Built in 1873, North East side fronting on to Catherine Street North West. Sometime no. 22 Catherine Street, but later numbered at 170 Gresham Street.
Originally an off-licence but by 1876 granted an on licence.
Presumably named after the Irish barrister Dr. Kenealey (1819-1860), who became involved in many libel cases. His controversial methods saw him disbarred, although he also stood for and entered Parliament as an MP.
Leicester had a large Irish population and he wasn’t the only prominent Irishman to have a pub named after him.
Landlord Albert Collis convicted of selling ale to a drunken person, being fined £1 or 14 days imprisonment. Later that year the licence was refused by magistrates at the sessions.
The pub later appears as the Gresham Arms circa, 1880.
In September 1883, the licence was transferred from William Large to Mrs Eliza Blockley, and in1890, Harry Scott. A bakers also adjoined the beerhouse. 1898, Emma Bunning. 1920, Alfred Hickinbottom. The pub seemed to have closed c.1923. but continued as a shop. Incidentally the Maltings of LBM Brewery were located in Gresham Street.
