Death of Greville boss Christy Maye

The death has occurred of the noted hotelier, businessman, entrepreneur and personality, Christy Maye, long-time owner of the Greville Arms Hotel and the Bridge House in Tullamore.

Mr Maye, who died this morning, (Saturday) was 83, and had suffered a health challenge in the last months of his life.

He is survived by his wife, Ellen, and their three children, Jason, Gillian and Leanne.

A remarkable man, Mr Maye was a trained psychiatric nurse by profession; he introduced the concept of the discotheque to this country; he farmed extensively.

However, he was noted too for his support of charity, voluntary and community efforts and organisations, particularly Tullamore Agricultural Show, of which he was PRO for many years, starting from the early days.

Mr Maye was one of a family of eight, and grew at Forgney, just a couple of miles from Ballymahon.

After school, he began training as a psychiatric nurse, and in 1965, while working for ten shillings a week at St Loman's Hospital, he launched Ireland's first disco, starting off in the parochial hall behind the Greville Arms Hotel before he even had a car. It was the first time anyone had thought of having people dance to records, and his famed “Disc-a-go-go”, mobile discotheque transformed the Irish social scene.

Mr Maye got to know Paddy Fagan, then-proprietor of The Lake County Hotel, and in the early 1970s, the two purchased the Bridge House Hotel in Tullamore, and thus began the start of not just his business empire, but also of his impact on the development and growth of that town.

Not long after purchasing the Lake County, Mr Maye acquired the landmark Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar. Over time, through the judicious acquisition of neighbouring properties, he extended it greatly in size. In 2004, he acquired Danny Byrne’s pub.