A POPULAR pub has shut its doors after five years due to rising costs – and it has left many locals heartbroken.
Jamie McTernan, who took over Lizzie Keogh’s in October 2019 closed the spot as soaring costs made it impossible for them to keep going without raising prices.
Owner Jamie McTernan said he wasn’t going to pass the rising costs on to the locals[/caption]
Originally from Bray, Jamie saw the potential in the long-closed venue and worked hard to turn it into a local favourite once more.
When Covid hit just months after reopening, he began to sell coffee out the front and created a beer garden from scratch in the back.
The pub soon became a hub for post-match GAA nights, lively sports debates and fundraisers – especially at Christmas.
But rising supplier costs started to come and Jamie refused to pass those hikes on to the people who kept the place alive.
Rather than raise prices unfairly, he made the tough call to close up the pub in n Baltinglass Co Wicklow.
‘Heavy heart’
He told Independent.ie: “It was with a very heavy heart that I decided to end my time behind the bar in this very special place, but with the price of drinks being kicked down the line to us from suppliers, we had to either take the cost on the head or pass it on to the next person – the customer.
“And that’s just not fair to them.
“Closing the pub was a difficult decision, but with the rising costs and changing times, it made it harder to keep it going the way it probably deserves.
“It wasn’t dying at death or anything, and a lot of locals were very surprised that we closed, but it was something that had been playing on my mind for the last few months.”
Though many locals were surprised, Jamie revealed he had been weighing on the decision for months.
And he saw his role not just as an owner but a caretaker, holding space for stories, laughs and the “odd heated darts discussion.”
He’ll miss the reserved stools, the daily debates and the regulars who made the pub what it was.
The annual Christmas event for Crumlin Children’s Hospital is another thing he will miss, especially after his son Bruce was born in 2022 and spent time there.
‘Will be hugely missed’
But Jamie hasn’t ruled out a return to hospitality and hopes someone else might carry the pub forward.
He added: “My best memories will always be running the Christmas meet and greet with Santa and the kids every year in aid of Crumlin Children’s Hospital.”
On Facebook, local’s have taken to the comment section to share their thoughts on the closure.
One person said: “Ah jaysus no, Will be hugely missed. Gutted.”
Another said: “I’m very sad to hear this, best luck in the future you deserve it.”
