Mick calls time on Dicey’s pub

IT truly was the end of an era for a local Carlow pub as Michael O’Reilly called closing time for the last time on Sunday night.

Michael, or Mick, is retiring as publican from his beloved pub Dicey Reilly’s, Centaur Street, Carlow, after a mammoth 38 years and also permanently closing the well-known local hostelry.  

Scores of punters turned up to wish him well in his retirement at a bash on Sunday night, or Father’s Day, aptly called The Last Song with Mick.

Mick initially rented the pub almost 40 years ago with his mother and ended up buying it. Over the next four decades, he kept the watering hole afloat, even when it was threatened with massive floods because of its location alongside the River Barrow.

“I’ve made a lot of friends in this pub. This is a great little pub, a savage pub with savage people and savage singers," said Mick when he announced his retirement to his customers.

An out-and-out Joe Dolan fan, Mick hosted generations of musicians and singers throughout the years, while also running karaoke nights. Dicey’s was also well-known for fundraisers and darts tournaments and every summer hosted a party night for Carlow Pride festival.

Mick, whose partner is Mary and is father to Kelley and Craig, thanked his many customers and friends at the party on Sunday night, while a collection of musicians who played there regularly paid tribute to him on the pub’s Facebook page.

“You’ve kept the music going over the years with karaoke, live music. I started playing there over 30 years ago and finished just a few weeks ago. It’s your own love of music that’s kept it going,” said one musician, while anther thanked Mick for giving her a start in her music career when she won a music competition at 18-years-old.

Countless musicians played in Dicey’s over the years, thousands of darts were thrown and thousands of euro was raised by the many fundraisers hosted by Mick over the years. The end of an era, indeed.