Fagan’s Pub, Moynalvey: From Old Shed to Temporary Bar in Six Weeks

When fire tore through Fagan’s pub in Moynalvey, Co. Meath in the early hours before New Year’s 2025, the Reilly family lost the bar that generations of locals had gathered in. Rather than wait for the full rebuild, they asked PP Construction to turn a very old shed beside the pub into a temporary bar so they could get back to serving the community. Six weeks on site later, Fagan’s reopened on 11 March 2026, in time for Cheltenham week and St Patrick’s Day.

Before: a wet shed with no floor and no ceiling

The starting point was not promising. The shed was old stone, wet and dirty, with an earth floor, no ceiling and a roof that had to be reframed before anything else could happen. What it did have was thick walls, a good footprint and a position right beside the original pub, which made it the obvious place for a temporary bar.

Six weeks on site

PP Construction ran the job as main contractor. Between our own team and local tradesmen, the work ran from the structural carpentry and roofing through insulation, a new floor, the electrical first fix and rewiring, tiling, and the full interior fit out. Our team built and fitted the bar counter, the shelving and the finishes.

The curved timber ceiling was the decision that turned a shed into a pub. It hides the roof structure, carries the insulation and gives the room the warmth a bar needs. Many locals gave their time, and the Reilly family were on site themselves throughout. That, as much as the programme, is why the job was finished in six weeks.

Open in time for Cheltenham and St Patrick’s Day

Outside, the shed was rendered and finished. Inside, the bar, the stools, the tiled floor and the pictures on the walls made it feel like Fagan’s again rather than a stopgap. The doors opened on 11 March 2026, which meant Moynalvey had its pub back for Cheltenham week and St Patrick’s Day.