The Full Story
Keane's Bar
Keane's Bar is located on the Bealanbrach river at Maam Bridge in the picturesque Maam Valley.
The original building was built in 1820 by the renowned Scottish engineer Alexander Nimmo (1783 - 1832) and became known as "Corrib Lodge". In that year he was commissioned by the British Government to bring relief to the poverty-stricken West. Thus, the first roads and bridges were built in Connemara. It was used as his residence and pay office while overseeing construction.
Before 1820 no roads existed in this area. All supplies were brought to Maam by boat from Galway - a very ancient thoroughfare. Boats travelled regularly up and down the Corrib, calling at quays along the way, so during the 18th and 19th century the landing stage at Maam was a very busy place indeed.
After Nimmo's death, it was leased to Charles O’Rourke who ran it as a Bianconi Coaching Inn. It was known as the ‘Maam Hotel’. At the time as Ireland was still under British rule, meaning the inn was under the control of a landlord, ours being the very unpopular Lord Leitrim. According to an old tale the landlord lord Leitrim was "evicted" after a row with another guest who was staying in the hotel.
From 1885 until 1969 it was owned and ran by the Wallace family, closing as a hotel on the outbreak of world war II. In the year 1969 it was purchased by Joe Keane, a local business man who had set up a successful shop and feed store near by. Renovations to the building ensued and thus Keane's bar as we know it today was created.
Characters
The pub has been host to a range of personalities throughout the years, whether they be locals or celebrities' (some often get confused which one they are).
The quite man wrap party was held in the pub in 1952 which included actors such as John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, the original cottage is just 500 meters up the road. The famous 1916 Easter rising patriot Padraig Pearse stayed in the inn, A 'Visitors Book', purchased in 1854 bears his signature. the book in question was found in the cavity of the walls when the pub was being renovated. Mary Robinson, the first female president of Ireland visited in 1993 for the unveiling of the newly constructed bridge.