ONE OF Ireland’s oldest barmen has reluctantly called time at his much-loved pub more than 80 years after he pulled his first pint.
Publican Tom Frawley (91) first served customers in the quaint, family-run PJ Frawleys in Lahinch, Co Clare, in 1928, when he was only nine years old.
The interior of the tiny pub, which doubled as a grocery shop, has barely changed in its 138-year history.
Tom, a bachelor, took over the business in 1961 after his mother died. He said as recently as last summer he had no plans to retire. But, sadly, due to ill health in recent months and the increasing strains of running the pub on his own, his business is now closed.
Despite the emergence of Lahinch as a trendy surfing and holiday destination, Tom refused to abandon his old-fashioned routines.
He never used a till or even a calculator, instead working out how much to charge his punters with a pencil on a string and a notepad. A step-ladder was always on hand to help him climb to the upper shelves when the occasional customer asked for groceries, such as a packet of jelly or tin of custard.
With no dishwasher or refrigeration, customers knew to take their drink as it came. And they also knew exactly when Tom – who always dressed in a suit for work – would be serving, as he always opened between 10.30am and 11am, closing for lunch from 1pm to 2pm and dinner from 6pm to 7pm.
A fluorescent sign hanging in the bar, reading “No stag parties welcome here”, reminded customers he expected them to be respectful and polite when on his turf.
Local Fianna Fáil councillor Richard Nagle said: “It’s a huge loss not to see Tom around running the pub every day. Unfortunately his health and age meant he could no longer continue. Time catches up with us all.
“For as long as anyone else can remember round here, Tom’s always been behind that bar and he continued doing it for as long as he possibly could. Leaving the pub was not something he did lightly, because it was his life.”
Tom is now in a local nursing home but Mr Nagle says he still thinks about the pub a lot. “I think the thought of coming back and pulling pints again, although it may never happen, keeps him going.”
A recently set-up Facebook page, “Fans of Frawleys Bar, Lahinch” is full of comments from disappointed punters and tourists.