J. O’Connell’s pub, best known in recent years for its appearance in the Guinness Christmas advertisement, stands on the Hill of Skryne in County Meath, with sweeping views across the Boyne Valley and towards the Hill of Tara. The pub has been in the O’Connell family for six generations and is currently run by Rachael O’Connell.
Among older locals, the pub was long referred to as “Yankee’s,” a nickname that dates back to Rachael’s grandfather, James O’Connell. Born in New York to Irish emigrants, James later returned to Ireland with his family and took over the pub. Known locally as “Yankee O’Connell,” he was a well-known figure in the area and had served as a commander in the IRA.
After James’s death in 1984, the pub passed into the care of his wife Mary, and it was during her years behind the counter that many began calling it “Mrs O’s.” Mary was a lifelong teetotaller until her death in 2012 and was widely remembered for her sharp humour. One of her oft-repeated lines was: “My husband said I was bad enough without the drink.”
What makes J. O’Connell’s truly distinctive is how little it has changed. For well over a century, the pub has resisted modern trends. There is no music, no television and no Wi-Fi password to ask for. Instead, visitors find conversation, a fire lit in the hearth, carefully poured pints and a welcome that feels genuine rather than curated.
