Established In 1847

Welcome to Mother Hughes, Drogheda’s oldest family-run public house. Whilst the original house was built in the 1820s, there are records of commercial activity since 1847. Situated on what was once the main Dublin-Belfast road through Drogheda, it quickly established itself as an important stop between the 2 major Irish cities of the time.

The house was purchased in 1911 by Catherine Hughes from the then bankrupt Downey Brothers, the first of many moves which proved Catherine to be an astutely clever entrepreneurial lady. At a time when women were still fighting for the right to vote Catherine was already establishing herself as a formidable business woman and holds the notable distinction of being the first woman to own a motor car in Drogheda! It was in no small part due to her kind nature and philanthropic character that she was afforded the maternal nickname “Mother Hughes” by locals who became benefactors of her goodwill.

Mother Hughes Drogheda has operated in many different guises over its lifetime. Originally operated as a dairy, it also functioned as a bakery, a farm, and a grocery store before settling in to the pub trade in the 1920s, under which it still operates to this day.

The property is located at the crossroads of four streets, Bothar Brugha, Georges Street, North Road and Windmill Road, which takes its name from the windmill that once stood on the property, which served the bakery at that time. There were also small cottages on the site which where inhabited by people who worked the farm and dairy. During the Irish War of Independence, the premises was used by the Irish forces as a safe house when on the run from the much reviled Black and Tans.

In 2001, Thomas’ nephew, Rourke Carr, assumed the pub’s operation. Rourke, whose mother is Madeleine Hughes, oversaw a complete reconstruction of the pub, closing it for the first time in more than a century. It reopened 3 months later as a brand new pub experience by extending the bar into the original house. For the next 20 years, the pub has been continually changing and adapting to the needs and the expectations of the contemporary pub goer.