Raising the Bar in St Johnston by Michelle Nic Phaidin - Maggies Tavern
Published on the 07 February 2012, Donegal Democrat
It was Autumn and the falling leaves fell messily to the ground creating a
rustic jigsaw puzzle of nature as twelve-year-old Alice skipped into the pub her
eyes bright and expectant as they fell on her aunt Maggie who stood behind the
bar pulling pints for the men who leaned easily at the counter. She ran to the
couch and took out her school bag and from it emerged a book. She could hear the
men talk between themselves on occasion, their voices a soft mumble with some
soft sentences streaming into silence. Maggie kept busy, wiping the counter. She
cast a gaze at her young niece who was lost in work. When Maggie chose to
retire, it came as no surprise that she hoped Alice would follow in her
footsteps and pursue the pub trade. She had been born and raised to the trade
and Maggie was certain that her niece would excel at it. Many years later, Alice
finds herself the secretary of the Donegal branch of the Vintner’s Federation of
Ireland and goes about her work with an optimistic, upbeat and positive
attitude.
The pub is renowned throughout the county for the charitable work that she, her
family, her customers and the community carry out within the pub. “At Maggies we
started our charity work with BBQ and the Pig on the Spit headed up by Tony
Rodges. Over a ten year period we raised over a €123,000 for a variety of local
charities. Joe McKean, later went on to win the “Good Neighbour Award” in 2006.
It’s not all about me, it’s about the community. Everyone works so hard for
charity. Last year, we undertook a big cycle that left Maggie’s and went through
Annagry, Killybegs and then back to the pub. They raised twenty two thousand
euro for the “Little Angels and the MS Society.” People enjoyed it, they had
fun, there was great interaction, there were people singing on lorries and
everyone became part of the charity event,” she said.
For the past 8 years, Alice and her team run a charity cycle for the Diabetic
Federation. Over 80 cyclists took part in the cycle during summer of 2011. The
mother of two has spent almost two decades behind the bar. Having spent her life
in the pub which lies between St. Johnston and Lifford, she has watched
customers come and go, social norms change and welcomed new customers with an
open hearted smile.
“You always remember the customers who come back to you. We have been running a
darts tournament in memory of Aunt Maggie for many years and every year between
thirty five and forty teams turn up and you are always delighted to see them,”
she said.
Over the years, the pub trade has faced grave difficulties as the smoking ban
coupled with the cheap price of drink in off-licences proved a battle for the
age old industry. Other pubs battled with the price of cheap drink close to the
border.
“It has changed over the years. Right now, it is all about getting back to the
basics. My aunt Maggie left me the pub twenty four years ago. I would always
have been running around helping her when I was a child. You wouldn’t be allowed
to do that now but back then it was different. When I was 12 years-old, I was
sent to the Convent in Buncrana. Life was totally different. I went to secondary
school and during that time she slowly became an old woman. When I was nineteen
she retired. She left the pub to me, she always wanted me to have it. I worked
for New Ireland Assurance company in Sligo and I did enjoy my work there. When I
was twenty seven years-of age, I left my job and moved on,” she recalls.
Alice married Neil Sweeney and the two have two wonderful children, Maura (9)
and Patrick (6) who attend St. Baithin’s NS. in St. Johnston.
Alice has faced adverse and challenging times within the industry with sheer
determination. In 1991, Alice was national Macra Na Feirme winner of the 27th
National Queen of the Land Enterprise Bord member.
She is at present undertaking a National Certificate in Advanced Culinary Arts
at the LYIT’s campus in the Killybegs School of Tourism.
“We are have party on Saturday night and we at Maggie’s are going to treat it
like it was our own. I can create my own party nibbles, my own food and all our
staff will be there to enjoy the event with those who arrive. Killybegs has been
good, it has taught me to go back to basics and that it all returns to the
simple rule of good service. We are certainly going down the road of improving
where and when we can,” she said.
She added that she hasn’t gone into full time catering as yet as you can never
be certain of the numbers that will visit your establishment on a daily basis.
“One day we can five customers and the next you can have twenty. I am competing
with places like Strabane and border establishments. These are challenging times
but we must meet them head on with optimism and diversification,” she said.
She and her husband Neil Sweeney take the work that they carry out on behalf of
their customers very seriously. Both husband and wife are not adverse to leaving
customers at home at night to ensure that they arrive at their doors safely.
“We are trying to do everything right, we may not get it right all the time but
we are doing our best. We are located near the border so we have to work even
harder than other businesses so we are trying to ensure that our customers are
treated to the best possible standard,”she said.
Alice believes that if you make a decision, you believe at the time that it is
the right one and that there is no time in this life for regrets. “If you make a
decision and you are happy with it at the time, you have to get on with that
decision. You have to get back to basics and you will succeed with a bit of
thought and diversification,” she said.
On Wednesday afternoon, Alice walked though the doors of Killybegs college with
a feeling of optimism. It was the first day of Spring, the light frost of the
morning had faded and birds sang on the leafy green trees as flowers were
beginning to bloom.
Comments by Patrick Gormley
Maggie Lynch's Parents and brothers and grandfather
1911 Census Residents of a house 5 in Ballyboe (Feddyglass, Donegal)
This house had a stable, a piggery, a cow house and a shed.
|
Surname |
Forename |
Age |
Sex |
Relation to head |
Religion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lynch |
James |
39 |
Male |
Head of Family |
Roman Catholic |
|
Lynch |
Rose Anne |
26 |
Female |
Wife |
Roman Catholic |
|
Lynch |
Hugh |
4 |
Male |
Son |
Roman Catholic |
|
Lynch |
William Jas |
2 |
Male |
Son |
Roman Catholic |
|
Lynch |
Philip |
1 |
Male |
Son |
Roman Catholic |
|
Lynch |
Hugh |
79 |
Male |
Father |
Roman Catholic |
The adjacent neighbours were Kilgore, Timony, Wilkie, Porterfield and Dunleavy.
There was a school just next where the pub is now.
Maggie Lynch died in May 1990 and is buried in the cemetery of St Baithin's Church, St Johnston.
Maggies Tavern was extended in 1999.
ALICE LYNCH SWEENEY
Educated in Scoil Mhuire Buncrana, Vocational School Letterkenny, RTC Sligo Alice the current proprietor, has maintained the success of Maggies amid the covid outbreak and other challenges through the years.
Her work life in the past included being an Ambulance Control Officer in Altnagelvin and working with the New Ireland Assurance Brokerage Division Sligo.
She held a number of posts in Macra Na Feirme. In November 1991, she became the National Macra Queen of the Land. The event took place in Tullamore Co Offaly. She was the twenty-seventh.
Other achievements were Alice's involvement in setting up the Red Cross Society of the St Johnston branch. She went to Germany 1988 to represent the Red Cross Youth Section. The following year she went on the Red Cross Irish delegation to Poland.
She was secretary of the Bridie Lynch Sydney 2000 Committee. She was MC of Bridie's homecomings. These were USA Olympics 1996, 1998 European Championships.
Refurbished during the covid Maggies keeps rising to greater heights under Alice's care. It looks forward to a stable and exciting future.