From Kerry to the UK: The brothers building a new generation of Irish pubs

Brothers Peter and Nicky O’Halloran are bringing the warmth, energy and community of the traditional Irish pub to a new generation of customers across the UK.

Originally from County Kerry, the pair grew up surrounded by hospitality. Their early exposure to the industry gave them an understanding of the details that turn a pub into something more meaningful, from familiar faces behind the bar to live music, generous service and an atmosphere that encourages people to stay long after their first drink.

That experience became the foundation for Nancy Spains, the Irish pub group they launched in Shoreditch in 2024. Rather than recreating a conventional themed bar, the brothers set out to build an Irish hospitality brand that felt rooted in tradition while remaining relevant to modern British cities.

Music, community and Irish identity sit at the heart of the concept. The venues combine regular live performances and traditional sessions with sport, food and a drinks offering led by Murphy’s stout. The result is a lively but accessible pub experience designed to appeal equally to Irish communities, local residents and younger customers discovering the culture for the first time.

The timing has proved particularly strong. Stout has enjoyed a renewed surge in popularity across the UK, driven in part by younger drinkers and the social media culture surrounding the perfect pour. Nancy Spains has benefited from that momentum while distinguishing itself from competitors through its focus on Murphy’s, a stout closely associated with Cork and the south of Ireland.

For the O’Halloran brothers, however, stout is only one part of the proposition. Their growth has been built around a wider appetite for venues that feel social, energetic and connected to their neighbourhoods. At a time when much of hospitality has become increasingly polished and standardised, Nancy Spains offers something deliberately more personal.

From Shoreditch to a UK-Wide Expansion

Following the success of Shoreditch, the group expanded with a second London pub near Monument before taking the brand beyond the capital with an opening in Manchester. Its next venue, located on Small Street in Bristol, is expected to accommodate up to 300 guests across a ground floor bar and vaulted basement when it opens in October.

The expansion will take Nancy Spains from a single London pub to a four-venue group in little more than two years. It also reflects the brothers’ confidence that the concept can travel without losing its character.

Grounded in Tradition, Scaled for Growth

Peter, the group’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, leads its overall strategy and development. His background in law and accountancy has helped provide the commercial structure required to scale the business, while his hospitality upbringing continues to shape the experience inside each venue.

Nicky works alongside him on the growth and operation of the group, with the brothers combining their commercial ambitions with a shared understanding of the culture they want Nancy Spains to represent. Their Kerry roots remain central to the business, influencing everything from the drinks and entertainment to the informal style of service.

Even the name carries a connection to Irish pub history. Nancy Spain is regarded as the first woman in Ireland to receive a publican’s licence in her own name, making her a fitting figure for a brand seeking to celebrate Irish hospitality while moving it forward.

As Nancy Spains enters its next stage, the challenge will be maintaining the sense of familiarity that helped establish its first venues. Rapid growth can easily dilute a hospitality concept, particularly when its appeal depends on atmosphere rather than a single product.

The O’Halloran brothers’ approach is to treat each new opening as a local pub rather than simply another branch. While the core identity remains consistent, every venue is intended to build its own community and respond to the city around it.

With three established locations and Bristol on the way, Nancy Spains is becoming one of the UK’s fastest-growing Irish hospitality brands. Its rise suggests that the current appetite for Irish pubs is about more than the renewed popularity of stout. Customers are also looking for places that provide character, connection and a genuine sense of occasion.

Peter and Nicky O’Halloran are betting that those qualities can support a national hospitality business without sacrificing the spirit that inspired it. So far, that bet appears to be paying off.