New bar opens at site of former Palace Bar

The re-opening of the former Palace Bar on Athlone's west side has been welcomed as a boost to the area.
Now called Maisie's, the landmark premises opened for business last Friday evening with large crowds thronging to get a look at the town's newest social spot. 
The well-known hostelry on Castle Street has been shut for several years now, having been sold to the Galway-based developers the Comer brothers back in 2016.
Earlier this summer major work took place to refurbish the building in advance of the opening.
Alan Clancy of hospitality group NolaClan is one of the main movers behind the venture. The company operates a string of well-known nightspots in Dublin and elsewhere, including '9 Below' on Stephen's Green, 'The Fence' in Mullingar and 'House Limerick'.