A History By William Henry

In 1872, Cormac Rabbitt established a bar and grocery business at Forster Street. There is a very interesting story behind the foundation of this now famous bar that begins with the Californian Gold Rush of 1849. On 24 January 1848, James Marshell found gold at Sutter’s Mill on the American River, California. News of this discovery spread quickly and by 1849 thousands of people from all over the world were making their way to California to try and establish gold mining claims. This event became the greatest gold rush in American history. These men became known as the “Forty-Niners” and many of them arrived in California by following the Oregon Trail. Cormac Rabbitt was one of the men caught up in the gold fever and earned a reputation as a true Forty-Niner. It took a mixture of courage, strength and intelligence to survive the hazards of crossing the unknown territories of the American west during those early years. There was of course the added danger of an ocean crossing before starting out for California. Cormac was successful in his bid to find gold. After cashing in his gold, he returned home just over ten years later. In 1860, he set up a flour milling business in Quay Street. However, the building was destroyed by fire sometime later. He didn’t have the premises insurance and the remainder of his Californian gold rush money was used to establish the bar in Forster Street.

Cormac married Margaret Hanly from Carnmore, County Galway and they had 11 children, 7 boys and 4 girls. In 1898 Cormac (December) and Margaret (October) died. Their properties were transferred to Peter (20) and Charles (19). Peter Rabbitt with a number of local music players was a founding member of the Forster Street Fife and Drum (later St. Patrick’s Band) in 1896 and there is a continued family involvement to the present day.

Peter became the proprietor of the business which was then known as ‘Rabbitt’s Provision Shop, Licensed Premises and Lodgings’. He was also an Independent Urban Councillor having been elected in 1911. Another historic episode occurred at the pub following the 1916 Rebellion. His sister, Mary Rabbitt, married a man named Howley from Oranmore (and later married Willie Keane of Keanes Bar, Oranmore) and their son, Joseph Howley was one of the young Volunteer officers involved in the 1916 Rebellion. Following the surrender and disbandment of rebel forces, Joseph Howley sought refuge in Rabbitt’s pub as the British were busy hunting down the volunteers. However, his location was discovered and he was arrested. On 6 May 1916, his capture was reported in The Galway Express, under the heading, ‘Sensational Arrest in Forster Street’. The report stated that “A Leader Arrested: at midday to-day the police visited a house in Forster Street and took into custody a young man named Howley, who is stated to be leader of the Oranmore Volunteers. He was brought to Eglinton Street”. A few years later, 1920, Joseph Howley was shot dead by the Black and Tans in Dublin.

In those early years the pub had an early morning license which allowed them to cater for the people attending Eyre Square market and the Fair in the Fair Green in Forster Street. A feature of the bar during those years was sawdust scattered on the floor to soak the messiness of oil

and mud from the farmers’ boots. Peter Rabbitt died in 1942 during World War II, and the business eventually passed on to his sons, Charles and eventually Murtagh (Murty) and he continued to run a successful pub. He bottled his own whiskey from John Jameson and Wedderburn’s Jamaica Rum and also bottled Guinness up to the 1970s. They are also believed to have been one of the first bars in Galway to bottle Smithwick beer. The range of goods sold by the grocery gradually decreased during the 1970s and by 1984 this section had for the most part disappeared. Murty was also a Tea Merchant packing and selling Rabbitt’s Tea until he retired from the business, passing it to his son, John. A new era began with John opening a restaurant and a separate Off Licence.

In Summary Rabbitt’s passed down through four generations of the family until it was finally sold as Murty Rabbitt’s. The bar was taken over by Val and Ciaran Hanley in October 2007. It has been run by Ciaran and his wife Adrianne over the past number of years and is still a thriving business. They have developed this very historic bar into an extremely popular venue for all occasions. It is also reassuring to know that Ciaran and Adrianne have a great appreciation of the bar and its history. There is certainly a warm and friendly atmosphere to greet anyone crossing the threshold.