02/12/2020
It is with a heavy heart and sadness that I have decided to close Hickeys Irish Pub Alvor. Due to the current economic climate and the uncertainty for the future, due to my lease expiring, due to health and personal reasons (nothing serious) but the hips aren’t as good as they were 😂🙈 and I ain’t getting any younger! I have enjoyed every minute of my time in the pub. I want to say a big thank you to you my customers over the years. Ye made the pub what it was, each and every one of ye. We had loads of great nights(some late nights LOL)To all that entertained us over the years. To all the great friends I have made over the years and so many people in turn have made great friendships with other customers. To all the musicians, singers, story tellers, poets, dancers, golfers etc. So many talented people, too many to mention personally but ye all know who ye are.
Everyone that gave me memorabilia, jerseys, photos, poems, songs, Hurley’s etc. On a sad note, we also got to meet some wonderful people over the years that have sadly passed away RIP condolences to all their families and friends.
Thanks to all the bar staff through the years. A big thank you to Dave who worked extremely hard, spent lots of long days and late nights to make the pub a success. To my daughter Jane, who had to look after family matters a lot of the time and for bringing my wonderful grandchildren Isabelle and Jackson into our lives. To my daughter Catherine who clocked up loads of air miles coming out to see us and also for her support and her help. To my partner Maria (who should have wings at this stage as she was forever in the sky) for her help and support. Also to all my great and hard working staff in Hickey Truck and Trailer in Limerick, without them I would never have been able to fulfil my dreams. To David Concaicao who I had known for a number of years prior to the pub and has been a great friend to me. Without him I would have struggled to have the pub renovated. He organised all the building crew every day for the 3 months it took to get the pub ready for opening, he was brilliant! David owns a great restaurant in Alvor “Central Cafe” at the taxi rank. He is also a wine producer and his label is Belmira Cruz and can be purchased online with free delivery to Ireland.
I had a few reasons for initially opening the pub. I went on holidays for years and like every other person we all congregated in the Irish Pub and a lot of them were Irish named but that was it so I wanted to change that. I also wanted to prove that you could get a good pint of Guinness abroad. Tears are coming to my eyes writing this it’s sad leaving behind and thinking of all the great times we had in the pub , great GAA games and mighty music sessions. I am also happy and thinking forward to holidaying in Alvor. I just hope that everyone got as much enjoyment in the pub as I did. It’s the end of one era and the start of another. I wish everyone, Irish, English, Scottish, Welsh and all the nationalities that came to visit us health happiness and all the best for 2021 and a big thank you again. Stay safe and see you all again soon ❤️🙏🏻🍻
