‘The people made Rocky’s’

‘Think where man's glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was I had such friends.”

Inscribed within Rocky O’Sullivan’s pub, these lines from WB Yeats offer fitting reflection as the family this month celebrates the centenary of their popular Nenagh establishment.

This year is actually the 101st anniversary of the pub, a fact only discovered in 1986 during a renovation in which documents were found indicating establishment in 1925. But the 1926 date was already etched in glass over the door at that stage and the O’Sullivans decided not to change it.

That is just one chapter in a veritable book of stories that could be written about the history of Rockys. It begins with Jim’s grandfather, James (Jim) O’Sullivan, of Castletown, Portroe, who fought on the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War, was interned in the Curragh in 1923 and joined many of his comrades on hunger strike. In 1925 he married Nonie McDonnell of Carrigatoher, who was actively involved in Cumann na mBan.

They bought the property on Kickham St, which had a liquor licence since the 1800s – there are receipts from the nineteenth century on display in the pub today. The vendor of the premises, Mrs Gleeson, was a cousin of Jim’s, extending the family association with the pub on Kickham St even further back in time.

When Jim and Nonie acquired the premises, there were several small shops to the rear including a leather tackling shop and pawn shop. They established both a bar and grocery at their premises. Jim also worked as a rate collector with North Tipperary Co Council and went on to become a respected auctioneer, establishing one of the first businesses of its kind in Nenagh.

FAIR DAYS

O’Sullivans’ pub/grocery became a central meeting point for a great many people attending the old fair days in Nenagh. The Kickham St (then known as Peter St) premises was a very busy spot with meals served upstairs on market days. There was a sheep market on the first Monday of every month with sheep penned to the railings of the nearby courthouse. Cattle farmers would also arrive and tether their cattle right outside the pub door, and Bovril was served in the early morning to warm people attending with livestock from as early as 6am.

The O’Sullivans’ association with politics continued over the years and the pub also served as a meeting place for politicians of all walks.

Jim and Nonie had three children – Pauline, who married Willie Kennedy; Michael, who married Una Dagg, and Madeline, who sadly died in her first year. Michael helped out in the pub after school and eventually took over running it himself – along with his father’s rate collector role and auctioneering business – in the 1950s. It is worth noting that Nenagh was home to some 59 pubs at this time, and their proprietors had the support of the Nenagh Vintners Association, which Jim O’Sullivan played a key role in setting up. An avid sportsman, he was also involved in establishing Nenagh Éire Óg’s GAA grounds at MacDonagh Park.

‘ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES’

The O’Sullivans’ pub has been known as ‘Rocky’s’ since the mid 1940s. The story goes that Jim and some friends went to see the hit film ‘Angels With Dirty Faces’, which was screened across the road in Nenagh’s Rialto cinema at the time, and featured the character William ‘Rocky’ Sullivan, played by James Cagney. The nickname stuck thereafter and has been handed down the generations.

Michael was imbued with his father’s passion for sport and hurled with Éire Óg, winning medals at junior and minor level. He later trained the minor hurlers to win a North Championship, but his personal pride and joy was winning the old Nenagh Street League (with Pound/Sarsfield St).

Michael also refereed intercounty GAA matches and he was an accomplished tennis player – he won the Tipperary Cup in tennis, and his trophy is among the many items of intrigue on display in Rocky’s pub today.

He and Una (of Pallasbeg, Newtown), whom he married in 1958, ran the pub together for 30 years. Una was known for her multi-tasking prowess, balancing her work in the bar with taking phone calls regarding the auctioneering business, recording monies and rearing a family – she and Michael had two children – Jim, who would take on the pub next, and Noreen, who married in England.

WOMEN IN THE PUB

Una was part of a long line of women publicans renowned in Nenagh, among them Tutsie Maloney, Una Powell, Mrs Nolan, the Widow Ryan and the Cadell sisters. Her early years in Rocky’s, the 1960s, were a time when women began frequenting pubs. They used to sit in snugs in the lounge area with a hatch where they could order drinks after bingo.

Men mostly remained in the bar, which continued as a social setting during fair days, and as a venue for some great games of cards over the years, as well as postmortems over hurling matches.

In 1968 Michael and Una renovated the bar, a major undertaking in which they were joined by Michael’s uncle Dan O’Sullivan, who returned from working in Athy to help out. Dan served as secretary of the North Tipperary Agricultural Show for more than 30 years, famously bringing the Agha Khan Cup team to Nenagh in the mid ‘60s.

THIRD GENERATION

Michael passed away suddenly in 1986. His son Jim stepped up to take on the pub along with Noreen (Cleary of Luska, Coolbawn), whom Jim married that year. Noreen had been working as a staff midwife at the Rotunda hospital in Dublin. She returned home to work parttime at Nenagh hospital, a role she gave up to work fulltime in the pub. Noreen continued that great legacy of women publicans, going on to become the first ever lady President of the Vintners Federation of Ireland in 2014.

Also in 1986, the O’Sullivans began another renovation of their bar. They remember with great fondness the business neighbours they had around them at that time, most of them living over their respective premises. Among them were the Gerard and Josie Irvine, Whelans (sweet shop), Murnanes, Chumneys, Babs and Jimmy Riordan, O’Meara solicitors, Mrs Healy, Meehans, Maud Gavin, Frank Cunniffe, John Ryan of the coal yard, Peter Tobin and Mrs Nolan.

Jim and Noreen developed Rocky’s reputation as a ‘céad míle fáilte’ meeting place for all manner of events, from weddings, christenings and funerals at the nearby churches, to people attending the election counts that were held in the Scouts Hall. The pub was a meeting place for winning and losing sports teams of all kinds, and it hosted many a memorable music night – Sharon Shannon, Frankie Gavin, Dé Dannan, Chris and Peg Kennedy of Ormond St and the great tin whistle player Seán Ryan were among those who performed in the pub. Sinéad O’Connor also visited, as of course did Shane MacGowan.

Rocky’s was indeed also the scene of many a happy get-together at Christmas time, when families from near and far would gravitate to the pub to celebrate being home in Nenagh. Jim and Noreen were always delighted to see different generations of the same family returning to their pub.

‘FRIENDS, NOT CUSTOMERS’

And they always regarded those who frequented the pub as something more than patrons. “The people made Rocky’s,” Jim said last week.

“They were friends, not customers. We were privileged to have many friends crossing the threshold over the years in Rocky’s. We have huge gratitude for those times.”

They also had great staff working in the pub over the years. Their own daughters, Aoife and Dearbhla, both helped out on weekends while they were in college – representing a fourth generation of the family to pour pints in the pub. Jim and Noreen decided to retire in September 2023. They still maintain a watchful presence over the pub, run for two years for them by Martin and Helen Slattery, and now by Anthony Ryan.

The centenary is being celebrated this month with a series of weekend music sessions. All are welcome as always to this historic pub of the people in Nenagh.