Leo's Tavern

Leo's Tavern (Irish: Tábhairne Leo) is a restaurant and pub in the Donegal Gaeltacht, known as the home of music artists Clannad, Enya and Moya Brennan.[1] The pub opened in 1968 and held Irish traditional music sessions nightly, becoming the musical starting block for the children of Leo Brennan, the pub's founder.[2]

Leo's Tavern
Tábhairne Leo
Leo's Tavern in 2005
Restaurant information
Established1968
Owner(s)Leo Brennan (founder)
Bartley Brennan (proprietor)
Food typeIrish traditional, European
CityMeenaleck, The Rosses
CountyDonegal
CountryIreland
Other informationPub, restaurant, music venue, tourist attraction, Hotspot (Wi-Fi)
Websitewww.leostavern.com

History

Past

At the end of Ireland's showband era, musician Leo Ó Braonáin settled with his wife Máire "Baba", opening Tábhairne Leo in 1968.[3] The pub became a gathering place for musicians and singers to take part in Irish traditional music sessions. While working shifts behind the bar, Leo's children Máire (Moya), Ciarán and Pól Ó Braonáin and Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin would accompany their father on stage to tell old Irish stories, or seanchas, to the locals.[4]

The siblings would also sing songs by Joni Mitchell, The Beach Boys and other bands of the era, sometimes translated to Irish Gaelic. While touring in later years, the siblings and their uncles, as Celtic/Folk band Clannad, their younger siblings Brídín, Eithne (Enya), Olive and Deirdre would perform.

Clannad performing in Leo's in 2005.

Since Clannad, Moya and Enya's success, the pub has welcomed guests such as Bono[5] (who recorded the music video for In a Lifetime close by with Clannad), The Edge, Paul Brady, Christy Moore, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Mary Black to perform. Tour buses of tourists from Japan, Britain and the United States began to visit the pub to hear Leo sing and tell stories.[6]

Expansion

Tábhairne Leo was renovated 2003 under proprietor Bartley Brennan. The pub now also has a restaurant and features Gold, Platinum and Diamond discs by Clannad, Moya and Enya as well as photographs and memorabilia since the artists' beginnings to the present day. The pub was reopened by Moya Brennan with her parents and siblings with music from the family, Cormac de Barra, Sinéad Madden and local musicians.

Present
The interior of Leo's Tavern, 2005.

The tavern was celebrated during the 2005 Errigal Arts Festival at which Leo and Baba were awarded the Freedom of Donegal by Donegal County Council on 14 July among Donegal members of both Seanad Éireann and Dáil Éireann. A series of concerts in the days before and after the civic reception, called Oidhreacht (Irish for Legacy), featured Leo and Baba's daughters Moya, Brídín, Enya, Deirdre and Olive performing during an invitation mass at St. Mary's Church in Derrybeg where Baba has choirmaster for over four decades. A jazz concert was held, featuring Pól Brennan, Paddy Cole and their bands. The majority of the events were televised for Irish language television channel TG4 and Ireland's state broadcaster, RTÉ.[7]

Leo's Tavern marked its 40th anniversary in 2008 and held a three-day celebration. A concert featuring Clannad, Brídín Brennan, Deirdre Brennan, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Manus Lunny was also held, with music from Leo himself.[8]

Leo Brennan died in June 2016, aged 90.[9]

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References
  1. Leo's Tavern. Official website
  2. Leo's Tavern at DiscoverIreland.ie
  3. Moya (Máire) Brennan interview at Rambling House
  4. Irish Examiner USA interview with Moya Brennan
  5. Brídín Brennan. MDM Artist Management
  6. Clannad ón Ardán from TG4
  7. Annual Report 2005 Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine – Donegal County Council
  8. News Archives Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine at MoyaBrennan.com
  9. "Leo Brennan, dad of Enya and Clannad, dies aged 90". RTÉ. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
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