Anglesboro aims for social club to sustain village

Over 100 people gathered in Anglesboro last Wednesday week to discuss exploring an application for a social club license.

Chairman Seanie Hanley addressed the community on the night, explaining the new idea, which local man Dan McCarthy had come up with, of aiming to get a liquor license for the Community Centre.

According Mr McCarthy, the community heard in August, that the local pub which had been operating for around 100 years, would not be reopening. The Galtee View Bar and Lounge had closed at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, like many businesses around the country.

From then, an idea formed as to how the community could retain a social facility, such as a bar or pub, within the South Limerick village.

“The loss of a pub to the parish is huge. It’s a social hub, it's where we gather to celebrate our victories, to mourn our friends, where ideas are put together and put to fruition. We all understand what a pub is to a small rural village.

“The loss of a pub in a big town is just another business gone, but a pub in a small rural village is the beginning of the end. It’s the demise of a village. A village like Anglesboro is no longer attractive to move into because you don’t have a social centre,” Mr McCarthy said.

POSITIVE OUTLOOK

From then, discussions began surrounding how a social hub, such as a pub, could be retained within the village.

“It was decided that we would approach the community council to explore the possibility of putting the bar in the hall, taking a section of the hall and transforming it into a bar. That was brought back to the council and they discussed it and the feedback was, they thought it was an idea worth exploring,” Mr McCarthy added.

Members of Anglesboro community and the local community council then approached personnel of a social club in Kilbrin, near Kanturk, who had already placed a bar into their community hall.

According to Anglesboro Community Council secretary, Dan Gallahue, the Kilbrin Social Club was well established and had availed of grants and funding opportunities to establish their club and community hall.

“The minute we walked in the door we were sold by the opportunity they have,” he said.

Mr Gallahue noted that if such a bar or pub were to be installed in Anglesboro Community Hall, it would operate similar to a golf club or rugby club licence and would run as a club, requiring club members.

While the project is still in the very early stages and many of the finer details are yet to be worked out, Mr Gallahue noted that there is a possibility and a hope to have the social club running in some format by Christmas.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Speaking at the meeting on Wednesday last (September 15), Mr Gallahue noted that an open forum was held in order to determine the public opinion and feedback on the matter and to then decide whether or not to proceed.

“We’re only the caretakers of the building and hopefully it will be passed on to the next generation,” Mr Gallahue said.

A show of hands was taken, with the majority of people voting to proceed in trying to obtain a social club license for the Community Hall.

“The first twelve months will be the hardest. We are very much going into a grey area here, we haven't done this before. If we can get up and running without having to spend a fortune, it would benefit the whole community and the future generations,” Mr Gallahue added.