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The Grange bar is located in Grange about a mile outside Douglas and near Frankfield. It is situated just off the main road. There are plenty of car parking spaces at the front, side and back of the pub. There are two entrances into the grange. If you go in the entrance facing the road there is a little front bar to your right in the front porch. I have only actually looked in and written on the door is ‘members only’. As you walk in you will notice the bar is over to your right. If you walk to the left there is a big seating area. The seating in this pub is very comfortable and there are many nice areas to sit. Continue straight on and there’s more seating to the left and the bar goes straight down. Keep on walking and there are more seating areas to your left. There are a few big screen tv’s around the place and would be good for a match. It is all carpeted. I have been in there five times and i know a lot of people and it’s their local. The pints in fairness are really quite good. I didn’t have a bad one in any of my visits.
I don’t know why i get the impression but it seems that the Grange is very under decorated and bare. That’s just the impression i get from the place. It seems very poorly designed but thats just an opinion of course. On my last two visits the toilets have been in a bad state. The people i was there with commented on this fact too. I was in there earlier in the day and they weren’t too bad. They are located by the side doors. You have a choice of ‘the little boys room or ‘the powder room’. They have live music there on a Saturday night. We were there tonight and the Chinese restaurant next door brought in some food for people to eat. Four of us ended up going into Mau’s for our dinner and it was very tasty. There is only one pub in the vicinity ‘The Pinecroft’ and i’ve never been in there. Head in for a pint if your in the area.
Toilet rating: 2/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 6/10
Final comment: The Grange is a nice pub for a pint. Its main trade i’d say are it’s regulars who live in the area. It looks nice from the outside but as i said i think the inside is a bit disappointing.
Flannerys is a pub on the Glasheen road just down from St Finbarrs cemetary. It has undergone massive renovations recently and it is now a trendy type of super pub. There are two entrances into Flannerys. There is car parking around the side for a good lot of cars. Also you will notice at the car park enterance there’s a recently constructed smoking shelter with heaters to cuddle up to on these cold winter nights! As you walk in the entrance on the Glasheen road the bar is in front of you and goes around in a semi circle. It is a very modern looking pub with high ceilings and superb wood furnishings. There are various seating areas down stairs. As you walk through the bar you’ll notice two stairs at either end of the pub. If you go up one stairs there is a cozy balcony area that can fit about 10 people. The other stairs brings you up higher to an upstairs bar. There is lots of room up here to sit down as well. The pints in Flannerys are ok. They are always alright, never bad but never excellent either. It is expensive enough for drinks in there.
The toilets are very clean and well maintained. Any time i have ever been in Flannerys it hasn’t been very busy. It is relatively quiet during the week and can get busy at weekends but i have mainly been in there during the week. They do a decent lunch between 12 and 2pm and at the weekends they normally have some sort of live entertainment. I think it’s a great pub because it has the size of a super pub but it maintains its charm at the same time. I would definitely recommend heading to Flannerys for a few pints as its a nice suburban pub where you can have a drink in fantastic surroundings.
Toilet rating: 9/10
Pint rating 7/10
Overall rating: 8 and a half /10
Final comment: If in the Wilton or Glasheen area take a look at the refurbished Flannerys. It’s certainly worth one visit so you can make up your own mind about the place!
The grand circle pub at Emmet Place in Cork city center. It is just off Drawbridge street and in the vicinity of the Cork opera house. It’s a pub that i have passed lots of times down through the years but only paid it a visit a couple of weeks ago. I headed in there for just one drink with some friends as some were heading to see Tommy Tiernan in the opera house. When i walked in the place was packed. I noticed the bar off to the left and the pub itself seemed to have two sections. There is seating all around the bar. We sat over to the right and i noticed some of the local Cork memorabilia on the wall. Had to push my way to the bar through the crowd. Got the three Murphy’s and in fairness the quality was quite good even though the pub was so busy. There was a buzz about the place on this particular night. The place practically emptied out when the show was due to start.
The toilets are located upstairs in the pub. There is also another room upstairs. I don’t know whether it’s a kind of function room or just an upstairs bar. The toilets were manky. They were really filthy. There is not much else i can say about them. I know that most places can’t help what their customers do in the toilets but they have to take responsibility of having some degree of cleanliness. I was only in there for about maybe three quarters of an hour but the grand circle seemed like a decent enough pub.
Toilets rating: 3/10
Pints rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 6/10
Final comment: The grand circle pub enjoys a unique location very near to Patrick street and Paul street. It seemed apparent that a lot of people head in there for a pre show drink if heading to the opera house. I will definitely go back for another visit.
Update on the 6th of October 2005, Kennedys has changed its name to Sinners from what i saw when i passed it tonight. (Update March 2007) Sinners is long gone and the name for the past while is Ziggy Rocks)
Kennedys bar is located on the junction between Tuckey street and south main street in Cork city center. It is directly across from The Oval pub. Kennedys used to be called another name that i am unaware of. I have been in there several times and have had both good and bad experiences. The entrance is on South Main street and as you go in the bar is directly on your right. It is a very small pub and as you walk down to the back there are a few seats on the right and straight ahead. There is a good bit of standing room around the pub. They play their own music on cd from behind the bar and it is usually a good mixture. The last time i was in there the music was way too loud and me and my friends couldn’t hear each other and had to shout. I never had that complaint about the place before that visit. The pints of stout vary in quality in Kennedys. They are usually ok but i’ve had a few dodgy ones.
The toilets are down the back and out a door. The ladies are downstairs and gents are upstairs. The toilets are usually clean enough but like any city centre pubs they can have a tendency to get flooded! One thing i really like about the pub is their quotes on the wall as you walk up the stairs. Many a drunken night i have pondered some of those famous quotes and pondered and pondered……..! Kennedys is grand to have a pint at the start of the night in but i wouldn’t spend the whole night in there. I used to prefer going in there before and only pop in very rarely now. There’s lots of great drinking establishments to be discovered on South Main street, keep Kennedys till near the end!
Toilet rating: 6/10
Pint rating: 6/10
Overall rating: 6/10
Final comment: Kennedys enjoys a central location and a fairly busy trade. It’s gone downhill in my opinion but don’t take my word for it pop in if you’re in the area.
Ryans ceases to exist anymore. It has closed down and there is a very impressive looking restaurant after opening up! It is now called Ruby Jones. (Update March 2007) Ruby Jones has now closed down as well.
Ryans bar is located in Douglas village. It is formerly the Bohemian bar but changed its name to Ryans a year or two ago. I have been here a few times before and it is was one of Douglas’s late night venues but it recently had it’s late license revoked because of gardai concerns. As you walk in the door the bar is in front of you and it extends around to the back of the pub as well. You can either go to the left or the right when you walk in. There are various seating areas around to both sides. There is also a big area down the back of the pub as well. Overall it is a very big place. It is probably the quietest of the late night bars in Douglas. The last time we were there i was on a pub crawl (my first and only in Douglas) and we got great seats. I felt like I was sitting on a throne! A lot of people appear to come from surrounding towns to Douglas to have a night out, i saw a lot of people from Carrigaline.
The pints in Ryans are not too bad but with any establishment like this, the quality of pint depends on how busy the place is. Stout wouldn’t be the preferred drink here but of course that’s all i really drink so take no notice! The toilets are located between the front and back bars. They were in a bad state the night i was there. They are small in the relation to the size of the pub. It is a nicely decorated pub and very modern.
Toilet rating: 4/10
Pint rating: 6/10
Overall rating: 6/10
Final comment: Ryans is a grand pub for going to after having a few pints somewhere else. I wouldn’t personally fancy spending the whole night in there. They usually have a dj and they play all the modern hits.
For something different on a night out in the city this pub is certainly worth checking out. It is just down the hill from the famous Cork Landmark ‘Shandon cathedral’. I would hazard a guess that it is one of the smallest pubs in Cork if not the smallest. I discovered it in sad circumstances following the death of a relative of Jen’s. It is a truly fantastic place to enjoy a pint of great stout. As you walk in the door the bar is to the right and there is seating to the left and straight in front of you. This constitutes the entire bar! It is basically like sitting in your sitting room with a little bar at your disposal and some strange looking old fellas trying to figure out why you’ve taken their seat of 30 years! Pat Buckley’s is very much a locals pub and it doesn’t take a lot to pack the place. The landlady, we’ll refer to her as ‘Mrs Buckley’ was extremely friendly and even gave me a history of the pub. It’s been in their family for quite some time. I brought the lads up to visit this gem and mixed reactions were noted. Certainly no one could believe the size of the pub.
The pints of Murphy’s are a real treat. This is very much a Cork pub and they definitely appreciate the importance of good local stout. I have only been there twice but I can vouch for a good quality product. They have a big tv pirched above the bar for those wishing to indulge in the late late show and the like. The gents are as you’d expect small and somewhat historic in that they still have a towel that’s survived peoples germs since 1914! To access the ladies you have to go out the main door turn left and knock on the adjoining house. They then let you use their own toilet, great service! It’s a place you go with just two or three people to sample the hospitality and culture of the northside of the city.
Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 9/10
Overall rating: 9/10
Final comment: A super Cork pub that has just stayed as a good oul local catering for the odd passer by. From what i hear the place does a very good trade especially at the weekends. No matter what kind of pub you like this place is worth a look.
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An Spalpin Fanac is a pub located on South main street in Cork city. It is directly across from the Beamish and Crawford brewery. My first visit there was back in sixth year of secondary school. We had our Christmas party upstairs in their function room. As you walk in the door the bar is off down to the right and the pub is split into two sections. There is a passageway down to the right and straight through is a large area with lots of seating. There are lots of nooks and cranny’s where you can hide away! There are other sections down towards the back as well. You will often hear trad sessions on in An Spalpin and it is renowned for it’s Irish traditions. Overall the pub is quite big. It honestly doesn’t seem like you’re in the city because it is decorated and styled so much like a country pub.
The pints in An Spalpin are top notch and are as good as your likely to find around the city. The place is inhabited by a large amount of drinkers of the black stuff so you can expect good pinting. A wide variety of people can be found inside here. I would class it as a pub of the older generation but a lot of us young ones go there too. The toilets are down the back of the pub and are a bit grubby. They are a bit compact but not the worst. A fine pub if you want to go for a drink with friends or just the two of you!
Toilet Rating: 5/10
Pint rating: 9/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Final Comment: An Spalpin Fanac is a pub i really like but haven’t been in there much in recent times. I can definately give it the thumbs up if you like your stout and you can maybe even sit in one of their snugs. Watch out for their traditional nights.
Head west to the idyllic town of Glengarriff and you will undoubtably find the Cottage Bar. Let me just start by saying that I love west Cork and visit and stay down there fairly often. I stayed at the cottage bar last night with my girlfriend. It is also a B+B with cottages that can be rented as well. We payed 35 euro each and we got B+B and a main course evening meal with a glass of wine. It is fantastic value. The pub itself is located across from Quills clothes shop in the village. As you walk in the bar is in front of you and there is seating all around. It is a small but quaint pub. It is traditional Irish through and through. We stayed down there in another place during the summer and went to this pub and was packed with people. At that time there was a trad session going on and we did a few songs! Last night in complete contrast the place was practically empty. There were a few lads by the bar along with a little terrier who also had her own bar stool!! Glengarriff is very much a summer season town and outside of that it’s very quiet. It was still a great break. During the summer there is music in the bar every night and only at weekends at this time of the year.
The pints here are ok. I’d say that Guinness is the main stout being drunk so us visiting Murphy’s drinkers suffer as a result! Don’t get me wrong the pints weren’t too bad, Murphy’s is just not peoples regular tipple here. The toilets are clean and very well maintained. There are two cubicles and one of those troughs. In fairness it’s a grand little pub if not a bit touristy but i suppose that’s how they make their living.
Toilet Rating: 7/10
Pint Rating: 6/10
Overall Rating: 7/10
Final Comment: My overall rating is on the pub not on the whole set up they have there. If you fancy a nice night away for a very reasonable price with your dinner, this is the place to go. It is very much a family affair and may appear a bit old fashioned and even a bit backwards but you cannot beat that homely welcome with good food and a bit of craic.
Rosies has closed for good. It was sad to see another pub in Carrigaline go (4/2/2008)
Rosies is a bar and restaurant situated in Carrigaline, Co Cork. It is probably the best known Carrigaline pub outside of the town. It is located across from the bridge in the town centre. It got flooded recently during the stormy weather. I used to go in a lot when i was 18 and 19 but rarely go in these days. You can expect to see bouncers at the door from early evening onwards. As you walk in there is seating to the left and right and the bar is on the right hand side. There are a couple of tvs around this area and it can be pleasant to sit and have a drink here. You then go through double doors and as you walk down the bar continues down to the right and then curves and there are alcoves with seating on the left. You go up a few steps and there’s a kind of dance floor with seating around and the stage is straight ahead. Over to the right there is a small kind of back bar. There is also a bar upstairs and i haven’t been up there in years so i can’t describe it. The pints in Rosies can vary from good to awful. Apparently it is cheaper to buy a pint nearer to the front of the pub. It’s a popular venue for live music and recent visitors have been Aslan and Picturehouse. As said be wary of the stout because when it gets busy the standard drops.
There are two sets of toilets in the pub. The cleaner and much nicer of the two is located upstairs and it also facilitates patrons of the restaurant. It’s usually ok to use. The other toilet is positioned down the back of the pub and can at times be a serious health hazard, especially on a busy Friday or Saturday night. I won’t go into the details! The pub is very big and does a really good trade. It has changed owners a few times in the last few years and a lot of changes have been made. The pubs main business comes from people between 18 and 21. It’s nice to pop in now and again to Rosies but my days in there have passed (sound very old)!
Toilet rating: Combined rating 5/10
Pint rating: 6/10
Overall rating: 5 and a half/10
Final comment: Rosies has been a local of any person who lives and went to school in Carrigaline at some point. It’s still a nice pub inside but it’s not my cup of tea any more. That said it’s still a grand pub to pop into if on a group night out or just to see it.
PadJoes is a pub located in the lovely west Cork town of Timoleague. It is located on Abbey street. I was down that direction last Friday at a wedding. We popped in there for a pint following the church ceremony. This was my first visit to the town and it was long overdue. The people are extremely friendly and welcoming. Pad Joes is a small pub that we were all instructed to go to. On entering the bar is directly in front of you and takes an L shape. There is a pool table on the right and also a seating area. If you walk straight on by the bar there is seating on the left right to the back of the pub. On the afternoon i visited there was a roaring fire and it was very welcome as the weather outside was terrible. There was a great buzz in the place as it was jammed with the wedding party. I ordered a murphys and a white wine and proceeded to chat to the lads i had become acquainted with. The Murphy’s was very good and i also had a 7up which wasn’t bad eithier.
The toilets in the pub were fine. They were small but seemed well kept. There appeared to be a lot of memorabilia and stuff on the walls but i didn’t get a chance to examine it fully. I think i will definitely head back to Timoleague for a Sunday drive sometime in the future and check the place out. I might even get to review another pub there!
Toilet Rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 7and a half/10
Overall rating: 7 and a half/10
Final comment: I was only in PadJoes for about an hour so it’s hard to really judge it. My first and last impressions of the pub were good. I would have liked a game of pool but maybe another time. Go for a spin down west and you might end up here!
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