Mayo memories: Remembering the pubs of Castlebar’s Pig Market

By Tom Gillespie

THE area of the Pig Market in Castlebar (Rush Street), many years ago, was a hive of activity, with some historic watering holes, where large families were reared.

The St. Helena Bar - better known as Paddy Moran’s - was, and still is, one of the oldest family run pubs in that area.

Another, sadly long gone, was Ned Cunningham’s on Charles Street, with a step down into the high-countered bar, and a gents ‘toilet’ out the back.

The sitting room doubled as a ‘lounge’ where patrons would watch the news or Seven Days on RTÉ. Card games were a regular feature at the weekends.

Ned was an employee of Castlebar Bacon Company and his pub and Moran’s was usually packed at lunchtime by workers from the bacon factory who opted for a liquid lunch.

Prior to their arrival at either pub three-quarter pints of Guinness decorated the counters, awaiting to be topped off as the thirsty workmen arrived.

It always amazed me that some of these workers, skilled with boning knifes, did not inflict any injuries on themselves or their fellow workers after returning to the factory full of porter.

The choice of draft alcoholic drink back then was limited to porter or beer - Guinness or Smithwick’s.

On one occasion I recall a local blacksmith ordering a pint of Guinness from Ned and after swallowing a healthy mouthful, he asked Ned to top it up with a splash of cider.

However, when the said gentlemen ordered a second pint, Ned filled the pint to within an inch of the top of the glass, and asked ‘Do you want a drop of cider to top it off’ - he wasn’t going to be caught a second time.

On the Sunday of the first ‘Occasion at the Castle’ - a two-day festival of live rock music at Rahins, conceived by a group of young local businessmen, in August 1981 - Ned, and other publicans in the area, closed their pubs to ‘customers only’. Ned’s regulars were able to access the pub via a gateway on Lucan Street that led to his back door, while the Charles Street front door remained closed to the influx of so-called ‘hippies’ for the festival. Paddy Moran also had a side door that accommodated his regulars, while the front door remained firmly locked.

Across the road from Cunningham's and midway from Moran’s was the Brown Cow at the corner of Thomas Street/Charles Street, run by Michael McNulty.

It was a small bar, catering for male customers, while the ladies were accommodated in an adjoining room were there were a few tables and chairs with a hatch where they could order drinks from the bar.

I remember the day Michael closed up shop. I would have been a regular customer and I called in to wish him well.

The shelves were almost bare but there was one dust-covered bottle of whiskey, almost empty, on the top shelf that had not been opened for years.

There was just one other customer present, Paddy McGrath, and Michael took the bottle down and poured three drinks for us.

I am not a whiskey drinker but I do recall it was a well-aged, smooth, mouth-watering tipple.

Later the premises was Stack's - since closed - and previously Skeffington’s, Paddy Cannon’s, John Coyne’s and McNulty’s, but after Michael retired, Jim Dwyer, a retired Army officer from Thurles, Co. Tipperary, operated the Brown Cow with barman Martin Roach.

Jim carried out extensive renovations, converting the ‘ladies room’ into a specious lounge. He lived with his family overhead.

On the corner of Rush Street and Linenhall Street was Breege O’Connor’s and across from it was Garavan’s supermarket with a bar on the Lucan Street side, which later became the Kingsbridge Inn.

Also on Rush Street was the Quare Fellow, now Kevin Ruane’s Harp Bar. Nearer the bridge was Doyle’s, where I had many a pint with my uncle Denny Fahey. I distinctly recall the gents toilet which had a constant smell of powerful disinfectant - Jeyes Fluid.

And again nearer the bridge was the Davitt Restaurant.

Later McGoldrick’s opened a super pub on Rush Street which today is run by Tony Flynn, who boasts of slowly pulling the best pint of Guinness in the county town. Earlier Tony ran The Local beside the Davitt Restaurant which today is Cadden’s Bar One.

Across the road beside what was Bredge O’Connor’s is The Bodhran, previously The Coach and Nellie's.

On fair days all the pubs did a roaring trade and Paddy Moran had the distinction of being able to open early to accommodate the arrival of the jobbers and farmers with their livestock.

Those days have long gone as the onset of the livestock marts sounded the demise of the street fairs and the busy Saturdays for the Pig Market family-run public houses.