Forty years later and Paddy’s Country Pub is still thriving in Kilkenny

This year, Paddy’s Country Pub in Flagmount South near Gowran is celebrating 40 years in business.

Inside, a small but dedicated team has weathered multiple storms over the decades to keep its doors open.

The pub itself is hard to miss and has become a landmark on the Old Dublin Road between Kilkenny and Paulstown.

Its quaint ivy-clad facade has been tempting passers-by to pay a visit for generations.

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Leading the effort from the start has been proprietor and ex-horse trainer Paddy Brennan.

In the early 1980s, Paddy saw an opportunity and took a huge leap of faith when the pub went up for sale.

He didn’t have a formal publican background at the time but was able to quickly learn the trade under renowned local publican Shem Lawlor in Kilkenny.

“Shem was a great help and allowed me in behind the bar of his pub in Kilkenny for a few months,” he said.

“From there then, I took all that I had learned and got behind the bar in Paddy’s.”

The first few years running Paddy’s Country Pub was most definitely a learning process but Paddy Brennan quickly adapted to the profession.

After just a few short years under his management, in 1985, the pub was named ‘Black and White Pub of the Year’.

“That was a huge boost to us. It drove us on, got our name out there and brought more people through the door,” he said.

The pub quickly developed a reputation for its cozy atmosphere, friendly staff and wholesome food, which persists to this day.

It wasn’t all rosy though.

For example, back in the 80s, life was tough, the economy was in the gutter and many people were leaving the country to pursue better opportunities abroad.

“We had to be very astute with how we navigated through tough times economically,” Paddy said.

“Having a smaller team definitely helped us manage through that but the recession that hurt us the most was actually the one back around 2008.”

Around that time, the M9 motorway was being built behind the back of Paddy’s Pub, prompting fears that trade would bypass it and condemn it to closure.

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Other staple haunts along the Old Dublin Road including The Pike and The Fox and Goose have since closed their doors.

“We were very close to selling the pub ourselves but looking back I’m so glad we didn’t,” Paddy continues.

“We’re very fortunate because more and more people continue to find us and keep visiting.

“We’ve always been blessed to have a small but dedicated team working here and I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.

“For as long as I’m fit and healthy you’ll find me in behind the bar here.”