THE vibrant life of the house we knew as Sheila Prendiville’s Bar & Grocery at No. 22 Main Street, Castleisland was stilled somewhat on Friday night, July 11-2014 when the bar was officially closed.
Its frequent inhabitants were scattered on the four winds and all between.
Now the grand, old building is set to get a new lease of life as a ‘Sale Agreed’ banner has been pasted over the ‘For Sale’ sign which has been posted there since August of last year. That, however, in auctioneer speak can still be a step away from pasting the all important ‘SOLD’ in bold across the deal.
Solid Limestone
Galwey& Co Auctioneers made the announcement earlier today and pasted the confirmation this evening just after 7pm.
Sheila’s is one of the houses built of solid limestone and it is certain that there’s history in those stones. In common with many of the buildings of that age, their builders borrowed the material from the crumbling walls of the castle as can be seen in many of the fine-cut stone houses in town.
When looking for an appropriate date for the fascia during a re-paint one fine summer’s evening in 1998, the late Mike Kenny suggested 1798 as that. It was agreed over a few glasses and is there since.
Much Earlier
It was also agreed that the date was on the conservative side of accuracy and that it should have been much earlier. Unlike anything else he ever did in his far too short life, he erred on the side of caution and plumped for the revolutionary year – and simply because it rang better.
Details of a possible, new owner have yet to be revealed but it can be divulged that the house would be redeveloped as a public house – at least.
It is a further bit of good news for the Castleisland area and one which will be welcomed by the diaspora from No. 22 – wherever they are. Where ever they are, they’ll be back to see how any new owners have treated the old house. A glass or two will be raised to friends here and gone and to the future – wherever it is. Check out: www.galwey.ie
