Rackard’s of Killanne gets provisional thumbs up by judge as plans for reopening move a step closer

The court dealt with an application from Killanne Regeneration Limited, which trades under the name Rackard’s of Killanne.

The firm was represented in the witness box by local businessman Michael Mooney.

Also present was fellow company director Tom Foley.

However, the company’s third director, singer Anthony Kearns who has a home in Florida, did not attend.

Proceedings related to an application pending to revive the publican’s licence at the premises beside the main road junction in Killanne.

Barrister Constance Cassidy reckoned that the structure, including function room, had been derelict for the past 11 years.

It was once the home of John Kelly, the famous 1798 rebel, and was acquired by the Rackard family in 1904, counsel noted.

She said that her clients, who purchased the place a year ago, had been carrying out work to revive the property.

This included re-roofing, re-flooring and re-wiring as well as plumbing.

The judge was told by engineer Donal O’Keeffe that this work was well under way but not yet complete.

Michael Mooney was called to tell how he became interested in the project because he grew up in Killanne.

He remembered going into the pub after matches and said he knew the late Bobby Rackard well.

Since the doors closed more than a decade ago, there was nowhere to go after funerals and other events, he observed.

He offered to sing a verse of ‘Kelly, the Boy from Killanne’ but Judge McCourt did not feel this was necessary.

A lot of money had already been invested in the historic structure and the intention was to cater for mountain walkers as well as local customers.

The judge noted that no objections had been raised to the project and he wished the applicants well.

He granted a declaratory order suggesting that the premises will be fit in due course to merit a full seven day pub licence.

‘You have a lot of work to do,’ he remarked before adjourning further applications to October.