Meals and Wheels for Limerick Bistro that opened two days prior to lockdown

COVID-19 has and will hit restaurateurs and publicans very hard but imagine opening a bar and bistro two days before lockdown.

That’s what happened to William Crowe of the well known family who ran the Dundrum House Hotel. The owner and head chef of the Pallas Bar and Bistro, in the former Chaser’s pub in Pallasgreen, opened two days prior to St Patrick’s Day. Then they had to close. “It was a total of thirty one hours,” he smiles wistfully.

But that horrible bad luck hasn’t kept William down. He, local man Robert O’Donnell and many volunteers are now running a meals on wheels service. They started with 80 meals on Easter Sunday. It has now jumped to over 200.

The meals cooked by William cost €6. It just about covers the cost of the operation so there is no financial gain. William and Robert and all the volunteers do it for those in the local community.

“I’m a blow-in but the people in Pallasgreen are absolutely brilliant – they have all come together on this. They are co-ordinating the deliveries, and who should go here and there. My own staff are volunteering for free to help me in the kitchen as well. It’s a massive team effort,” said William.

Robert said when it was coming up to Easter Sunday he thought it would be a good idea to get a dinner out to people because it is a sentimental day for elderly people who couldn’t go to Mass. 

“Willie offered his services because he has a kitchen that is not being used and he loves cooking. He just wants to offer his support and his services,” said Robert, and the whole parish rolled in behind them. He said the volunteers are amazing.

“They would give you the shirt off their back. They spend their own money on diesel, they give donations and they want nothing back for it, they are only delighted to see people getting their service. It is just incredible to see people come together as a whole,” said Robert, who thanked Marie, Teresa, Stacey Gammell, Jonathon Deere, Gillian Hynes, Dave McGuinness, Mike O'Keeffe, Eileen O’Donnell, Tracy Quinlivan, Terri McCarthy, Pat McMahon, Mark O’Mahony, Tracy McLearn, Carol Stapleton, David Gibson, Eamon Butler, Alex Avel, John Gammel, Shauna Murphy, Sabrina Kelly, Sharon Morrisson, Hamish Ross, Noreen Stokes, Colleen Ryan-Gammell, Niall Pearce, Ned Gammell, Timmy Murphy, Alex Murphy.