AFTER surviving a Civil War, financial recessions, the introduction of the dreaded breathalyser, and a global pandemic, The Linnet Inn in Boho is still going strong after 100 years in business.
Since the late Brian McKenzie bought the Boho pub in 1968, rural pubs have, one by one, slowly vanished. The Linnet Inn, however, has defied the odds and stood the test of time.
“I know it’s a cliche, but it’s not just a pub anymore. It’s a community centre for the people [of Boho],” said Dessie McKenzie, who took over the ownership of The Linnet Inn in 2011.
“People come here to find out information. Farmers can discuss prices [of livestock] if they can’t get to the mart and I can check out a vehicle for a customer or book an MOT to save them going into town.
“It’s not just about serving them a drink. It’s about talking to them and trying to help them out whenever we can.”
Located in the townland of Tullyholvin Lower, The Linnet Inn was built and established by the Britton family in the early 1900s. It was later sold to the Parker family in the 1920s, who ran it for two generations.
After earning a reputation as a successful construction worker, Brian McKenzie and his wife Annie bought The Linnet Inn in 1968. It still remains in the family today, 66 years on.
The 1970s was a changing time for publicans across the North and the couple quickly realised that they had to develop their premises to attract the local residents to the bar.
“Initially it was just the thatched building with a few outhouses around the back. There was a shop and a meal store as well,” recalled Mr McKenzie.
“To keep up with the competition with other bars, you had to have a dance floor and we didn’t have one at that time so my father added on the lounge at the back of the bar.”
In rural Boho, music and, in particular traditional song and dance, was hugely popular. Annie McKenzie was making strides as a singer in the 1970s and The Linnet Inn became a regular place for live music.
“That was the golden era for pubs in Fermanagh,” said Mr McKenzie.
“The big driver was the bands and dances and we always had some form of entertainment, whether it be a money game like ‘Take Your Pick’ or ‘Spin The Wheel’.
“The bigger, more successful venues that had big dance floors could attract the best bands. Even when you had them booked, they would cancel their bookings because they knew they could get more money.”
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