Help Us Save The Harbour Bar, Kinsale, Ireland!
Donation protected
Learn more about us in The Irish Times and The Echo!
Who we are
Not So Scilly is a grassroots group of locals (registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee, register no. 788048) in Kinsale, Ireland, working to save the irreplaceable Harbour Bar in Scilly. This pub really is like nowhere else, but it's at risk of being privately bought and shuttered. We want to buy it, preserve it, and keep it open for the people of Kinsale, owned in a trust by the people of Kinsale.
What Your Donation Does
The property is for sale on the open market for €1.5million. We need to raise as much as possible to enable us to make a realistic bid and complete any necessary works. We are SO grateful for any and all donations, so please give what you can! To honour public participation, we plan to include the names of our donors in the bar.
NB: If we don't reach our goal, or if someone else buys the pub while we're fundraising, donors will have the option to:
- Request a refund, or
- Leave their donation in a trust for the Not So Scilly group to invest in saving another Kinsale property with the same goal of transformation to a community hub
The Impact
The Harbour Bar isn’t just a pub to us. It’s the very last public venue along the waterfront in Scilly, one of the oldest parts of Kinsale. It's a time capsule you can step inside, a place where the sound of sails tinkling against the yacht masts in the harbour has remained the same for generations.
By contributing, you will help us to:
- Secure and preserve a beloved piece of Kinsale's history.
- Keep the pub as a community space, open to all.
- Support the artists, poets and musicians we aim to host here, through one-off events, and longer-term residencies
- Inspire other communities facing the loss of their heritage to FIGHT BACK!
Risks & Challenges
Look, we know this will be tough. Even if we manage to buy the pub, it's an old building and will need some renovations, and the committee will need legal, financial, and other expert help. But our community is full of passionate, talented people, and we’ve already started building a solid plan with professional advice!
Other Ways You Can Help
We totally understand that not everyone who cares about this project will be able to donate financially. We would still love your help in other ways!
- Can you share our campaign with friends, family, and anyone you think may be interested?
- Do you have a skill to share? Please email us at [email redacted] or [email redacted] if so. We particularly need those with legal, charity, accounting, social media, and fundraising expertise.
- Are you interested in joining Not So Scilly as a member? Please drop us an email at [email redacted] and we'd be delighted to have you!
We’re asking you to help us do something really special: create a community-led movement to protect local heritage and make a welcoming, inclusive space that honours the memory of its late owner, Tim Platt, and the artistic and cultural legacy of Kinsale.
We know it's a big ask, but we have faith that we can do it…
we just need your help!
So let’s raise a glass—and raise the funds!—to keep The Harbour Bar alive for generations to come!
Co-organizers (3)
Lynn Harding
Organizer
County Cork
Co-organizer
Joan sreenan
Co-organizer