'We had great customers and friends': Hamiltons retire from Offaly pub after 30 years

After running the award-winning Hamilton's pub in Geashill for 30 years, Jim and Catherine Hamilton served their last pints on Saturday, November 18.

A large crowd of friends, customers and well-wishers turned out for their farewell night in the pub, which has been sold and is about to reopen under new ownership, while still retaining the 'Hamilton's' name.

When the couple spoke to the Offaly Independent last week about their decision to retire, Jim said he was still getting adjusted to this new chapter in his life.

"I just finished a cup of tea there, and as I was finishing it I was thinking, 'I've got to get back to work!'" he laughed.

A native of Geashill, he spent close to 30 years working in the pub trade in London before he and Catherine, who have four daughters, returned to Offaly to open the local business in 1993.

"Between here and London, I am 58 years working behind the bar. That's a bit of a record, I'd imagine, in some respects. But the time was right (to retire).

"I am 10 years older than retirement age so, forget myself, it was time to give my wife a break!"

Catherine admitted that she would have been ready to retire from the pub ten years ago, but Jim influenced their decision to stay in business for another decade.

"I was enjoying the craic so much that I decided I'd stay on!" he said. "Right up until the day I left I had a good rapport with customers and friends."

The pub in Geashill predated their involvement with it, and was called the Castle Inn for a time, before they bought it and started trading as Hamilton's.

Jim said that when he was growing up in Geashill there were three pubs in the village, with enough business to sustain all three.

"Bord Na Mona was at its peak at that time, so there was a huge amount of spinoff from that," he said.

"Walsh Island had no pub, and all the Bord Na Mona workers used to come up to Geashill to drink at the weekends. You'd see bicycles, that could be 4 deep, all around the corners."

During the couple's years in London, Jim was the manager of a bar for about 24 years.

He said only a small portion of the Irish in London who talk about moving home actually do so, but he and Catherine were among that minority.

"I was glad we moved back because the pace of life doesn't slow down in London, although we loved it there.

"We were fortunate enough to live in a nice area. We were much younger then, and we were up to the task of the pace of life. It was a good time for us as well, I don't regret a bit of it.

"We had four daughters and they were all born in London. They regard themselves as Irish until they come home to Ireland, and then they're English!"

Catherine and Jim both spoke about the "big changes" they had seen in the pub trade over the last 30 years.

"I suppose, looking back, the biggest change came with the pandemic. This has been said lots of times, but it broke the habit of going to the pub for some people," said Jim

"Some people did come back, and others didn't. Drinking at home became the thing, and coffee shops took over.

"The price of alcohol became kind of prohibitive as well... But there will always be room for a country pub, and I think also that it's not a bad idea to have two pubs in a village, from the point of view of competition."

Despite the challenges facing the pub industry in rural Ireland, business on weekends recently had been healthier than ever.

"On a Friday, Saturday and Sunday we took a week's takings, easily. It was more intense, but it almost made up for the nights when we were closed or when it wasn't busy. It was all concentrated on weekends."

Hamilton's gained an excellent reputation over the years. It won 'Best in Offaly' and 'Best in Leinster' awards and was highly ranked nationally by the Sunday World's 'Pub Spy'.

"Our clientele were absolutely brilliant. I think that's what most people liked when they came in," said Jim.

"They felt comfortable, there was no one annoying them, and we were all still up for the type of craic that goes on in Irish pubs. So we seemed to hold the fort well."

Three of the couple's four daughters live overseas, including one in Australia, so their retirement plans include taking some trips to see them and their grandchildren.

Catherine also spoke about the excellent work being undertaken to keep the village of Geashill looking so attractive.

"The village is gorgeous, and you notice the amount of people who stop to admire it. There is great pride taken in it," she said.

"We retired but we didn't want to leave the village because our friends here are all around."

The couple expressed their gratitude for the support and many well-wishes they received from the local community.

"It was wild with messages, and 'thank yous'," said Jim. "You would hear people saying 'oh, it will never be the same' and all of that.

"I would reply no, it won't be the same, it'll be different, but it could be better different! You can't overestimate your own importance," he said.

Local councillor and Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) President John Clendennen was among those who called in to Hamilton's for the couple's final night behind the bar on November 18.

"Everyone there wanted to show their appreciation to Jim and Catherine because they had built up huge respect among their clientele both locally and beyond over the years," said John Clendennen.

"It's the end of an era for the Hamiltons but the good news is that new owners will be continuing the business and the lights will be remaining on in Hamilton's pub," he added.