Another Wexford bar closes but the music lives on amid changes to town’s pub scene

In an emotional statement, Breda and Tony said it had become “impossible to trade through the current climate” as they confirmed the Thomas Moore would cease trading as of Sunday, June 16.

“It is with deep regret and a heavy heart that we have decided to close the doors of the Thomas Moore Tavern, it has been a difficult and emotional decision for our family, we will not be reopen after June 16, 2024,” they said. “Unfortunately like many more in the hospitality sector it has become impossible to trade through the current climate. We would like to thank all customers who came through our doors since opening in 2011, your custom has been very much appreciated.

“Particularly to our regulars we have had many good times which we will forever cherish, thank you all.”

In 2022 the addition of an outdoor dining area at the Thomas Moore Tavern was met with negativity in some quarters due to its proximity to an adjoining roundabout. One complainant described the structure as a “monstrous addition to the pub” which is “totally destroying the look of a most unusual and historic area.”

However, the structure had been granted a three-year temporary license by Wexford County Council’s planning department and, despite queries from local councillors, was found to have complied with all regulations. The temporary license for the outdoor dining area is due to expire this month.

Continuing their statement, Breda and Tony thanked all the staff who had worked at the Thomas Moore Tavern during their tenure and urged the people of Wexford to continue to support local businesses into the future. “A special thank you to our wonderful staff,” they said, “it has been a pleasure working with you all, we are confident that you will all add great value to your next employment. To the people of Wexford thank you for your support and we would encourage you to support your local business as much as possible.”

While this news comes as a blow to a town preparing to host one of the world’s biggest traditional music events in August, there was some solace for those who feared the loss of one of Wexford’s longest-running musical meet-ups. Since starting in 1989 the Sunday trad sessions at the Stores had become a staple part of life for a committed band of musicians, singers, dancers, and supporters.

Although the last ever session took place in the Stores last weekend, those who have cherished these sessions for 35 years were quickly invited to a new home, a place which publican Liam Sinnott hopes will host the sessions for years to come.

“I would have started out working in the Stores in October 1988 and the trad sessions started in 1989,” said Liam who now runs Sinnott’s Bar on Distillery Road. “So, when the news broke that the bar was closing and the sessions were potentially going to end, I made the call and asked if they were looking for a new home.

“We’re here seven years now and it was something I’d been looking to get going myself, so it seemed like the obvious choice; we have the space if people want to do a bit of dancing.”

Having welcomed the trad enthusiasts for their first ever session in Sinnott’s on Sunday, Liam said it “went really well, we had most of the regulars and they seemed to enjoy themselves”.

Anne-Marie O’Connor was one of those at Sinnott’s for the start of this new era and said the quick relocation had helped soften the blow of what was an emotional farewell to the Stores the previous week. That last session saw musicians and trad fans from across the country turn up to say goodbye to a venue which had rang to the tune of the very best trad music for decades.

“It was fantastic, we had people there who’ve been playing for years, people like Tom Byrne, who’s a world champion accordion player, John Roche on the fiddle of course,” Anne Marie said. “The session in the Stores was always the biggest in the county, and there was always people coming from all over, I know a man who came down on the train every week from Greystones to play the uileann pipes, an American man who played the harmonica every week, there was one English gentleman who came with his wife and he was in tears at the prospect of the session ending.”

But with a new home secured the music lives on.

“Since the pandemic we’ve noticed a lot of young people starting to join the sessions, and people whose parents used to come back in the day,” continued Anne Marie, “and with Willie Winters working in Sinnott’s now it feels like nothing has changed except for the venue.”

Meanwhile, with one eye on the Fleadh, local designer Kieran Daly has developed a new app which will allow locals and visitors alike to seek out the best music in the town and its surrounds from August 4-11. What’s On Wexford is a free mobile phone app loaded with info on entertainment available in Wexford and is available to download on the Google Play Store and Apple Store.

The weekly trad sessions take place in Sinnott’s Bar every Sunday from 12-3 p.m. with breakfast served from 10 a.m.