While the Irish pub trade is changing, especially in the current climate, the associated tradition will always be strong. Some modern pubs have paid copious amounts of money to emulate that traditional Irish pub feel, but for some, it comes naturally.
In The Square, Askeaton, Co Limerick, lies Ranahan’s Bar. Inside, there are no neon signs or flashing lights, but it oozes authenticity. From knickknacks behind the bar, to the snug, the many photos adorning the walls and the publican herself, 84-year-old Patricia Morrisroe (affectionately known as Aunty Pat), it’s the real deal.
Patricia tells Irish Country Living about her life working in the pub trade.
My father Jim Ranahan and my mother Margaret Ranahan bought this pub in 1931. They were living in Ballysteen, which is the other half of this parish, and there was only a place for one at home on the farm, so his brother got the place.
There was five of us. The eldest, Margaret, was born in Ballysteen and the rest of us were born here in Askeaton.
I didn’t start in the pub until 1978. I’ll tell you now what I did before I was in the pub, I was in the post office in Askeaton. I was working for Malachy Skelly then after that for a couple of years, he had a bookmakers.
My father died in 1960 and my mother took over the running of the pub. Then I came home in 1978, my mother wasn’t able to be doing it. She died in 1983.
Ranahan's Bar, Askeaton.
I didn’t want to take over the pub at all actually and I’d never have stayed only for the record player. It was one you’d lay down on the ground, it was like a suitcase almost, one of the old fashioned ones.
Then I got used to the pub after a while and I got to like it.
I love to see my regulars coming in
I love the social side of it and I’d rather be talking than put on the television. I’d never really put on the television except for the news.
I love to see my regulars coming in, you’d always get a bit of news or you’d have a bit of news and give it to them.
Changes
The pub is a handy size. It’s been closed since the lockdown. Even before coronavirus, people were drinking less. I think the pub trade has gone down. But, as other publicans have said to me, you have to put the effort in too.
Other younger publicans would be putting in new things. I’m old fashioned. Some people still rather the old fashioned side of things, though. It’s not loud, if people wanted to chat, they chat. There’s a snug at the front. You see, there was one time that women didn’t come into a bar. Women would have drank in the snug. If they wanted a quick one and no one to know their business, they’d go into the snug.
Back when there was a lot of work going on in factories around here, there was fierce business
It was in my mother’s time – she got an awful shock one day when a woman came in and asked her for a pint of Guinness. From my time on, even a bit before that, girls started to come into pubs to drink.
Back when there was a lot of work going on in factories around here, there was fierce business. There would have been a lot of people working around the town then. Everything went that time, Tia Maria, Martini and all that.
They never had to go outside the front to smoke
There’s been a lot of changes over the years. Of course, Micheál Martin, our new Taoiseach, he brought in the smoking ban and we had to put up smoking shelters. I had just put in a new system to get of rid of the smoke inside when it came in. But at least here, people can go out in the yard, which was handy. They never had to go outside the front to smoke.
The Pledge
Even though I’ve run the pub for years, I’ve never drank myself. I suppose I saw too much of it. What happened was, like many others, when I got my Confirmation I took ‘The Pledge’ at the time. Then, when you were 14, you could join The Pioneers. I joined The Pioneers and I never bothered drinking at all.
I’ve lots of memorabilia behind the bar, mostly stuff my customers bring me back from their travels
Cards is a big thing here. All of our lives, people in the bar played for turkeys and hams at Christmas. They played ordinary games during the week too. The game of choice has always been 41. I never played cards until later in life, but I’d be playing 30 years or that now, I’d say. You see, I’m 84.
I’ve lots of memorabilia behind the bar, mostly stuff my customers bring me back from their travels. There’s caps, different currencies and all sorts. People that come in love to look at it.
When the Contemporary Arts Festival used to be held in Askeaton, the artists were always in and out of here. They liked the place. They made a mould of my hand and left me different bits and pieces.
It’s great to be able to look at them all now.
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While the Irish pub trade is changing, especially in the current climate, the associated tradition will always be strong. Some modern pubs have paid copious amounts of money to emulate that traditional Irish pub feel, but for some, it comes naturally.
In The Square, Askeaton, Co Limerick, lies Ranahan’s Bar. Inside, there are no neon signs or flashing lights, but it oozes authenticity. From knickknacks behind the bar, to the snug, the many photos adorning the walls and the publican herself, 84-year-old Patricia Morrisroe (affectionately known as Aunty Pat), it’s the real deal.
Patricia tells Irish Country Living about her life working in the pub trade.
My father Jim Ranahan and my mother Margaret Ranahan bought this pub in 1931. They were living in Ballysteen, which is the other half of this parish, and there was only a place for one at home on the farm, so his brother got the place.
There was five of us. The eldest, Margaret, was born in Ballysteen and the rest of us were born here in Askeaton.
I didn’t start in the pub until 1978. I’ll tell you now what I did before I was in the pub, I was in the post office in Askeaton. I was working for Malachy Skelly then after that for a couple of years, he had a bookmakers.
My father died in 1960 and my mother took over the running of the pub. Then I came home in 1978, my mother wasn’t able to be doing it. She died in 1983.
Ranahan's Bar, Askeaton.
I didn’t want to take over the pub at all actually and I’d never have stayed only for the record player. It was one you’d lay down on the ground, it was like a suitcase almost, one of the old fashioned ones.
Then I got used to the pub after a while and I got to like it.
I love to see my regulars coming in
I love the social side of it and I’d rather be talking than put on the television. I’d never really put on the television except for the news.
I love to see my regulars coming in, you’d always get a bit of news or you’d have a bit of news and give it to them.
Changes
The pub is a handy size. It’s been closed since the lockdown. Even before coronavirus, people were drinking less. I think the pub trade has gone down. But, as other publicans have said to me, you have to put the effort in too.
Other younger publicans would be putting in new things. I’m old fashioned. Some people still rather the old fashioned side of things, though. It’s not loud, if people wanted to chat, they chat. There’s a snug at the front. You see, there was one time that women didn’t come into a bar. Women would have drank in the snug. If they wanted a quick one and no one to know their business, they’d go into the snug.
Back when there was a lot of work going on in factories around here, there was fierce business
It was in my mother’s time – she got an awful shock one day when a woman came in and asked her for a pint of Guinness. From my time on, even a bit before that, girls started to come into pubs to drink.
Back when there was a lot of work going on in factories around here, there was fierce business. There would have been a lot of people working around the town then. Everything went that time, Tia Maria, Martini and all that.
They never had to go outside the front to smoke
There’s been a lot of changes over the years. Of course, Micheál Martin, our new Taoiseach, he brought in the smoking ban and we had to put up smoking shelters. I had just put in a new system to get of rid of the smoke inside when it came in. But at least here, people can go out in the yard, which was handy. They never had to go outside the front to smoke.
The Pledge
Even though I’ve run the pub for years, I’ve never drank myself. I suppose I saw too much of it. What happened was, like many others, when I got my Confirmation I took ‘The Pledge’ at the time. Then, when you were 14, you could join The Pioneers. I joined The Pioneers and I never bothered drinking at all.
I’ve lots of memorabilia behind the bar, mostly stuff my customers bring me back from their travels
Cards is a big thing here. All of our lives, people in the bar played for turkeys and hams at Christmas. They played ordinary games during the week too. The game of choice has always been 41. I never played cards until later in life, but I’d be playing 30 years or that now, I’d say. You see, I’m 84.
I’ve lots of memorabilia behind the bar, mostly stuff my customers bring me back from their travels. There’s caps, different currencies and all sorts. People that come in love to look at it.
When the Contemporary Arts Festival used to be held in Askeaton, the artists were always in and out of here. They liked the place. They made a mould of my hand and left me different bits and pieces.
It’s great to be able to look at them all now.
Read more
My Country Living: ‘The day in the sunshine is what it’s all about’
‘I think showing people the food journey does make a difference’
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