ROB Kearney, Jamie Heaslip and Sean O’Brien threw a lavish bash to mark the 10th anniversary of them acquiring a renowned Dublin pub.
The Bridge has been a hallmark of Ballsbridge since 1859 – although it was known as Bellamy’s prior to the rugby legends buying it.
It was a fancy affair with no shortage of familiar faces from the rugby world as former Leinster captain Rhys Ruddock was also in attendance.
Dave Kearney and his wife Becca Mehigan flew home from Chicago to partake in the night of celebrations.
Becca has since shared in an Instagram Q&A that they are moving home permanently as they look forward to starting a family together.
They’d departed Dublin in January as he joined a club in The Windy City after spending 14 years across the road from The Bridge lining out for The Blues at the RDS.
The Bridge is just one of three high-profile Dublin boozers that the rugby scrum have purchased since collectively hanging up their boots.
There’s also Lemon & Duke off Grafton Street and only last month they added McSorley’s of Ranelagh to their portfolio too.
Filling out the line-up is Noel Anderson, former chair of the Licensed Vintners Association.
It is believed they shelled out in the region of €5.5 million to add McSorley’s to their stable.
Anderson spoke on behalf of the group, entitled Grand Slam Bars, upon the completion of their latest acquisition.
He assured regular customers of the D6 boozer that they wouldn’t be tinkering around with what is already one of the capital’s most popular drinking establishments.
He said: “We understand what McSorley’s means to its customers, and the special place it occupies in Ranelagh and beyond.
“We fully intend to maintain that, to keep the special heart and soul of McSorley’s intact.
“So we can assure customers there won’t be any major changes taking place.
“You don’t need to fix what certainly isn’t broken.”
He then thanked the previous owners the Murray family and ‘all the team who made McSorley’s such a special pub.’
There are 25 members of staff in McSorley’s, so their group are now employing over 200 across all of their Dublin pubs.
On Instagram the elder Kearney brother (and pint man) quipped: “We go at it again…….!!
“Proud to take on this iconic Dublin pub with a great group of partners.”
