WATCH: Archive TV footage shows Athlone pub raffled off in 1982

RTÉ Archives footage has shown a former Athlone publican making history when he became the first publican in Ireland to raffle a pub.

Des Earls and his family decided to raffle off Des Earls Bar located on O'Connell Street, Athlone in April 1982 after failing to sell the pub.

An impressive 400 tickets were sold for £250 each to people across the country and the draw for the pub was held in the Dean Crowe Hall.

Margie Earls revealed that local garage manager James Fox was the winner of the raffle and the new owner of Des Earls Bar.

The Earls family managed to raise £100,000 from the raffle and used some of the money to go on a holiday to Russia.