Former publican aims to be a global events planner with 'What's Where'

A former Connemara publican is this week launching a website that she hopes will become a global events platform. And its first partnership is with the Galway Races, which is hosting a range of virtual events to link in with fans who are locked out of the event for just the second time in its 151-year history.

Aoife Uí Chéide – or Aoife Keady – has been researching and developing the mobile phone application and website What’s Where since 2017.

The idea came to her after her experience of running pubs and hosting events in them that people did not know were scheduled.

The native of Lettermore first leased An Chéibh in Rossaveal in 2011 at the age of 21 while studying Irish and Translation Studies in NUIG.

“As much as I loved translating Irish, which is my first language, I loved people more and wanted to do something to entertain the community. It was the only pub in the village and I ended up organising a huge Halloween fancy dress party that 450 people turned up to,” she recalls.

“I had another event that [country singer] Nathan Carter came to. I really did love that pub but moved to Tigh Kitt in Costelloe where I added a marquee and then an extension and then also leased Teach an Daingean in Béal in Daingean which had a huge function room where we hosted weddings and a range of entertainment.”

Aoife ran both businesses until September 2015 when she was forced to give them up on the advice of her GP because of suffering from “morning, noon and night sickness” while pregnant with her daughter.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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