"Will I ever open these doors again?" - Veteran Kildare publican reflects on Covid shutdown

By Aoife Brennan

“Will I ever open these doors again?”

John Brennan is a publican in the small village of Kilteel. Straddling counties Wicklow and Dublin, the village has a small church, the ruins of a 13th century preceptory and the two-storey building of the Kilteel Inn.
“It is the only pub in the same parish as the famous Punchestown Racecource,” John says.
Content enough with its description of an ‘auld fella’s pub’, the 81-year-old publican says that the pub also caters for christenings, funerals and all the family gatherings in between. Three hundred children take music lessons upstairs in the pub on Monday and Friday and traditional Irish music sessions are run by a local Comhaltas group.
“Tourism doesn’t really play a part of my business though, over the years, it has been a sought out film and television location. It is unique in its old world decor and accessibility from Dublin. It is a social hub: a gathering place for the local people during the week, to stand around the open fire and catch up.”

Quick closure

The decision to close the pub was made quickly, on the Sunday morning after the Government’s first announcement in March. In discussion with his family, and on the day of his 81st birthday, John made the calls to his staff and the pub didn’t open again. The first concern was for the health of his customers, and his staff and lastly, for himself, a hardy 81 and a retired Garda Sergeant, who thought he had seen it all.
John’s wife Máire died two years ago in September, and in her spirit of community and love for the local people of Kilteel, he and his staff Danielle and Caroline delivered complimentary St Patrick’s Day drinks to all the locals, using the tops of Pringles cans to seal the pints. One local bachelor, who used to come to the pub every night for one pint and a chat, burst into tears when he saw the women walk up his drive with his pint.
Once lockdown started in earnest and John cocooned at his home some distance away, other locals kept an eye on the premises for him.
Then when lockdown ended and it was safe to do so, John had local builders come to renovate the pub to make it safer for his customers. The pool tables in the room adjacent to the bar were removed to make a lounge, the existing lounge and snug had partitions built.
As the last two dates for reopening pubs have come and gone, his biggest concern now is that his three trusted staff members would have to find work elsewhere, and he will lose them for good.
Some pubs have worked around the rules requiring a ‘substantial meal costing €9’ to be served to open by partnering with other local businesses. These options have been investigated in the case of the Kilteel Inn; however, the nearest takeaway is 7km away and food trucks need a minimum guaranteed amount to park up and trade at the pub.
The budget isn’t there to make the kitchen suitable to serve food, as savings have been depleted in the recommended renovations.
John says he isn’t willing to push out any “old slop at €9” to his loyal customers.
“The expectation is that even if people ordered, even if the food was delivered, it is outside the rules set by the government and the substantial food waste would be left to us to clean it up and dispose of it hygienically.”
John adds “There is somewhat of an irony in Ireland: love the pub culture but hate the publicans. We have been somewhat vilified as greedy and mercenary, especially when it comes to the perception around drink driving and the smoking ban.
“The reality is the majority of pubs in small villages and towns are family owned; the owners work themselves into the grave, never retiring in the hope of leaving something behind for their children and grandchildren.
“What is to happen now? The identity of Ireland is very much about the Ceol, Craic agus Caint but Covid-19 and draconian restrictions may be the final nail in the coffin of the rural social hub, and the livelihood of thousands.
“It’s not just the pubs, it’s the arts world, the musicians and performers also affected. Many small businesses have already permanently closed their doors.
“Are the premises and businesses to become worthless now? What will the Government do for these businesses and individuals?
John concludes: “Working hard your entire life, and the work is very hard, just to have nothing to show for it at the end of your days is a very bitter pill to swallow.”