‘A Little History of Neary’s’ sheds light on colourful story of pub
“WE were approached by Dr Daryl Hendley Rooney, the author of a book about Neary’s pub in Dublin city.” explains Aidan Hodson of the Crumlin and Walkinstown History Group.
The group presents a talk by Dr Daryl Hendley Rooney, a curator at the Little Museum of Dublin and a Crumlin native, about Neary’s Bar and Lounge and its Crumlin connections.
Neary’s Bar and Lounge is an iconic Dublin institution. For over 130 years, the pub has catered to thirsty Dubliners of all classes and castes, talents and tastes. A new book, ‘A Little History of Neary’s’, sheds light on the colourful story of the pub, featuring archival treasures and never-before-seen photographs.
The book also features new stories about some of Dublin’s great characters, from Brenda Fricker and Phil Lynott to William ‘Bird’ Flanagan and Maureen Potter.
Research for the book uncovered an unlikely Crumlin connection: the eponymous Neary family lived in Crumlin.
Join the book’s author, Daryl Hendley Rooney, for a talk that explores the story behind Dublin’s “greatest” theatre bar, including its Crumlin connections.
According to Aidan, this talk was brought about when Dr Rooney suggested that he could “give a talk to our group about Thomas Neary, his connection with Crumlin”.
He will also be telling stories about the pub and its characters and its part in the life and times of Dublin over the years.
The group was pleased that Walkinstown Library was in a position to host this talk and that it has generated such interest among the public.
A major issue is normally finding a date that suits the speaker, the group and the venue. This has worked out, and the group are looking forward to the event and hope all goes well on the night.
They are currently working on their programme for this year and plan to have a number of talks during the year.
After the talk in February by Dr Rooney, they are planning another talk for our March meeting, which will be on March 11 at 6.30pm.
This will be given by a member of the Crumlin and Walkinstown History Group and will tell the story of the Purcells, one of the big landowners in Crumlin in the past.
The Crumlin and Walkinstown History Group are also working on their annual History Festival, which will be held in June. They hope to have further talks later in the year.
Finally, the group will be announcing further details in the coming weeks on their website, Crumlinwalkisntownhistory.
The Crumlin and Walkinstown History Group would like to thank Dr Rooney for agreeing to give the talk and Walkinstown Library for hosting the event, which takes place on February 11 from 6:30 to 8pm.
Free tickets can be booked via Walkinstown Library in person, by phone, or on the website; the event is fully booked as of writing, but there will be a waiting list in case vacancies arise.
The group may also hold the talk again at a future date based on demand.
