Headford News and Community Spotlight - More Than Just an Irish Pub

Hey – Did you hear about the HEADFEST CHARITY DOG SHOW? You won’t want to miss it.

Saturday August 23 in the square, Headford

Judging starts at 1 pm sharp

Great fun for all the family, including the dog.

Are the kids turning your hair grey? Then you might want to come check out the Family Support Service. North Galway Support Services are hosting a Parent Drop-In. If you’re having challenges with your children, feel free to drop in and have a chat with one of the Child & Family Agency Staff. They’ll be at Solas to help every Thursday from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, starting 11 September.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT 

Meitheal, circa 1920

No One Is Alone. That is the title of one of the most popular songs from the Stephen Sondheim musical Into The Woods. Its popularity might have to do with the message it conveys, which is also one of the main themes of the whole musical: No one is alone. Each individual has a responsibility to the community. It’s the truth behind the lyrics of the song that make it so poignant:

Sometimes people leave you
halfway through the wood.
Others may deceive you.
You decide what's good.
You decide alone.
But . . . no one is alone.

Of course, Sondheim didn’t invent this concept. Community support is something that’s been around since the beginning of time. Here in Ireland, it’s referred to as Meitheal, the ancient tradition of coming together for a common purpose, like harvesting crops or erecting buildings. Working together to ensure that all succeed in achieving their goal. For the Cherokee Indians, the word Gadugi means the same thing. In Finish, it’s Talkoot; in the Andes it’s Mink’a. Different words that mean the same thing. No one is alone.

This is an idea Willie Campbell, proprietor of Campbell’s Tavern in Cloughanover since 1998, feels strongly about. ‘We’re all educated to think of ourselves as individuals,’ Willie says, ‘but we’re not really, not completely.’

As a publican, Willie understands well both the theory and practise of the traditional—or community—pub. Campbell’s Tavern has had a long dynasty of owners whose surnames began with ‘C’: Creaven, Clare, Cunningham, Cunniffe, Coyne. Interesting that, since ‘C’ also stands for Community. Willie took over the tavern from his mom and dad and says that his family were always ‘nomadic pub owners,’ so it’s in the blood.

‘This isn’t a ‘Super Pub’,’ Willie says. By that he means it’s not a commercial pub that specialises in the youth market or sports or some other formulaic stereotype. ‘I have an affinity for the family-owned traditional Irish pub. It covers all the bases and provides an access point for people to meet their neighbours.’

But, Willie says, ‘The advent of technology means you can entertain yourself at home with a screen and a drink. And government policy encourages people to drink at home.’

With hyper-restrictive blood/alcohol limits and pub closing times that are even stricter than the curfews imposed on most 6-year-olds, Ireland has indeed become a ‘drink at home’ country. Consequently, if publicans like Willie want to stay in business, they have to offer a lot more than just a pint of the black stuff.

And that’s exactly what Campbell’s Tavern does, with an eclectic mix of music, including jazz, trad, acoustic, blues, even choirs and theatre. It’s a showplace for local musicians and artists, as well as those from further afield, a place for celebrations, weddings, and will soon be hosting several Headfest events.

‘We’re lucky to be surrounded by excellent musicians in this area,’ Willie says, ‘and we try to have music that meets a standard and covers a lot of genres. I try to run this pub the way I’d like a pub to be if I was gonna visit it.’

And that includes gently polite reminders of closing. ‘In some pubs,’ Willie says, ‘it’s like being herded out of a cattle trailer.’ Understandably, Willie feels strongly about this. ‘The law is very linear and you can’t cross it or you’re done. There’s no discretion in any aspect of law. We’ve become less than human and that’s allowed corruption to happen in the law before.’

The discretion he talks about has a lot to do with public officials or judges allowing personal opinion to enter into the legal decision process. Personal opinion and intuition can frequently lead to decisions that are wiser than those based on textbook formula alone. Of course, it can also tip the scales of justice to an unfair imbalance. Discretion is a complex subject matter, especially when directed at the rights and obligations of individuals. But at the heart of matter is the need to care about more than just ourselves.

‘We [each of us] have a responsibility to the community,’ Willie says. ‘We have to resist separating ourselves.’

Because, after all . . .