins directly.

“The local GAA honoured us with a beautiful picture of memories, one of them being John’s father presenting the first set of jerseys to the local GAA club. Then on the other side, they had a picture our daughter, who is on the camogie team,” said Joanna.

Indeed, Kildimo GAA bought land for its pitches from Jack.

The local community council also commissioned a painting of the pub to reflect the way it appeared in the 1960s.

Joanna said: “For a new person, it’s a very profitable business, and could be even more so. If you are looking at licences, we are in the third bracket. So that will tell you, our turnover is pretty high.”

Third bracket refers to the higher turnover category, which indicates a busy and commercially strong premises.

The good news is the Griffins have no immediate plans to close the door before a sale is agreed.

Their current license is valid until September.

After this, Joanna would not be drawn.

“September is a long way off to be honest,” she laughed.

For more information on the property, click here.