About

The property known as the Arch Bar, has been a watering hole since the 1700’s but it wasn’t until 1947 that Patrick Hayes, along with his wife Ciss, decided they wanted to raise their family in their native county Tipperary. So he sold his pub in inner city Dublin, now known as ‘The Gingerman’, and moved to Thurles with Ciss and their three children Maureen, Sean and Pat. He sold his pub in Dublin for £6,100 and bought the Arch for £5,100. A lot for 1947. He used the profit from the sale to fully refurbish the pub. They both ran the pub and Restaurant upstairs for many years to follow. Many changes were made along the way, to the layout of the pub, which is evident today from all the nooks and crannies in the pub. 

 

Then in 1970, Pat & Dee took over the running of the pub. They bought old sheds out the back, from May Russell, which became the storeroom for years, which are now the toilets of the pub. Toilets were moved, pool rooms were closed and even the bottling area was cleared out to make way for a new beer system. It was the first pub in Thurles to have a cold room . It was the seventies that the Arch stopped bottling their own ale, stout and whiskey.

 

In 1990, a major refurbishment was undertaken by Pat & Dee which saw the area of the pub expand a great deal, with again the moving of toilets, expanding the seating areas and the extension of the bar counter.

 Then in 2001 Pat Jnr and Gaile took over the reins and in 2006 another major redevelopment took place. First was the purchase of the building next door, which became Liberty Market Deli, and then the further extension of the pub. Since then there have been developments every couple of years including the development of the outdoor area called Harney’s Lane to the latest Whiskey cabinets. Keep an eye out for the Whiskey club which is starting very soon.