A Night at Kealy’s

I recently had the chance to visit Ireland for the first time. My ancestors who left Ireland left long enough ago that there are few tangible connections. There was a long-gone Kealy storefront in Navan in the 1850s, digital copies of Freeman’s Journal articles from the same period with Kealy ancestors supporting the return of home rule, and some parish records of births from the early 1800s. But that’s it. So I was curious what the Kealy name is connected to in modern times that might be worth checking out. There was Kealy Coaches in Cork but I wasn’t in need of a van or bus and Kealy Construction but we weren’t looking to build. Most intriguing of all was Kealy’s of Cloghran which I found by searching Kealy on r/IrishTourism.

Kealy’s is located near the Dublin Airport and has been serving great food and drinks for decades. How had my father never found his way here on his numerous trips to Ireland? I’m sure he would have mentioned it if he had. But the internet enables finding things that you may have missed in the past despite their being right under your nose.

I reached out to see if there were any Kealys to connect with while I was there. I had a nice email exchange with Alison Kealy. She and her sister, Kathryn, run the pub these days having taken over for their father, Derry. Unfortunately, as we’d be coming by for a late-ish dinner we were going to miss catching up with either of them in person. Nonetheless, I was excited to visit and it did not disappoint. The people were friendly, the food was fresh and delicious, and the pints were perfectly poured. But what I enjoyed most was the name above the door 😃 and the history on the walls. The photos told the story of Joe Kealy, “the first Publican in Cork”, who had bought the pub by the Dublin Airport and moved there in 1964.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

And if you’re near Dublin airport in need of a great meal (including breakfast), be sure to stop in at Kealy’s.