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Mór Than just a pubÒran Mór was founded as the Kelvinside Free Church, with the foundation stone laid on 4th September 1862. Throughout the 1900s, the church served as a Parish church of the Church of Scotland for the people of Kelvinbridge and Hillhead. By the late 1970s, the congregation had dwindled and the former Kelvinside Parish Church became redundant and derelict on its prominent site on the corner of Byres Road and Great Western Road.In 2002, prominent west ender and Publican Colin Beattie began what would become an enduring labour of love, to transform the building into a multi-purpose venue with a focus on the arts and events. The refurbishment of Òran Mór (Gaelic for “Big Song”) was painstaking and ambitious, bringing together some of the greatest minds in Scotland to bring Colin’s vision to life. Peter McGurn, the Project Architect, lived a stone’s throw from the project himself and Alasdair Gray, a globally renowned artist and writer, was brought on board to paint a mural on the ceiling which would go on to become Scotland’s largest piece of public art. The enduring relationship between Òran Mór and the art world can be discovered by scanning the various gallery prompts around the building, which will tell you more about the individual pieces and their history.Public support for the project was tremendous, and was aided by the wonderfully eclectic programme of events and shows the venue brought to the area, most notably A Play, A Pie & A Pint, which to this day endures as Scotland’s longest running daytime theatre initiative and regularly plays to sold-out crowds. The building was opened in June 2004, and consisted of a labyrinth of gig, wedding, event & dining spaces, all wrapped lovingly around what was, in essence, a very good pub.