The rural pub is a feature of a bygone era that is slowly disappearing from many village communities, but one Co Fermanagh man is keen to see that tradition continue for decades to come.
Dessie McKenzie is the owner of family-run pub The Linnet Inn in Boho, having taken over from his parents after they first purchased the premises at auction in 1968.
Dessie told MyFermanagh The Linnet is the last thatched pub in the county, and its history makes it a unique spot that was on a once popular coach route.
“Back in the day, it’s known that this would have been a coach house, a stopping point for people travelling from Enniskillen to Sligo,” Dessie said.
“Before I was here there was the existence of old stables up the back, and people would have stayed in the thatched building, as a latter day guest house.
“My father bought the pub in 1968 at an open air auction, so it was kind of a dramatic event.
“He was familiar to the pub trade, he had worked in bars in Co Monaghan.
“When he took over in 1968 he renamed it The Linnet Inn, the name is derived from the famous ballad by the poet McGuinness of Knockmore.
“It’s all to do with a story about a man who was away from home, but when he hears the song of the linnet, it immediately reminds him of his area. So I thought it was a very appropriate one to call the pub.
Dessie’s mother Annie was a well-known singer in the area and made numerous television appearances, and her and his father Brian were integral in keeping The Linnet going for decades.
Its unique interior includes a section of caves which were built into the back of the pub in homage to the nearby limestone caves in Co Fermanagh.
“Her and my father got married in 1957, so in 1968 when they had three children they came to run The Linnet Inn” Dessie added.
“At the time there would have been thriving local businesses, there wouldn’t have been many cars around, transport was hard.
“There was a number of shops in the area, and we had at the time a very busy shop as well.”
The pub trade in rural areas has proved a difficult challenge over the years, with changing habits and increasing numbers of people moving to larger towns and cities.
However, Dessie tries to keep with the times as best as possible, and added there has been a noticeable increase in customers enjoying nearby tourist hotspots.
He added: “When I started working here there was a very healthy day time trade, and that has largely evaporated.
“We still do open seven days a week and we would have people sporadically coming in.
“In the winter time it’s lower, but I noticed in the summertime especially in the good weather, since the pandemic the localised tourist trade and people holidaying at home has been very beneficial.
“We’ve obviously had to roll with the times. When Covid 19 came along we were closed initially for a couple of months, but when we got open again we needed more outdoor space.
“On our own land at the back here, we changed the area from basically a dumping ground into a beer garden.
“We have more outdoor space than we have ever had, we nearly have more outdoor space than indoor space.
“It’s unique in that it’s the last thatched pub in Fermanagh, we’re the only pub in town.”
Video: Harry Bateman
