Greville Arms owner – ‘we will re-open’

From the darkest days of winter to the brightest days of summer, the open door of The Greville Arms Hotel has always spilled a warm inviting light out on the streets of Mullingar. But since March 16, that solid wooden door has been bolted shut.

The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic has opened a new phase in the long history of this busy hotel, a phase of stillness and silence.

“It was a major, major decision. We thought we would be closing down for a couple of weeks – maybe three weeks – but we did not think it would be stretching on this long,” admits hotel proprietor Christy Maye.

The lights left defiantly shimmering in the ground floor windows serve as a statement of promise that all this is just temporary, and that the day will come when the fires are stoked up, the ovens switched on and the air filled once more with the familiar and much-missed symphony of chat, laughter and the clinking sounds of cups and glasses.

Traditionally, there were two days in the year when the key was turned in the Greville door lock: Christmas Day and Good Friday. Once the law on Good Friday opening changed, that left just one day when there was no admittance to the public.

Christy is himself a bit shellshocked by the intensity of the effects that Covid-19 has had on every aspect of life – and all so quickly. But there is no doubt in his mind that shutting up shop till the storm passes was the right thing to do: “We were left with no alternative but to close, for the safety of our staff, and our customers and guests.”

The move has affected the livelihoods of the approximately 80 staff working at the Greville and its sister establishment, Danny Byrne’s. Just the security and some maintenance personnel are still working.

“Some of the staff and management have been with me for a long number of years. They are wonderful staff, wonderful people. Having to let them go... I don’t think I ever...,” his voice tapers off.

“But,” he continues, “it was too risky. You have to consider your customers and you have to consider your staff: their health is the most important thing.”

In the 40 years since Christy became proprietor of this landmark edifice, not even renovation or restoration works have caused a halt to business at what is one of Ireland’s oldest hostelries.

“The hotel is open since 1750. I don’t want to say it’s the oldest hotel in Ireland – I don’t like saying that in case it’s not the oldest – but it’s one of the oldest or one of the longest established: it’s open a quarter of a millennium. The records show that it was a hotel from then.

“I have no evidence that any stage it was closed for any reason.

“However this year we were closed for St Patrick’s Day. We closed on March 16. We had to close.

“We very conscious of the dangers and we had done our best to space people apart, especially in the cafe – we had people 10 feet apart.”

It was difficult and impractical – and at the same time, as customers themselves began to realise what the country was up against, business slowed.

“We stayed open as long as we could. We were forced to shut the bar. There are quite a number of people working in the bar end of the business. We thought we would keep the restaurant open but we found it impossible and bookings were being cancelled.

“We also had a number of weddings which unfortunately had to be postponed. One of them was for over 200 people.

“The writing was on the wall.

“We wondered could we do takeaways – but there are lots of places in town doing takeaways.

“We were considering everything, but everything really meant you were still bringing staff into close proximity with members of the public.

“In a way, because of that, we think the staff were largely relieved.”

Whatever perishable food was in the hotel they donated to charities; some foodstuffs were accepted back by the suppliers.

As is the case with most business owners and retailers in the country, Christy cannot guess when he will be opening up again. He wishes he did know.

“It’s not just us as a hotel – it’s the whole business community of Mullingar and all the retailers and tradespeople and professions. A lot of them are closed too, although fortunately the supermarkets and pharmacies are open.

“I have great sympathy for the people working in the hospitals and nursing homes and the doctors; the front line services and what they are facing. It’s very difficult.

“I also have sympathy for all the people who have been laid off and who are facing uncertainty.

“As to how the town will weather this, well that’s trying to forecast the future.

“The world is going to be different. We all have to learn from the experience.

“A lot will depend at the end of the day on when a vaccine or treatment comes out – which I hope will happen soon.

“It will be very difficult to know when things will get back to normal. But Mullingar is probably one of the better placed towns to recover: it’s hard to generalise but a lot of the business done in Mullingar is done from the local area. For example a lot of our custom comes from Westmeath and the surrounding counties. We have huge numbers of wonderful regular customers who are in with us every morning for coffee, and regulars for lunch and we have local organisations holding their meetings here.

“We buy from local suppliers; some of our vegetables, meat – various things, they come from the local area as far as possible. It’s all about one business supporting another.

“At the end of the day, the most important thing is that the people who are sick get well, and I have no doubt that Mullingar will work together to become a stronger town.”