Well-known Tipperary pub owner retires after almost 43 years of service
Bertie Callinan who owns Bertie's Bar in Dundrum, has recently retired and sold his pub after being in business almost 43 years in the village.
After more than four decades at the heart of the community, Bertie Callinan, owner of Bertie’s Bar in Dundrum, Tipperary has retired.
Monday June 23 was Bertie’s last day in his bar, with friends and family attending a farewell party at the pub that night.
“I’ve owned the bar since September 1982, going on 43 years,” explained Bertie when asked how long he’s had the pub in Dundrum.
READ NEXT: Tipperary supporters asked to apply to be in audience of Up For The Match hurling special
Bertie is originally a native of Inagh, County Clare before moving on to live in London for fifteen years, then Dublin for a short while, before settling in the village of Dundrum in Tipperary.
“I moved to London in 1966, the World Cup was on at the time. I then came back to do college in Dublin for a year. I lived in Northwest London when I got there.
“There used to be a ballroom where all the Irish used to meet there, they’d have a modern side and a céilí side, it was a massive place.
“We took the pub over from O’Dwyers Steel, they used to own the pub.
“My favourite thing about the pub was the company, and the people,” he said.
Bertie, who is seventy-eight years old, said he was more or less ready for retiring and selling Bertie’s Bar, just before the Covid-19 lockdown began. The lockdown put his plans on hold until now, he said.
There’s only one pub in the village of Dundrum now, Bertie tells The Nationalist.
“Dundrum used to have the Golden Vale, but that closed down. It had a ballroom and everything there, but that eventually closed down.”
When asked to recall his most memorable moments from the past forty-three years, Bertie’s son Martin puts it best.
“All of the main events that happened in Dundrum were celebrated in the pub. We had many West hurling victories celebrated there.
“We also had a Grand National greyhound winner from the village. It was the place you go to celebrate.”
Bertie and Martin said that after reading all of the farewell cards that Bertie received, one of the things they noticed was how important the pub was to many locals.
A lot of locals wrote in the cards that they have so many memories of life that they’ve celebrated there.
“Whether it was birthdays or weddings, that was their place,” said Martin.
“There used to be lots of weddings in Dundrum House, if any of them were passing by they’d pull up for a drink,” said Bertie.
Back in the day the town was famous because of a showjumper called Tommy Way, Bertie remembers.
“He won something and the horse was owned by people in the village. They sold it on then and he won a competition.
“It was a big thing in the village. I remember the horse then actually died and someone met someone and said ‘I hear Dundrum is dead’.
“The person replied ‘It was pretty lively last night!’. The person meant the horse was dead, not the village. And the pub was fairly lively the night before” remarked Bertie.
The pub used to have groups play music every Saturday night for years, said Bertie. The pub was also known for its pool tables in its earlier years.
“It had three pool tables when we bought it. We changed that to just one so it would be nearer the bar.”
When asked what he’ll miss the most about the pub, Bertie says it will be the company of his regulars who have supported his business throughout the years.
“I’ll miss the company in the pub. We had to cut the hours in recent years, there used to be a betting shop across the road and that was a great attraction. But he closed down and it was a bit of a loss to the pub,” explained Bertie.
When asked what plans Bertie has for himself now he is finally retired, he says he hopes to visit family abroad.
With one son living in Norway and another living in London, he will be kept busy planning visits.
Although Bertie has now retired, new owners have already bought the pub in Dundrum and works have begun in the village to have the new pub open very soon.