….Bar, Lounge and Function Rooms.
The Arches,
Main Street,
Ballon
Tel: 059 9159112
Joe Doyle became the new landlord in 1998 and previous to that the premises had various uses.
The premises was originally built as a parochial house for Father Keogh c. 1870’s. He lived in it briefly but found the area too noisy and subsequently took up residence in Rathoe.
The premises was kept by the parish and rented out to the Farrells and then to E.J.Doyle of Wexford c. 1870. Mr. Doyle made a great success of running a business. It traded in hardware, groceries, coal, timber, gates, drapery. It also provided the services of an undertaker, coffin maker and dispensary.
It was subsequently bought from the parish by Jim Brennan of Old Kilcullen, Co Kildare who in turn sold it as a going concern to Bill Nolan of Ballon in 1958. The cost then was £2,400. Bill owned the pub next door (now Nolan’s garage) and continued to trade in both disciplines but he died at an early age in 1971 and the premises was sold in 1972. The new owner was Dinny Donohoe of Ballylinan, Co. Laois. He changed it into a pub and it changed hands again to Doyle and Lambert and then Joe Kirwan of Castledermot.
He separated the two premises in 1979 and John Nolan bought the original premises with the petrol pumps. The main premises changed hands again to Tim Radford, then Brian McHenry and then to Joe Doyle.
Narrated by Billy Nolan, December 2001
This photo taken from “Ballon & Rathoe” by Peadar Mac Suihhne and supplied by Michael Kealy.
Can anyone put a date on it? c. 1840? Is the car a clue? It’s believed to be a Ford Model T of about 1926 (1923 to 1927) and posssibly of American origin not British. What colour were the hunting jackets then?
Back to Business and Services