Scott family have taken over Bungalow Bar
By Tom Gillespie
AS public houses have just reopened after the Covid lockdown one Castlebar barman has taken over one of the county town’s oldest licensed premises.
John Scott and his Foxford-born wife, Orna, have leased the Bungalow Bar on Main Street from owner Annie Cannon.
Prior to the closure of all bars on Christmas Eve last the premises was being run by Amy Mulrennan and Ronan Basquill, who did not renew their lease.
John Scott is no stranger to the trade having worked as bar manager at the Castle Inn on Castle Street for over a quarter of a century.
John told me: “It was a big decision to make to take over the Bungalow after spending over 26 years with Ger Whyte at the Castle Inn.
“The opportunity just came up and I decided to take a chance. I always liked the Bungalow as a pub.
“It may seem like a strange time to take over a pub. But I felt I might never get the chance again.”
A native of Derryharrif, Castlebar, John was educated at Snugboro National School and Davitt College in Castlebar.
After completing his education he worked on the buildings with Mountain View Securities for three or four years.
John said: “Marty Browne used to work in the Castle Inn. When he left I took over. I have made many friends there over the years. We would have the same clientele here in the Bungalow as in the Castle Inn.”
His wife, Orna, a qualified chef, is quitting the catering business to take up a role behind the Bungalow bar.
She said: “After 30 years chefing it will be a complete change for me. It was a big decision to take too. I thought at first that I might be able continue for a while. But when this came up I had to made a decision.”
She was chef at the meals-on-wheels social services in Castlebar and prior to that at Mulroy’s for four-and-a-half years and in Bosh for 10 years and also at St. Anthony’s School.
A noted sports pub, the Scotts will continue with that tradition with all the sports channels available for customers.
Both are looking forward to the new challenge, with Orna stating: ‘We cannot wait to open the doors.”
John added: “I really enjoy the bar business with the craic and the banter.”
Two of their children, Kevin and Alanna, are to join them in the business. Kevin has vast experience in the bar business having worked in Limerick and New York.
Very few changes have been made at the pub and the Scotts are looking forward to a new chapter in their lives.
The Mayo Genealogy Group have a most fascinating website chronicling the lives and times of famous and infamous Mayo-born people. One contribution by author Sean Cadden deals with political activist and poet Tom Cadden who, through marriage, became the licensee of the Bungalow Bar.
Tom Cadden was born in Ballyscanlon, Crossmolina, on November 16, 1845, the first child of Robert Cadden and Biddy Heffron.
The family were evicted in 1852 and moved to a 70-acre mountain farm in Kilhale, Glenisland, Castlebar.
Around 1865 Robert gave up approximately half the holding and took a similar amount of land in the adjacent townland of Monagarraun with a house which was on the side of the old Castlebar to Belmullet road.
Tom spent some time in the United States and on his return at the age of 50 he married Jane McGoldrick on June 16, 1895. She was a widow and had the Bungalow Bar. Her maiden name was O’Connor.
Tom was described as a cattle dealer on his marriage certificate. They had no family. After he married he took over the bar licence.
Before the bacon factory was built there was an annual pig fair on November 17 in Castlebar. In those days pigs were reared outside and they were well used to walking. The Glenisland people walked their pigs to Castlebar the day before the fair. The pigs were yarded behind the Bungalow Bar that night. Their owners played cards or drank in the bar while they waited for the fair to start in the morning.
Another proprietor of the Bungalow Bar was Michael Lavelle who redesigned the premises in 1920. The bar was laid out on the most modern lines - an elliptical shaped counter in polished pitch pine, supported bonbon carved consols, lending a grace and attractiveness to the shop.
Back in the 1970s Neil Keyes ran the bar and he introduced crubeens for customers on a Friday night.