Stories from Limerick pubs, past and present, come to life in new book

DURING the Covid-19 lockdown, one of the biggest things people missed was being able to go to their local pub in Limerick for a pint.

For amateur historian Will Banks, a cold winter’s night at home with his father Eddie, 85, during this period led to the pair reminiscing about visiting pubs, which at that time seemed such a long way away.

And their memories brought about the genesis of a new book focusing on the history of Limerick's hostelries.

Taking up the story, Will said: “We took out a bit of paper and listed all the pubs we could remember in Limerick. We were going through page after page. We came back a week later to add to it. We ticked off all the pubs we were in. When we did that, we realised between us we were in 95% of them.”

From Ma Hogan’s to Mother Mac’s, from Tom Collins to Charlie Malone’s and from Glen Tavern to South’s, Limerick has no shortage of fine pubs.

Now, Will and Mary Immaculate College historian and academic Dr Paul O’Brien are putting together the ultimate guide to Limerick pubs over the last half century.

Truly a labour of love, Dr Paul O’Brien and Will Banks have interviewed dozens of publicans, and collected several pieces of memorabilia and old photographs for the book which will chart the city’s rich history of public houses.

The publication will be released next spring.

“Pubs are ingrained in our society, they are part of our identity, said Will. “We should be proud of what we have.”

In the city and its suburbs, there are 77 functioning pubs at present and no shortage of characters around to tell stories of their past.

Among the people Paul and Will have interviewed in the book are Dave Hickey, of South's, Michael Flannery of Flannery’s on Upper Denmark Street and Aengus D'Arcy, of Thomondgate bar JJ Bowles, commonly recognised as being the oldest in Limerick.

A focus is also put on pubs which have closed down. Richard Lynch, whose father ran Eric's on St Joseph’s Street in the city centre for 42 years, recalls the venue.

After his father suggested there may be a book in the offing on the history of local pubs, Will contacted Paul for help, and the idea took off.

Something which struck the pair was the stark realisation that at least 110 pubs in the city have closed since the early 1970s.

“When you lose this number of pubs, you lose a lot of history. A publican might commission someone to write a history of their own pub. But when you're looking at as many city centre pubs as you can, you’re looking at social history. You’re looking at so much change in Ireland in 50 years,” explained Paul.

To illustrate this, he gave examples of bars which welcomed women for the first time in the 1970s and 1980s - prior to this, many didn't have ladies’ toilets - and some which brought in hot water in that time.

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The book features fabulous stories from pubs across Limerick.

Take Flannery’s in Shannon Street, for example.

“Next door was the Stella Bingo Hall. During the break in bingo, players would leave and come into the pub. On the counter, all the drinks would be ready. They’d come in and have their drinks, and there’d be great craic. At the end of the night, they’d all get lifts to the four corners of the city. It doesn’t happen like that anymore,” said Paul, “That very rich social history hasn’t been captured.”

Poignantly, among the first people Paul and Will interviewed were former councillor Jerry O’Dea and his father John-Joe, who ran their pub on Mulgrave Street.

Both men have now sadly passed on, but it’s a memory which sticks out for the pair.

“We got them in O’Dea's pub,” explained Paul. “It was supposed to be a chat with just John-Joe. But John-Joe was telling such good yarns about the pub that Jerry sat in. They gave us the history of the pub, the history of the area, multiple stories of people who drank in the pub over the years”

Will describes the upcoming book as a “nostalgia-fest.”

“It is to make people feel good about a time which has passed, or has probably nearly passed,” he said.

In the book, most pubs which have opened in the city are profiled.

One surprise for the writers is the fact that a lot of publicans came in from the countryside, creating a lasting link between towns and villages across rural Limerick.

The pub industry has changed significantly in the last 50 years, and it is something both Paul and Will have focused on.

The lounge bar was started in the 1970s, and food and dining were introduced. Operations have become more “professional” in terms of health and safety over the last half century.

One thing that is notable is a decline in the number of people frequenting bars. In Limerick city, many pubs might not open until 4pm.

"Before, in the 1970s, when there was much less wealth in the country, the pubs were open and full at 11am and 12pm on a Friday. That must be a challenge, because I suppose society has shifted," Paul said.

Neither man can speak directly of what Limerick's pub life was like in the 1970s - Will's first experience of local pub culture was in the 1990s, and Paul's in the 2000s.

But even in that relatively short period of time, both have seen changes.

Will said: "I remember, especially during the summer nights, walking down O'Connell Street, wondering where we'd go. And there was always music in the pubs, it was vibrant. It's a little bit like when the rugby or hurling is on and the city is alive. Most of the city was like that at the time."

Paul recalls avoiding one particular street, it was that busy. "I remember walking down Cruises Street, and there would be people handing out flyers for concessions for pubs. Come to our pub, come to our nightclub, come and see our band. It still happens in Galway, but it's not something that happens here. I actually remember saying I'd avoid Cruises Street because it'll do my head in. Flyers were everywhere. Now, sadly, Cruises Street itself is a wilderness," he recalls.

For those who do purchase the book when it comes out, they will be helping a very good cause, with all the proceeds going to Down Syndrome Limerick.

Paul and Will are still on the hunt for photographs and other memorabilia from pubs across Limerick, for their book. Think beer mats, cigarette lighters and the like!

If you can help, please get in contact with Paul at 061-204568, or Will at 087-7117291.