30 July 1997
By Tom Kelly
Mayo gaelic football manager John Maughan has been called to the bar! He is involved in a three-man consortium which has taken ownership of one of Westport's best known public houses, The Three Arches, in a deal reported to be in the region of £500,000.
The Castlebar-based Army captain has signed up with local business brothers, George and Hugh Golden, in the major commercial undertaking.
They purchased the premises from the O'Toole family, who held the licence since 1964. The sale was handled by Westport auctioneer, Mr. Michael Ring, T.D.
In announcing the takeover last night, five days before John Maughan's second Connaught final as boss of the Mayo senior football team, George Golden confirmed final agreement had been reached in securing the extensive premises at High Street, Westport.
The proprietor of a major shellfish exporting plant based at Carrowholly, Mr. Golden said he was delighted that John Maughan decided to come on board with himself and his brother, Hugh, a building contractor with interests in England.
He outlined Mr. Maughan was poised to have a key role in the business and would be involved in the running of the operation. Mr. Golden stated the premises was being closed down for major renovations, and it was planned to reopen in September.
He said a number of options were being examined, including the provision of a restaurant. A successful B&B outlet was run at The Three Arches by Henry and Peggy O'Toole for many years.
Added Mr. Golden: "It would be lovely to have the Sam Maguire Cup on display behind the bar at our September opening."
John Maughan confirmed his interest in the business but stressed: "All my thoughts at the moment are on winning the Connaught Final on Sunday."
Mr. Maughan's decision to join the bar trade follows a trend set by a number of other leading GGA personalities, including Paddy Cullen, Cork manager Larry Tompkins and Kerry supremo, Paudí O Shea.
