John B. Keane has a new pubowning literary rival - 150 yards down the street.
Yesterday morning Trevor O'Driscoll was a legal assistant with an office job in New York; by mid-afternoon he was planning a new life as the owner of a £220,000 pub in Listowel, Co Kerry.
The 22-year-old single man came by the property - Finucane's in upper William Street - by playing darts, pulling pints and delivering a poetry recitation which convinced the judges he would be a worthy winner of the latest Guinness "Win Your Own Pub in Ireland" contest.
The competition, now in its fifth year, is open to US residents aged 21 and over. This year 65,000 aspiring pub owners entered by declaring, in fifty words or less, why the black stuff was their favourite pint.
At the weekend Trevor and nine other finalists were flown in for the dart-throwing, pint-pouring, oral essay final stages, held in the pub on offer, which the Guinness Import Company bought recently from Mr Donie and Mrs Eva Kavanagh.
Trevor, first to throw, started badly, just about hitting the dart board and failing to score. "I couldn't believe it. I ended the darts section on second last," he said, recalling the day's blackest moment.
Like a good stout, however, he soon settled. His pint-pulling skills hauled him back into contention before a theatrical delivery of his own poem in the recitation section won the day for the third generation Irishman.
Any notion that Trevor might simply cash in on his win and move into a bigger apartment in Manhattan was immediately dispelled. "I'm quitting my job," he declared, before announcing plans to take up residence in Finucane's before the summer is out.
"I don't plan any major changes. It's a beautiful place, and it will still be called Finucane's," he said. But John B. Keane, whose own pub is on the same street, will be pleased to hear of one innovation Trevor has in mind.
He plans to establish a "Finucane's Parlour Society" which would meet monthly and incorporate poetry readings, story telling, art showings and comedy performances.
Mr Keane was at Killarney races yesterday and therefore unavailable to offer a view on the literary merit of Trevor's winning artistic offering.
The delivery which swayed the judges, including Fine Gael TD Mr Jimmy Deenihan, ran: Finucane's . . . year 2098,/O'Driscoll IV; publican - by fate./Great-grandad (a yank!) journeyed here first,/filled with dreams of satisfying thirst./ His ghost watches ev'ry pint poured;/fortified by time, the pub's legend - secured./Some say: "Fairytale!"/You'll see it's no myth./'Tis O'Driscoll's eternal joy/ each Guinness settles with.".
"I don't know when it's going to hit me. It's really amazing. I just can't believe it," he said, his way with words temporarily deserting him in the excitement of the moment.
But the judges had no doubt that Trevor has the gift of the gab. "While the ability to pour the `perfect pint' is a necessity for any Irish pub owner, it is also important to regale your patrons with words," said Mr Howard Pulchin of the Guinness Import Company.
