Irish pub made famous by RTÉ crime drama Kin to shut after 25 years

Simon Kelly

“We hung on as long as we could.”

The pub made famous by its appearance in the hit RTÉ crime drama Kin has shut down after 25 years in business.

The Furry Bog near Rathfarnham in Dublin, closed its doors for the last time in December, confirmed owner Paul Farrell, who was hoping the RTÉ show would return for a third season.

However, with the future of the series up in the air since the production company backing it declared bankruptcy last year, all hopes were dashed.

Irish pub made famous by RTÉ crime drama Kin to shut after 25 years

Speaking to the Sunday World, Mr Farrell said that the uncertainty of the series was the final nail in the coffin for the struggling business, saying that they “weren’t keeping our head over water.”

He added: “We would have tried to hang on, but with water rates, staff, insurance, heating, electricity, everything — it was just too much.”

In the show, the pub was used as the base for gang leader Bren Mitchell and became a tourist attraction for fans of the series.

Bron Studios, the production company behind the hit Irish TV declared bankruptcy in 2023, putting the future of the crime drama in major doubt. Despite saying they were “still working” on finding a solution to the issue last year, RTÉ haven’t provided an update in months.

“We were expecting them to come back last year and no one approached us,” Mr Farrell said. “They filmed season two and it’s a crying shame, they were supposed to get back to me, but they didn’t.

“We hung on as long as we could, waiting for them, then we heard the company that owned Kin went bankrupt. That was the end of it, we couldn’t handle it anymore. That would have been the lifeblood that would have carried us maybe another year or more.”

The bar owner also said that the government needs to do more to support small Irish businesses.

“Before we even opened the door it was €525 a week for rates to the council,” he said.

“The problem that occurred was the interest rates for commercial went sky high. It’s too late for us now. They’ve left us out to dry.

“They need to give tax breaks to keep small businesses going. They need to give more help with rates and water charges.

“Whether it’s a pub or a newsagent, we’re all getting screwed. The price of electricity and water rates — it’s gone crazy.”

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