And The Horse You Rode In On

The Horse & Hound TUES13AUG24

here was the usual gnashing of teeth and rattling of sabres when Mark and Mary Molloy took over the running of Wicklow’s oldest inn back in 2017.

For one, the old bar with its trusty, rusty pool table – where many a game and tooth was lost – was being jettisoned, promptly converted into a gin room that sadly had all the charm agus panache of an airport lounge.

But the M&M powerhouse have proven themselves well capable of steering this old ship through troubled waters – any bar still standing after the Covid lockdowns deserves a medal – with the largely untouched lounge providing the perfect time capsule refuge from the modern world.

That their Bellevue Restaurant has won the coveted Greystones’ Best Eatery three years in a row speaks volumes too, whilst getting planning approval for an extra 17 bedrooms is a smart move on the Molloys’ part too.

And now, Mark and Mary are handing in their badges, with Mary having already galloped off into the sunset whilst Mark is currently in the process of handing over the reins to Kevin Moes.

Which will be handy for lunch breaks, given that Kev’s missus, Claire, is the founder of the Bear Paw deli next door.

In reality, beyond the changing of the guards, it’ll be very much business as usual at The Horse, with Alan and Mark II still running the restaurant and the bar, and all the staff staying on.

Except for, we hear, that really slow one.

We’ll be talking to all involved later on but, for now, happy travels, Mark and Mary,  and happy travails, Kevin…

You can check out the history of The Horse & Hound here, and jump back through our archives over here.