Popular Midlands pub to feature in upcoming RTÉ documentary

Don's Bar in Moate will come to national – and quite probably international prominence – when it features on RTÉ's upcoming documentary on Irish rural pubs, by Hollywood stars Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing in Dallas) and his partner Linda Purl (Happy Days).

The recognisable US couple visited Don's in June this year as they travelled around Ireland to film 'Duffy's Pub', to get a sense of how Ireland's pubs and places are changing in the modern age.

The programme will air on RTÉ One on Sunday, December 28 at 6.30pm.

When they visited Don's Bar, they also met with local star Tom Allen, aka TR Dallas, whose son Don owns the bar, and Tom will also feature in the documentary singing his hit song 'Who Shot JR?'

Patrick Duffy is famous the world over from his role as Bobby Ewing from Dallas, while his partner Linda Purl has played prominent roles in the legendary Happy Days (as Fonzie's girlfriend), as well as Matlock and The Office.

A third generation Irishman, Patrick grew up in his parents’ bar in Montana and currently owns his own bar in Hollywood. Always fascinated by the communities which develop around their local pub, Patrick decided to return to Ireland to see for himself how Irish pubs have evolved and changed. He first came to Ireland 40 years ago to scout locations for a movie and has now returned to document the changes in Ireland by exploring how pub culture has evolved.

At the age of 76, Patrick is in a reflective mood. He recently traced his family history back to Kilmovee in Mayo where his grandfather, also Patrick Duffy, left Ireland to start a new life in Montana. There, Patrick’s parents ran the Owl Bar, where Patrick grew up. His earliest memories involve doing homework at the bar where regular customers became like an extended family. Now, he runs a bar in Hollywood with his son where he has tried to recreate a sense of community.

Community, bars and the changing nature of these sacred watering holes are what has led Patrick to his latest project. Throughout 'Duffy’s Pub', Patrick visits many locations in Dublin, Galway, Donegal and Mayo.

His trip also brings him to the Hi-B in Cork, Jim O The Mills in Tipperary, The Flowing Tide in Dublin and many more. Along the way he and Linda meet TR Dallas, in Moate, to reminisce about JR, and drop in on The Happy Pear, meet poet Thomas McCarthy and historian Donal Fallon, and Patrick returns to Inis Mór where he scouted movie locations 40 years ago.

His journey ends in his ancestral home of Kilmovee where he meets with extended family. Over a pint in the family pub, Patrick remembers his grandfather and visits the graves of his Irish family where he scatters some of his father’s ashes in a fitting and emotional finale to his trip.