End of an era as local businessman laid to rest

One of Tullamore’s most successful businessman, who passed away on Sunday last after a long and active life, leaves a huge legacy behind having been involved in the construction of more than a dozen large-scale housing estates in the town.

Jimmy Spollen, who was 90 years old, and was affectionately known to family and friends alike as Jimmy, passed away peacefully on Sunday last, August 6, surrounded by his loving family.

He was one of the biggest employers in the town and county and, as well as building many of the iconic housing estates in Tullamore, he was also responsible for the construction of numerous council housing schemes around county Offaly, including in Portarlington, Ferbane, Clara, Clonbullogue and Mountbolus.

While he was perhaps best known for the construction of housing estates, the late Jimmy Spollen was never slow to spot a business opportunity and at one stage he became a hotelier when he built two of the biggest hotels of their time in counties Laois and Kildare, the Killeshin Hotel in Portlaoise and the Hazel Hotel in Monasterevin.

He also become the owner of one of Tullamore’s most iconic hotels, Hayes Hotel right in the centre of the town. The hugely-popular hotel was once the mecca of the Midlands entertainment scene and later became the Phoenix Arms Hotel (housing Spiders Night Club) and #1 Church Street before being purchased by its present owners, the Booots pharmacy chain.

The scale and breadth of Jimmy Spollen’s business interests put many of his competitors in the shade, and among his many other notable building achievements during his long life was the Central Ballroom in Tullamore (now Castle Buildings); Emo Parochial House, outside Mountmellick, and a dance hall in Mountmellick town itself. He was also involved in the construction of Ferbane Power Station.

He also went into the licencing trade at one stage, purchasing one of Tullamore’s best known music pubs, the Tower Lounge on Harbour Street, along with three of his brothers, Johnny, Thady and Pat. The pub drew huge crowds and played host to some of the biggest names in showbusiness during the 1970s.

Known as a hugely gregarious man who was great company and lived life to the full, the late Jimmy Spollen was one of the first people in Tullamore to obtain a pilot’s licence and became the owner of a number of three small airplanes. He then decided that an airfield would be a good idea, so he bought a strip of land on the Clara Road and turned it into an airfield.. Always willing to take a chance, he flew his airplanes as far away as France as well as all over Ireland and the UK.

The oldest of a family of 14 from Ballykilmurray, Jimmy Spollen had no history of business whatsoever in his background as he came from a small farm, yet the Spollen name went on to become inextricably linked with the business life of Tullamore to this very day.

Cappincur Joinery and Spollen Concrete were set up by two of Jimmy’s 11 brothers, while two other brothers set up Castle Paints in Cloncollig and Spollen’s Pub on High Street in Tullamore. Many members of the wider family also established various business interests in Tullamore, signifying the huge entrepreneurial spirit of the Spollen family.

The late Jimmy Spollen married his wife, Kathleen, in 1958 and the couple went on to have eight children, three daughters and five sons, Kathleen’s passing in March 2019 was a devastating blow for her beloved husband after over 60 years of married life.

The late Jimmy Spollen is survived by his daughters Nuala (Halligan); Dorothy (Somers) and Jennifer (Plunkett), his sons Seamus; Donal; David; Barry and Brian, 21 grandchildren, one great-grand; in-laws; brothers, sisters, relatives and a wide circle of friends.

He was laid to rest in Clonminch Cemetery on Tuesday of this week, August 8, following Requiem Mass in the Church of the Assumption, Tullamore.