A Rural View by Peadar O Bradaigh

A reprise is necessary

The remarkable response to last week's piece on the disappearing Irish rural pubs and the characters who frequented them confirms in an unmistakeable way the affection in which both institutions were held in rural Ireland down the years. The sense of loss is accentuated for the older generation when they reflect that the rural shops and pubs, open all day long - and well into the night sometimes - acted as watchtowers and look-out posts for the community at large. Not much happened in the countryside day or night without somebody going to or coming from a rural place of business noticing.

For Peter's full column, see this week's Anglo-Celt.