The Furry Bog in Whitechurch was used to film TV series Kin
No return of TV series Kin to the Furry Bog sees pub close doors
HIT TV series Kin helped to bring wider recognition for The Furry Bog Pub in Whitechurch, but the bankruptcy of Canadian production company Bron, which made the crime series, was the final nail in the coffin for the local establishment.
Ballyfermot man Paul Farrell began working at the Furry Bog doing security over 20 years ago, and took on the manager role, running the bar with his wife Alanus.
The last few years have been tough for small businesses, but the filming of Kin provided a boost for the Rathfarnham watering hole.
Paul built apartments over the pub in an effort to finance the future of the site but spiralling costs made things increasingly difficult.
In September, the Furry Bog closed its doors for the final time.
In a Facebook post at the time, Paul said: “For the past 23 years… that flew in, it has been a pleasure to have been a part of the Whitechurch community.
As caretakers of The Furry Bog Pub we were accepted respected and proud of that fact. Thanks to all the local regular friends who supported us unwavering over the years.”
Speaking to the Sunday World this week, Paul said he hoped a new series of Kin would tide them over.
“We were expecting them to come back last year and no one approached us. They filmed season two and it’s a crying shame, they were supposed to get back to me, but they didn’t,” said Paul.
“We hung on as long as we could, waiting for them, then we heard the company that owned Kin went bankrupt. That was the end of it, we couldn’t handle it anymore. That would have been the lifeblood that would have carried us maybe another year or more.”
Paul criticised the Irish Government for not doing more to save small businesses, citing €525 weekly rates to the council and “crazy” utility costs.
Speaking with the Irish Sun last April, Paul said US TV bosses approached him to book out the pub for 20 weeks, and that he let them use the real name of the bar, feeling it would “give the area and the pub a bit of recognition.”
