Raising a glass to mark 100 years of pub history

A COUSIN and two brothers raised a special glass on Christmas Eve in The Hideout in Kilcullen, to mark a hundred years since their grandfather opened the premises as Byrne's Hotel.

The group were Dave Byrne, son of the late Tom Byrne and his wife Carmel, and Brian and Garreth Byrne, sons of the late Jim Byrne Jr and his wife Monica.

The premises, formerly known as Flanagan’s Motor Bar, were bought by James J Byrne Snr and reopened on Christmas Eve 1925.

25 years later, James J Byrne Jr took over the pub and established the original Hideout bar and restaurant, which was finally sold out of the family when Brian and Garreth's late brother, Des, retired in 1996.

The RHK Bars Group now operates the Hideout.

Also in 1950, Dave's father, Tom, took over a hardware and drapery establishment that James Snr had opened in 1913, and later redeveloped an adjoining bar and grocery into Kilcullen's first supermarket, BSM.

Both premises were later amalgamated into a larger Byrnes Supermarket. Today, it is the Eurospar operated by Derek Walsh.

In another anniversary note, the trio's great-grandfather, also James Byrne, arrived in Kilcullen 165 years ago from Myshall in Co Carlow and subsequently acquired and operated that aforementioned grocery and bar business on Main Street.