Cheers! - The Steppes Bar makes a welcome return after closure due to fire - Kilkenny Live

The Steppes Bar’s reopening in Callan after a lengthy closure was greeted by much excitement and relief earlier this month.

The premises, owned by Alice and Eddie Kelly on Green Street, had been closed since last July after an electrical fault caused a fire on a busy Saturday afternoon in the bar.

After inspection by the fire officer, the doors were closed in order to allow an upgrade of all electrics. Its closure left a huge void in the heart of the Callan community.

Owner Eddie Kelly told the Kilkenny People he’s delighted to be back in his rightful home behind the bar.

“Since I’ve opened it’s been non-stop. It’s like I’ve walked through the door for the first time after living here for 20 years,” he said.

“It's a 24/7 job, once you live over it you’re never really off, it’s my life since I was 19 years of age,” he added.

The local publican is no stranger to hard work and despite the hurdles he has faced, Kelly wasn’t going to let go of the pub he calls home.

“If you have a dream, you go with the dream, I had my ups and downs,” he remarked but hailed the local area for their continued support.

“Last Sunday, there wasn't standing room in this bar and it’s a big bar. There’s people who went off the drink, they won’t drink anywhere else and they said they were waiting for us to open,” he said.

Mr Kelly’s relationship with the hospitality industry dates back over 50 years, with fond memories of bar work in Waterford City before moving on to Langton’s and Hotel Kilkenny where he holds dear many special memories.

Mr Kelly made the Steppes home in 2004 and since taking over the reigns, the pub has become a staple of Callan life and although an experienced hand in the industry, he feels this new chapter in his life is like starting all over again.

“It’s very very strange, I mean I’m coming out to near retirement age at 66 and to start your business again at that age, it’s the other way you’d be going,” he says.

The road to recovery has been long and difficult with health complications and the passing of loved ones adding further difficulties for the bar owner but alongside close friends Seamus Ryan, John Morrissey and the wider community, Mr Kelly has gotten his personal and business life back on track and looks forward to a prosperous future in the town.