Keanes Pub
| Keanes Pub | |
|---|---|
| Location | Maam, Connemara |
| Built | 1820 by Alexander Nimmo |
| Owner | Keane Family |
The ancestral home of the club, this pub is situated in Maam in Connemara. It was built in 1820 by Scottish engineer Alexander Nimmo. It is the traditional stopping point for all club hikes and is a second home to many club members
History
The pub is one of the oldest licensed premises in Ireland, it was build in 1820 by Alexander Nimmo as his main residence while he designed the roads and bridges of Connemara. Throughout the building's history it has also served as a small hotel and inn for those travelling through the rugged hills of Connemara and the Joyce Country.
The building was purchased by the Keane family in 1969 and has been ran as a pub ever since, alongside the hardware store and shop next door.
The pub has a long history of hosting many famous people over the years, Padraic Pearse, John Wayne and many more. Quiet Man warp party was held here in 1952
More history can be found on the official Keane's Pub website.
Club and Keane's Relations
The club have been regulars at the pub for as long as anyone can remember, it is ideally located as a stopping point on the way home from many hikes in Connemara. During the semester a quiet wet sunday evening in Maam is suddenly engulfed by 50 wet, sweaty, muddy, hikers .
In recent years the pub is called prior to arrival to arrange the preorder of pints and toasties as otherwise the bar staff can be quickly overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of orders they get.
“How many pints did they say again?? 20 pints of Guinness was it?? lord Jesus”- Mary in Keanes
The pub has graciously hosted the club's christmas party for the last few years. It is a night of revelry and shenanigans where the usual hiking bus is filled and skips the hiking to just go to the pub. The pub usually offers the party goers some finger food such as cocktail sausages, chicken goujons and for the vegetarians... sliced cheddar cheese. Surprisingly these nights are not the rowdiest of nights in Keane's with tales from parties where furnishings are pulled off the wall, all manner of substances are consumed, and someone reaching into the toilet cubicle while a club member was pooping and crushed the light bulb in their hand.
There are many other traditions surround the club's weekly pilgrimage such as "mud or blood" a scheme that is the brain child of Joe Mee. The concept is that anyone who gets mud or blood on their face after falling on a hike is owed a pint from Joe or in his absence a senior hike leader.
The preregistration for the Maamturks Challenge is held upstairs in the pub, allowing walkers to collect their walk cards the night before the challenge speeding up the process in the morning. The set up is the most efficient procedure in the world and is studied as an example of Lean Thinking all over the world.
Members of the club often use the area of grass below the bridge as a camp ground during training weekends and adventures in connemara. It is ideal with the pub offering warmth and refreshments into the night before retiring to bed. In extreme weather the option of staying in Dónal's (Pat's brother) house/bachelor pad.
Features of the Pub
One of the most important features of the pub is the fireplace, it is perfect for sitting next to after a long day on the hills. The two large leather chairs are reserved for the club's hairiest member's
The upstairs used to be a tea room before the passing of Pat's mother. It boasts one of the finest views of any building on earth.
The TV room can be converted to a disco with large booming speakers and flashing lights, this conversion usually occurs during birthday's being held at the establishment such as Pat's son's 18th and 21st.