Old Mill closes its doors in O’Briensbridge

FIRECRACKERS may have illuminated the sky over the River Shannon in O’Briensbridge on Sunday night but the owner and staff in an award-winning local hostelry were in no mood for celebration before it closed its doors for the last time.

In fact, some of the staff became very emotional when Kathleen Sciascia called time on the operation of the Old Mill Bar and Restaurant, over 12 and a half years since its inception.
At the height of the Celtic Tiger when business was booming in 2007, Ms Sciascia employed up to 20 people but this had dwindled to about five, excluding herself and her daughter.
Despite a bulging sideboard of national awards, the proprietor of the last pub and restaurant in the picturesque village felt it was no longer viable to keep the premises open.
Back in 2008, champagne bottles popped when the Old Mill scooped one of the most prestigious awards in the licensed trade – the Best Country Pub. In addition to winning a Fáilte Ireland award, the premises also won four Black and White Pub awards.
Ms Sciascia recalled the Best Country Pub award provided a huge lift for business at the time.
However, this proved to be temporary as she noticed a steady decline in trade at the end of 2008, which never reversed.
“People can’t afford to go out to eat and drink as much as before. People have been on a budget for a long time. You could see a steady decline from the books for a long time.
“It was a very difficult decision to make to close the place eventually. Having discussed it with my family, I felt it was the best option. Some of the staff were very upset but I felt it was the right thing to do. All the staff are like one big happy family.
“Business was getting worse and if we kept going, it would have got worse. I couldn’t see any sign of it improving so I felt it was better to get out before things got too bad. I had to reduce my staff and reduce the hours of existing staff but that still wasn’t enough,” she said.
She described O’Briensbridge as a “fabulous” place with a lot to offer locals and tourists in terms of amenities. However, she expressed concern that trade is very quiet in the village, particularly at night when it should be much busier.
Following the closure of the local post office, there are now just two pubs left, Darby’s and Bonner’s, as well as the Village Bistro.
O’Briensbridge Community Group chairman, Mick Murtagh described the closure of the Old Mill as the “end of an era” for the village.
“The group is very disappointed to lose the last pub and restaurant in the village. The Old Mill had a certain old world charm with its artefacts hanging up on the wall.
“It was a popular location for visitors who completed the looped walks and also hosted events such as the Pride of Place presentation for visiting judges and the recent visit of a inland waterways enthusiasts from England.
“The group considers this closure as akin to a defeat because all the work improving amenities such as the national looped walks and children’s playground was done to keep local business viable.
“The survival of villages like O’Briensbridge is a big issue. People are bypassing local shops to buy cheaper goods in large supermarkets in Limerick. It is something that we are all guilty of,” he said.