Iconic pub to change hands after 190 years
There are six interested parties in the acquisition of a landmark Tuam pub – one from America and one from England and four local.
The sale of The Rustic Vaults – located beside Tuam Mart – will mark the end of an era for the public house, which has been in the same family for four generations.
But auctioneer Paul O’Grady told The Connacht Tribune that he expects a decision in the very near future, with offers close to the €250,000 asking price.
There has been huge interest in the pub which is one of the best known in the town of Tuam. It is the venue for meetings of the West of Ireland Branch of the National Union of Journalists, Tuam Lions Club and various other organisations in the town.
Auctioneer Paul O’Grady said that he had around ten viewings of the premises and hoped that there would be a sale in the not too distant future. “There is a lot of interest in the pub”, he admitted.
The Saw Doctors’ Leo Moran, one of the founding members of the group, lives beside the pub and has played in it on countless occasions.
The pub is owned by Conal Murphy and his wife Ann but they are getting out of the business. Conal is the fourth generation of his family to own the Rustic Vaults, which has been part of the fabric of Tuam for more than 190 years.
Earliest known records of a pub called The Rustic Vaults on Vicar Street, Tuam date back to as early as 1823.
Conal’s family has been running the pub since 1884 when his great grandfather Micheal Walsh acquired the business.
His daughter Margaret married William Quinn and took over the business in 1923.
In 1925, The Rustic Vaults was refurbished with a terrazzo floor, Galway granite counter tops and Harry Clarke stained glass windows.
These surroundings haven't changed and The Rustic Vaults today is exactly as it was in 1925.
In 1958, the three daughters of Margaret and William took over the pub, Freda, Maeve and Fionnuala.
The three women are still remembered for their strict house rules: "No rude words, no singing and no raised arguments".
Conal took over the business in 1997 and their children Niall, Ailbhe and Eoghan have all helped out at various stages.