384-388 Gallowgate. Glasgow.
John McElroy’s Holyrood Vaults was situated at the corner of the Gallowgate and Claythorn Street. This public house can be traced back to the 1820s when landlord Archibald Phillips occupied the premises. The tenement building was built around 1771 and the pub was formerly residents flats. Archibald Phillips continued as proprietor of the business until around 1845 when he went into partnership with Hugh Fyffe and traded until the name of Phillips & Fyffe, this partnership only lasted a few years and the pub was sold on to Mr James Andrews.
The John McElroy took over the pub in the 1880s, other members of the family had well established pubs in Parliamentary Road, Gallowgate, Rutherglen Road, Market Street and the Old Burnt Barns, London Road.
John McElroy came from Ireland and set up as a spirit merchant in the east end of the city, the Gallowgate had many Irish publican’s just like the Gorbals at the time.
The McElroy family continued to run this pub until the end of the 1920s, Miss Emily McElroy was then licensee, the second female member of the family to hold the certificate, Bridget held the licence in 1902 as trustee of the late John McElroy. In 1928 Miss Emily McElroy was at the Central Police Court, her premises were about to be closed down, the police visited the premises at 9.20pm on a Saturday where they found John Murphy and Thomas Cunningham consuming excisable beer outwith permitted hours, as the pubs closed at 9pm. Both gentlemen were fined 15 shillings at the Central Police Court. Miss McElroy was not present at the time of the crime. The pub was closed shortly afterwards.
In 1933 the pub was closed for good, the licensee was then a Mrs McQuade, her husband Patrick managed the premises for her. The pub was closed by order of the Dean Of Guild, the property had been condemned as a result of the old tenement being in such a poor condition. It was demolished shortly afterwards.
To read more on the pubs on the Gallowgate read up & Doon the Gallowgate by John Gorevan. A copy can be bought for a few pounds at the Hielan Jessie on the Gallowgate or contact me at [email protected]
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