Joint effort has traditional Mayo pub back in business
by Tom Gillespie
ONE of the oldest and most popular public houses in Castlebar, Johnny McHale’s, on New Line, has got a new lease of life after reopening following the Covid-19 shutdown.
Proprietor John McHale, has joined forced with the highly popular Brewery Cup Restaurant on Hopkins Road to provide substantial meals for patrons.
The McHale family have been associated with the premises since 1936 and prior to that it had been a pub since 1890.
John McHale, who has been running the pub for 20-years, said: “My father’s uncle, John McHale, bought the pub in 1936. He ran it until 1956 when he passed away. Then my father, Johnny, took it over. He ran it until his death in 2005.”
The pub had been closed for almost five months since March and, following negotiations with the Brewery Cup, a plan was put in place to meet the various Covid guidelines to allow for the reopening.
Paudie O’Malley took over the running of the Brewery Cup from Majella Kilcoyne, who opened the restaurant on May Day, 1993, and built it into one of the most popular restaurants in the county town.
In order to comply with the regulations John had to undertake many changes in the layout of the pub to satisfy social distancing.
Customers have to make a reservation for the 13 tables on the ground floor and Brewery Cup staff have compiled an extensive menu.
It includes breaded cod, Irish beef stroganoff and rice, creamy chicken pasta carbonara, beef and Guinness pie with puff pastry and chips, Irish lamb stew with brown bread, chicken curry and rice, beef lasagne with side salad and chip, spicy chicken wings with garlic dip and chips, buttermilk chicken burger with hot sauce, gem lettuce, coleslaw and chips and vegetarian quiche tartlet.
John McHale recently opened an upstairs functions room over the historic hostelry which is renowned for the sale of a ‘Meejum' of Guinness, which is slightly less than a pint.
Paudie said: “We are delighted with the response to our menu which is proving high popular with customers.
“A name and phone number from each table must be given for contact tracing and tables are limited to 105 minutes per sitting.”
To book a table at Johnny McHale’s contact (094) 9021849.
Do you have a story to tell about your business? If so, Tom Gillespie would be delighted to hear from you. Get in touch at (087) 9680780 or gillespietom49@gmail.com.
* Pictured are Paudi O’Malley and Ruth Conneely pictured outside Johnny McHale’s public house in Castlebar. PHOTO: ALISON LAREDO