I got an email last week from Gael Bradbury and Garry Hughes, the owners of the Olive Grove Restaurant in Athlone, saying that they were closing their beautiful restaurant on Custume Pier of the River Shannon in the center of town. Here is the first paragraph of Gael's letter to her customers:
I have tears on my eyes as I write this, but also a huge sense of relief that the decision has been made for us. Our bank is calling in their loan as we are unable to meet our commitments to them .
Were we foolish to have moved to our new premises 6 years ago ?...at the time it seemed like the most logical and sensible thing to do . Do we regret the decision?....NO. We had 6 years in the most amazing location, that at times frustrated the hell out of us (a water leak that would mysteriously start streaming down form the ceiling for hours ......in winter , the wind howling through the windows ) But the play of light on the water and the stunning sunsets behind the church, everyday I appreciated them and was thankful that I worked in such a lovely place.We were 120 % sure it would work, but who knew what was around the corner?,...fundamentally we just paid too much.
This is such a loss for the town. The Olive Grove was my go-to place when I wanted a good meal in a stunning location. Looking out the arched windows diners had a fantastic view of the castle, the church, and the bridge. There was no time of day that wasn't beautiful, although late evening with the lights reflecting on the water was pretty magical. Liz Weir and I went their twice while she was here the week before. The picture at the top is from the dinner we had with our friends from the Atlantic Corridor in 2011 after the Kilbeggan Races.
Although there is talk about the beginnings of an Irish economic recovery, something like this shows how precarious it still is for business owners. They will be sorely missed.