Brennan's Criterion Bar was an

Irish pub An Irish pub is an establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. Irish pubs are characterised by a unique culture centred around a casual and friendly atmosphere, hearty food and drink, Irish sports, and ...

Bundoran Bundoran () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. The town is located near the N15 road near Ballyshannon, and is the most southerly town in Donegal. The town is a tourist seaside resort, and tourism has been at the heart of the local economy s ...

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

History

The pub opened for business on

Saint Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick ( ga, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit=the Day of the Festival of Patrick), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patr ...

, 1900. Owners James and Catherine Ward bought a former guesthouse and converted it to a pub. In 1933 the Wards' daughter, Mary, married James Brennan, who remained behind the bar until 1981 when his two daughters, Nan and Patricia, took over the business. Nan worked while Patricia cooked (or so Nan told ''The Irish Times'' shortly before her death). Part of the pub's appeal in its latter years was its lack of television, internet, and other modern conveniences (including live music), as well as its ban on Profanity, swearing. Even professional musician and songwriter Phil Coulter, encouraged one evening to sing "The Town I Loved So Well", was not allowed to get away with breaking into song. In May 2015, ''TheJournal.ie'' named it on its list of "18 of the greatest Irish pubs that tourists (mostly) don't know about", stating: "Retreat here and find peace." In 2013, Brennan's was featured in an RTÉ documentary, ''The Irish Pub''. In March 2016, a reporter with ''The Boston Globe'' wrote a feature on the pub. In 2017, the sisters appeared together in a screen advertisement for Guinness. Nan's death in her early eighties in mid-August 2017 was reported in the national media. An elder sister, Cait, was reported to still be living in Dublin, while a younger brother, Seamus, had died in 2007. Following Nan's death, Patricia (in her late seventies at the time her sister died) closed the pub. It shut its doors for the final time on the night of Sunday, 30 September 2018.

References

{{Reflist 1900 establishments in Ireland 2018 disestablishments in Ireland Bundoran Buildings and structures in County Donegal Restaurants established in 1900 Restaurants disestablished in 2018 Pubs in the Republic of Ireland Former pubs Women in Ireland