A famous pub landlady has passed away at the age of 102.
One of the great ladies of Cork’s hospitality trade, Maura Hallinan of the KLM bar in the city, has sadly died after a long life that saw her reach her centenary two years ago.
Mrs Hallinan passed away peacefully at the family home attached to her beloved bar on the Lower Glanmire earlier this week, Cork Beo reports.
The KLM first opened its doors under the stewardship of Maura and her late husband Denis (known to all as Ferdie) in 1968. It was named for the initials in the first names of three of their four daughters - and not, as some in Cork thought, for the Dutch airline.
On her 100th birthday two years ago, Ireland’s oldest landlady said it was hard work and putting the customers first that helped her live to the ripe old age of 100.
Born in Ballincollig in 1919, she celebrated her 100th birthday in style, spending her centenarian bounty from the President of Ireland at Hayfield Manor hotel with her family.
Maura had only recently stopped pulling pints after her health began to tell against long hours spent behind the bar.
She told the Neil Prendeville show around the time of her 100th birthday: “I was pulling pints in Nana’s (a bar on Douglas Street which is ran by Maura’s grandson) but more recently I had to retire as I am finding it hard to get around with my poor legs.”
The couple worked hard and eventually began to reap the rewards but sadly her husband died in 1977 leaving Maura and her family managing the business.
She said: “It is a tough life, we worked very hard but we got there in the end.”
The pub was called after three of Maura’s daughters, Kathleen, Lydia and Mary and it is Mary who has kept the bar going (despite the lockdown) after her mother’s retirement.
It remains one of the great little pubs of Cork and many in the area will be looking forward to it re-opening again.
