Popular historic South Mayo pub to reopen after ten year closure

O'Malley's pub in Ballinrobe is set to reopen its doors tomorrow, marking the return of a beloved local establishment that has been closed for a decade.

The pub, which was first opened in 1944 by Adrian O'Malley's grandfather, is being given a new lease of life by husband and wife team Amy and Adrian O'Malley. After Adrian's father passed away 15 years ago, the family pub closed its doors a few years later.

"The trend is that pubs are closed and not opening, so people locally are just wild with excitement about it," said Amy O'Malley. "We don't have that many pubs left in Ballinrobe, where it was a town that had a lot like most places."

The extensive refurbishment has been 10 years in the making, with the owners determined to do it properly. "We wanted to make it as nice as possible with finishes, giving people of all ages a place to come into" Amy explained. 

The newly refurbished venue has been cleverly divided into three distinct areas to cater for different groups. The front bar maintains a more traditional atmosphere, while the back section is designed for hosting events and parties, with regular live music planned.

O'Malley's will operate seven days a week. Plans are also in place to introduce food service, starting with a pizza kitchen, once the bar is fully up and running over the coming weeks.

To celebrate the reopening, the pub has lined up live music for the opening weekend. Local musician Stephen Monahan will perform on Friday, Matt Rowley—who plays at Matt Molloy's in Westport—takes to the stage on Saturday, and a traditional band from West Clare will perform on Sunday.

"We're trying to do it a little bit differently," Amy said. 

The O'Malleys are bucking the trend of pub closures in rural Ireland. 

O'Malley's officially opens tomorrow (Friday) morning.