Legendary Tullamore pub now a Halal Butchers

Paul McRingo | Midlands Correspondent

In a hugely symbolic sign of a rapidly changing Ireland, a once popular and legendary pub in Tullamore in Co. Offaly has reopened as a halal butchers to cater for the town’s ever growing muslim population. Which is just great.

Gallagher’s Manor – or simply The Manor as locals called it – was a favourite haunt for Offaly revellers for decades and its closure left a huge gap in Tullamore’s social scene.

However, the premises recently reopened and now sells the meat of tortured animals that are hung upside down and have their throats slit until they bleed out and die slowly. Wonderful.

The Manor was defined by the characters who drank in it. There were regulars whose stories, quirks and larger-than-life personalities gave the place its edge, the kind of people who turned an ordinary night into something memorable.

With its closure, Tullamore didn’t just lose a pub, it’s lost a stage where those local legends lived out their routines and became part of the town’s folklore.

Anyway, it’s gone now and please remember – if you’d rather see a pub there than a halal butchers, you’re racist. And far-right. And a Nazi. And …. racist. Diversity is our strength.

And while we’re at it don’t forget that waving an Irish flag has been added to the official government list of racisms. Only Palestinian flags can be displayed from now on. Glory to Allah.