From Petrol Pumps to Pergola Parties: The Tankard Celebrates 50 Years on the Fenit Seafront
Half a century after a young Kerry family moved into the staff quarters of a bar and dancehall on the Fenit coast, The Tankard, Kilfenora marked its 50th anniversary this week with a landmark celebration – and the official launch of a bold new chapter.
When Jerry and Mary O’Sullivan, along with Jerry’s Brother Eugie and his wife Margaret, took over a small bar and dancehall on the Fenit seafront in 1976, they did not just buy a business, Jerry and Mary’s family moved in. They lived in the staff quarters at the back of the building in Kilfenora, Fenit. There was a petrol station in the middle of the carpark. Their four sons, grew up cycling around the forecourt, filling tanks, pulling pints and peeling carrots in the kitchen before they were tall enough to see over the counter. Mary was regularly woken at 6am by customers knocking on the window for petrol and was still behind the bar at 1am.
On Friday 19th June 2026, the O’Sullivan family welcomed over 400 guests to The Tankard for a night that was equal parts homecoming and relaunch – a complimentary BBQ on the Fenit seafront, live entertainment from Super Céilí and a community celebration that brought together five decades of loyal customers, staff, suppliers and friends. It was the biggest night in the venue’s 50-year history. And, as the family said, ‘just the beginning’.
A Hidden Gem on the Fenit Greenway — 50 Years, Reimagined
The Tankard of 2026 looks very different to the one Jerry and Mary O’Sullivan opened in 1976. What began as a dancehall and bar became a restaurant in 1982. It has not stood still since.
Today the venue is run by three of Jerry and Mary’s sons. Enda and Adrian O’Sullivan are co-owners. Their brother Ian, who has been in the kitchen since he was twelve years old, starting with peeling carrots and wrapping baked potatoes in tinfoil — is head chef. The offering has grown from toasted sandwiches and pints to a full casual dining and fine dining menu, a thriving bar, summer BBQs, outdoor pergola dining, bespoke weddings, wedding day-2 packages, pre-wedding celebrations, christenings, communions and private events – all set against sweeping views across Tralee Bay.
This year also marks the official launch of a refreshed brand identity for The Tankard, signalling the start of what the family describe as a new era for the venue; one that builds on 50 years of heritage while firmly facing forward.
“You drive through towns and cities across Ireland, and you see somewhere you used to love is closed,” says co-owner Enda O’Sullivan. “It means a lot to us that people can drive past The Tankard and we’re still here – full car park, great food, great team. We have been through recessions, through COVID, through generations changing. We’re still here. And we’re only getting started.”
The Only Hospitality Venue Directly on the Fenit Greenway, before you hit Fenit
The Tankard’s location has always been its secret weapon. Perched on the Fenit coastline at Kilfenora, just five miles from Tralee, it is the only hospitality venue situated directly on the Fenit Greenway, before you arrive to Fenit Village.
It is a selling point that is only now being fully realised. A Local Link bus service now runs seven times a day between Tralee and the venue. Cycling the Greenway from Tralee, stopping for food, drinks or fine dining at The Tankard and returning by bus in the evening has become one of North Kerry’s most talked-about day-out options, and one of the venue’s fastest-growing customer segments.
“There is a big upswing of people getting the bus from Tralee, having cocktails and a meal and hopping back on the bus at the end of the evening,” says Enda. “Years ago it was all taxis. Now the access is completely different. People cycle past, they notice us, they can see how close we are to the sea, and they come in and explore. Once they’re through the door, they are hooked. The phones come out straight away when they see the view.”
The Tankard is also located six kilometres from Tralee Golf Course, Arnold Palmer’s first European course design and one of the finest in Ireland. The venue already welcomes international golf tour groups and, with the Palmer Cup taking place at the course this July, is well placed to welcome a new wave of visitors to the region this summer.
Food from the Land and the Sea
The food philosophy at The Tankard has not changed in half a century. Jerry O’Sullivan’s mantra; “use the best ingredients you can get” is the same one Ian, Adrian and Enda work to today.
Fish arrives six days a week during the summer season. Beef is sourced locally, hung for 28 days and air-dried for a further two weeks. Fish and chips are made entirely from scratch, the fish is skinned and battered in-house, never frozen. The seafood chowder is made to order. And for those in the know, the Tralee Bay Flat Oyster, sourced from one of the largest flat oyster beds in Europe, right on the venue’s doorstep, draws diners from well beyond Kerry when the season opens each November.
“It is very simple,” says head chef Ian O’Sullivan. “Buy the best food you can buy — fresh, local, homemade, from the land and from the sea. Our father’s philosophy has never left this kitchen. If the product is right and the effort goes in, it speaks for itself. It has been working for 50 years.”
Adrian O’Sullivan, who trained in hotel management before returning to the kitchen to complete a culinary arts degree after their father passed, shares the same conviction. “The outdoor dining, the BBQs, the Day 2 weddings — the growth in that side of the business has been extraordinary. And when you think about what we have — the views, the fresh food, the cocktails, the setting — why wouldn’t it? People walk through the door and their faces light up. That never gets old.”
A Story Written in Generations
The outdoor space that is now central to The Tankard’s events business has its own quietly remarkable origin story. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the O’Sullivans opened a shed with a lean-to on their grounds so their community could meet their neighbours three or four hours a day on the Fenit seafront, when that was all that was permitted. The community’s response was so overwhelming it led directly to the construction of the full pergola and outdoor dining area that now hosts BBQs, wedding celebrations and summer parties every week with unbeatable views of the lawns, sea and mountains.
The community connection runs deeper still. Every Tuesday night, a card game runs in the bar. It costs €4 or €5 to play. You have one drink, you meet your neighbours, and you chat. It has been running, without interruption, for 50 years.
“One of my father’s oldest friends has been coming here for 60 years,” says Adrian O’Sullivan. “His son came. And now his son’s daughter had her Wedding Day 2 and her baby’s christening here too. That is what The Tankard is. For a lot of people, it is genuinely part of their family story. We know our customers’ names, their children’s names, their grandchildren’s names. That is not something you can manufacture.”
The staff tell a similar story. Many have been with the business for 25 years or more. Some came in on Transition Year work experience as teenagers and never really left. One long-standing team member, who was there during Jerry and Mary’s era, met her future husband in the bar. She still comes in, now with her husband and children.
Behind the venue’s thriving events operation is Julianne Reen O’Sullivan, Enda’s wife, whose vision and energy the brothers freely credit as the driving force behind The Tankard’s growth as an events destination.
And on the horizon, the next generation is already arriving. Gavin, Adrian’s son, works his summers at The Tankard. Enda’s children will follow.
“Four of us sons grew up here,” says Enda O’Sullivan. “Now there are four more boys coming up behind us. We hope some of them carry the mantle, the community spirit, the quality, everything our parents built. We’d love to still be here in another 50 years. Still the same standards. Still a full car park, bar and restaurant.”
Book Your Summer at The Tankard
The Tankard, Kilfenora, Fenit is now taking bookings for summer BBQs, Wedding Day 2 celebrations, fine dining, casual dining, christenings, communions, golf society dinners and private events throughout summer 2026 and beyond.
The venue is open for bar, casual dining and fine dining seven days a week, with direct access to the Fenit Greenway and views across Tralee Bay.
Reservations and enquiries: thetankard.ie, 066 713 6164, events@thetankard.ie
