However the premises was saved by circumstances. Lord Carysfort, piqued by the election of town commissioners who were not amenable to his control, decided Arklow did not need a "commodious' town hall after all. The next tenant, Alice Kavanagh was not without interest but she put paid to a possible claim of 350 years  unbroken tradition of retailing beers and spirits on this site. Alice operated as "The Carysfort Arms Temperance Hotel" from 1888 to 1896. She followed a trend at the time in Arklow when a localised evangelical anti-drink crusade influenced her decision to go the whole hog and run a "dry house". The premises ceased to be Arklow's main hotel after1896, the penalty for prohibition perhaps, and until 1916 operated as an ordinary public house. Arthur B. Brennan, a local entrepreneur acquired the business in that year. One of his innovative gestures, for the time, was opening the town's first garage in the old coach yard. In deference to the towns maritime tradition he had a large replica of a ships anchor displayed from the wall of the pub that became something of a local landmark. In 1923 Brennans had the whole premises remodelled as a single building. Number 56a was incorporated fully and the façade of the building was made uniform. As the "56a Bar" Brennans became one of the best known premises south of Dublin. One of the attractions was a genuine art deco cocktail bar.


With the remodelling of this fine old house, the innkeepers trade , spanning 4 centuries, has been merged with the demands of a modern sophisticated clientele creating an atmosphere worthy of Arklow's oldest and most historic public house and restaurant. Kitty's proudly stays true to former owner William Rudd's ethos  who in 1782 described this premises as

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