VALENCIA'S first-ever Irish pub, Finnegan's has pulled its last pint of Guinness after 20 years trading in the heart of the city and closed down for good.
Set up by Irish expat Peter Finnegan, the bar was practically a clone of the one his family runs in the Emerald Isle and which goes by the same name in the town of Dalkey, south of Dublin.
The décor was brought over from Ireland to Peter's premises in the Plaza de la Reina, close to the famous Micalet bell-tower next to the cathedral, and popular with locals in the city as well as tourists.
Since 1995, Finnegan's of Dublin was one of the few pubs in Valencia where customers could watch the Rugby Six Nations or the British Premier League matches - and fans from all over Spain and Europe used it as their 'watering hole' when Valencia FC or Levante UD played major matches.
German, British and Irish tourists were regularly seen there, and English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish expats felt at home there since the bar served up typical dishes from the British Isles, including authentic fish and chips.
But most of the clientèle was made up of locals born and bred in Valencia, or Spaniards on holiday in the town, given the strong cultural links between Spain and Ireland.
Finnegan's of Dublin closed after last orders on Friday, and the building is now waiting for its next occupant.
