The Hideout in Kilcullen still retains an iconic status in the generational memory of people across Ireland and abroad, thanks to the publicity flair of the late James J Byrne Jr who established the name and the reputation from the early 1950s.

Building on the epic story of 19th century pugilist Dan Donnelly, who had his famous fight with English champion George Cooper on the nearby Curragh, and with the help of his acquisition of that famed fighter’s mummified right arm, the Hideout became a place of many firsts.

It was the first museum pub in Ireland, that gnarled right arm becoming the centrepiece of a truly eclectic collection of memorabilia from all parts of the world, many of the items brought in by customers from their own travels. It was a place to be talked about, and where the talk itself was special. It ranged from travel, through golf, horses, local gossip, the state of the nation, even politics was allowed in an environment where political opinions of all shades were accepted and accommodated.