Monthly Archive for January, 2005

Page 2 of 5

The Square Pint

Published on January 26, 2005 in Kerry. 0 Comments

The Square Pint is a pub located in Kenmare Co Kerry. It is located in the square in the town. We spent a week down in Kenmare and tested out some of their many pubs. Kenmare is truly a great town to visit and we enjoyed it. We had heard that the square pint was one of the livelier venues and headed in a few times. It is a young people’s venue. As you walk in there is seating on the left and the ‘family seat’ on the right. As you walk up along the bar is on the right and there is seating across from it. If you go up past the bar there are more seats to the right and left as well. It’s kind of a long pub and they have a mixture of live music and dj’s playing in there. There was a traditional band playing in there on our last night. It’s been a while since we were there and we rented a cottage about half a mile from the town. The pints of stout are Guinness mainly and from what i can remember they were much nicer on the quiet night that we went in. Apparently they do nice bar food aswell but we never got to try any of that.

The toilets are located up the back of the pub and they were grand until the place got busy and then they got a bit messy. When we were there it was one of the towns late night venues. The locals got offended one night because we took their ‘family seat near the front. We took no notice and stayed where we were and they subsequently joined us! As i said Kenmare is a great traditional town in Co Kerry and it’s well worth a visit especially during the summer when its very lively.

Toilet rating: 6/10
Pint rating: 6/10
Overall rating: 6 and a half/10

Final comment: The Square Pint is a nice pub for a few drinks. If you head down it is worth popping into.

The Smugglers Inn

Published on January 26, 2005 in Kerry. 0 Comments

The Smugglers is a bar and restaurant located about a mile from Waterville town in Co. Kerry. It’s on the Cliff road, faces the Atlantic Ocean and is directly next to Waterville links golf club. It is a B+B as well and they appear to have a good number of rooms available. It is one of the most renowned restaurants in the area and is run by the Hunt family, related to the owners of the previously reviewed Huntsman. As you walk into the bar there is a small bar directly in front of you. Overall this is a very small pub linked to a big restaurant. When you come in if you take a left and walk down there are nice seats on the left by the window and also past the bar on the right. They have very interesting memorabilia on the wall. If you go right there is seating located here to and this is where you enter the restaurant. The restaurant is renowned for its seafood. I had a steak there and it was absolutely delicious, but expensive! The pints of course are Guinness and they are not too bad at all. I have had a few in there and they have been grand. It doesn’t take many people to fill the place and it appears people drinking there are pre or post their dinner.

Above is a picture of the Links golf club from the front. The toilets in The Smugglers are located on the left as you walk into the bar and they are small but well kept. I have been to the Smugglers Inn twice and they run a very professional establishment. It has to be remembered in a place such as this that the restaurant takes center stage and the bar is somewhere in the background. It benefits from being so near to the links golf course as well because it’s very busy there and there is a lot of famous and wealthy people play golf there too.

Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 7 and a half/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: The Smugglers Inn closes for part of the year. It’s not the kind of pub i would go to unless i was having food. It’s very nice there.

Fernhill House Hotel

Published on January 26, 2005 in Cork. 0 Comments

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Fernhill House Hotel is located about a mile from Clonakilty town. I attended a wedding there a while back and it was a great experience. It appears to be a relatively small hotel but they provide a very personal service it appears. There is a ‘Fernhill’ in Carrigaline as well that has yet to be reviewed. It is situated on very scenic grounds. The meal was delicious and there was plenty of food and the function room was a perfectly adequate size to deal with the number of guests. The bar in the hotel is small. As you walk in the bar is directly in front of you and is very small. There is seating on the left and right. If you walk to the right of the bar there is more seating in this section. I encountered three bars there but i think this is the actual hotel bar. I had Murphy’s and it was alright. Guinness seemed to be what people were drinking but seeing as we hadn’t left county Cork i stuck with the M.

The toilets are located outside of the pub and were very clean and respectable. The Fernhill house hotel appeared to be a fine place to have a wedding or event. You are in the countryside and that gives great opportunity for pictures. I don’t know whether i’ll ever end up back out there but you never know. I am often out Clonakilty way so maybe sometime.

Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 6/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: This is a nice hotel in a very tranquil area. The pub is very small and i’d say if i was to head back it would be for Sunday lunch.

Plato Murphys

Published on January 24, 2005 in Cork. 0 Comments

This pub is gone and has been replaced by a new one (25/8/09)
Plato Murphys is a pub located on Hanover street in Cork city. It’s another of these big pubs in the city where you have to be over 20 and be neatly dressed. I have been in there twice and it’s not my sort of pub at all. Some of the bouncers have serious issues and i personally haven’t had any problems with them but have heard several stories. As you walk into the bar there is seating on the left and the right. The bar is off to the right and there is a good lot of seating and standing room around. They have a part thats separated from the front part. They regularly have live music in there, there was a dj playing on our visit. One thing i particularly remember is the smells in the place. Some person’s flatulence was affecting us badly! Selling stout is not a priority in this pub. Their Murphy’s wasn’t great but i only had the one. To be honest it’s probably a grand place for people to meet others but i’m happy with the dirty shabby places! It gets very busy in here and you can get access to Cubins from inside.

I had to queue for the toilets. This is an unusual thing for the gents. The toilets are near to the back of the pub and are far too small to cater for the crowd when it’s busy. My one visit in there was grand but as i said it’s not my kind of pub. It’s popular with a lot of Corkonians and appears to do very well.

Toilet rating: 5/10
Pint rating: 5/10
Overall rating: 5/10

Final comment: Plato’s as it is known is a grand place if you’re looking for a big venue near a club. Cubins next door in fairness is one of Cork’s better clubs. It’s central enough so have a look.

The Oak Room

Published on January 24, 2005 in Cork. 0 Comments

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The Oak room is one of the function rooms located in the Maryborough house hotel in Cork. I was at a function there the other night and even though i have been to their pub as well i thought i would describe this particular room. It is at the back of the hotel on the ground floor. This was my first function at this hotel and was impressed by their professionalism. We arrived early and decorated the room as it was a surprise birthday party. The lobby outside the room was nice and there was a stairs leading up to the main bar. As you walk into this room there are couches and ‘glass’ tables located on the right hand side. There were about 8 smaller tables in the main part of the floor. If you walk up to the left there is a dance floor and a small bar. It’s a small enough room but for the group of about 80 that was expected it was fine. People then began arriving including Ryan and then something that i had thought about just for a second as i arrived in happened. We were all sitting about and one of the glass tables smashed into smitereens! Of course nobody claimed responsibility and no one told me how it actually happened but out came the staff and the hoover and some claims from Ryan that his face had somehow got cut even though this was 10 minutes post the incident! Anyway the birthday boy arrived and the hoovering continued so up to the bar as a distraction. The bar is quite big and there’s a lot of leather couches and glass tables here as well. Eventually got him unsuspectingly to the room and the party began. I was on the Murphy’s and it was alright, not the best at the start but as the night went on i didn’t care!

Of course up singing i went, i sang about six songs in total for the night! The toilets are just outside the door and were very usable. The only negative comment i would make about them is that they never once checked it during the night. Them paper hand towels that you see were all used and not replaced during the night. Some others mentioned this to me aswell. The toilets upstairs in the bar were grand as well. The music went on till 1:20 and the bar served till 2:00. A great night was had by one and all. The sound of breaking glass didn’t deafen anyone and everyone soon forgot about it! We even got into the residents bar and were there till about half four! The Maryborough House Hotel isn’t the cheapest venue to have a party by any means but if you want a professional service and nice food for that special do, give them a call.

Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7 and a half/10

Final comment: I enjoyed the night overall. The main bar is grand for a pre dinner drink and it’s comfortable but i didn’t really spend a whole lot of time in there.

The District

Published on January 22, 2005 in Cork. 0 Comments

The district is gone and is replaced by another pub (25/08/09)

The District is a pub just off Hanover street near Washington street in Cork city. It was formerly ‘The Morgue’. I went in last night for a pint as i was out celebrating graduating. I remember going into the morgue a few years back and enjoyed it so i decided to take a look. As you walk in the door there is seating on the left and right. There is a dartboard over to the right and it was being used. The bar is on the right as you walk down and there is seating opposite it. As you come down past the bar there are some seats on the left, right and straight ahead. It’s quite a small pub and was very busy last night. We still managed to get a seat at the back. A Murphy’s and a Heineken for 6.90 which is fairly good. The stout was nice. The one thing i noticed was that the lights were down low which is much better than it being too bright. There was a good mixture of people in there. The music that was playing wasn’t too loud and people were all chatting away. The two lads behind the bar were efficient and i got served very quickly.

The pubs toilets are located at the back of the pub. They are small and were a little bit messy last night. There is one cubicle aswell and that was fine. It’s a very nice pub and i will definitely head back there again some night. They sill have their christmas decorations up on the window and around the pub, getting ahead for December 25th 2005!!

Toilet rating: 6/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: The district is a grand pub to have a few pints in. If your in the Washington street area you should consider visiting.

Cork Opera House

Published on January 20, 2005 in Cork. 0 Comments

Cork Opera House

The Cork opera house is located in Emmet Place in Cork City center. It is the top spot in Cork for shows and musicals and it has its very own bar. I have been to a good few shows and events there over the past year. To be honest i am not inclined to go to the bar at anything i am at. It’s normally a good excuse to have an alcohol free night out. To be honest about it i don’t drink that often. These pub reviews are from my whole time out since i was 18. It’s just i find it interesting writing about different places and seeing what’s on offer for people. Anyway, the bar is located on the first floor in the opera house. It depends what side you walk in from as to the description of the place. There are two lots of stairs that bring you to different sides. If you come in one of those the bar is on the left hand side and there is seating on the right near the window. If you continue walking down the bar follows down on the left and there is more seating on the right and some straight ahead. The large windows afford nice views out over the Lee and Emmet place. I find it very bright in there. I have only had one pint and it came in a plastic cup and it was none too good. The stout was awful and was pulled in a hurry.

There are toilets upstairs and downstairs and their condition can depend on what time you use them or what kind of show’s on. They are big enough and have never been too bad. You can if you wish order drinks at the start of the show and collect them at the half time interval. If you are going to something at the opera house you can pop up.

Toilet rating: 6/10
Pint rating: 3/10
Overall rating: 5/10

Final comment: Unfortunately the stout here is not good. It will always do good business as its only part of the bigger enterprise.

The Moorings

Published on January 20, 2005 in Cork. 0 Comments

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This pub appears to be closed down from what i saw today 10/10/05.

The Moorings is a pub on lower road on the way into Crosshaven Co Cork. It’s also a restaurant but i know nothing about that part. I went down there to see my friend’s band playing a gig. From the outside the place is not exactly appealing. As you walk in the door the bar is off to the right and there is seating all around this main section in front of you. It was very busy the night i was there but that was mainly because there were three bands and they all brought people with them. To be quite honest i was not at all impressed with this pub. It took ages to get served as they were serving the locals before the blow ins! The crowd in there were shouting while the bands were playing which lead to some tension. It has a scenic location facing Cork harbour but that’s about all the good i discovered. The pints weren’t the worst, they were about average. I just felt a little bit on edge all during the night. It was something about the place.

The toilets are located when you come in the door to the right and there were usable but that’s about the only description i can manage. I feel bad about judging it so harshly on just that one visit but i don’t think i will be paying a return visit somehow. There are not many pubs that i feel negative about but this is one of the few. By all means check the place out for yourself.

Toilet rating: 4/10
Pint rating: 5/10
Overall rating: 4/10

Final comment: The Moorings is a pub that i went to for a particular reason. If i had happened to be passing on that night and went in, i would have finished my pint quickly and left.

Mutton Lane Inn

Published on January 20, 2005 in Cork. 0 Comments

The Mutton Lane Inn is located down Mutton lane just off Patrick street in Cork city. It was a place i never went into until i was introduced to it by Kev. There was a few people sitting outside the night that we went in. As you go in the door you’ll notice that it’s very narrow in this part. The bar is in front of you and continues down to the right. There is a kind of snug located on the left. If you walk to the right there is seating there straight ahead. It’s location makes it the kind of place that you would never discover. I have passed that lane hundreds of times in my life but never actually went down it. We sat at the bar on this particular night. The place was very busy and there was a great atmosphere. It was great because it was just about the time that the smoking ban had come into effect and there was no smoky environment. In a small place like this you would really reap the effects of the smoke free environment. The pints of Murphys were lovely and the staff behind the bar were nice also.

The toilets are situated upstairs. They were grand, nothing great but they were clean in general. We stayed there for two pints and then headed off. We went to go in there another night but it was packed out the door. It’s a great pub and is a good place for any stout drinkers to head to. It’s very central so if your a Corkonian you have no excuse for not popping in!

Toilet rating: 6/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 8/10

Final comment: The Mutton Lane Inn is a small but quaint pub and appears to be very popular. I don’t know much else about it. They were playing house music on the night we were there.

The Huntsman Restaurant and Oyster Bar

Published on January 19, 2005 in Kerry. 0 Comments

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The Huntsman is a bar and restaurant located in Waterville Co Kerry. To be honest it is mainly renowned for its excellent restaurant. The bar is mainly used for pre-dinner drinks. As you walk in you will notice a lobster tank in front of you. You can select one for dinner if you fancy it! There is seating straight ahead and if you take a left the small bar is on the left and there is seating on the right. As you walk down along there is more seating on the left and right. The restaurant is straight ahead and is delicious. The bar food is also great. I have only ever had a pre or post dinner drink there. The Hunt family is very well known in the area for their culinary skills. They often have a piano player in the bar and if i’m honest about it he is one of the best piano players i have heard around. He plays nice songs and doesn’t get the applause he deserves. They have pictures of famous customers on the walls. Tiger Woods and Payne Stewart are two that come to mind. The pints of Guinness are alright but keep in mind alcohol selling is not their main business.

The toilets are near the front of the pub and are small but have always been very clean and well looked after. The pub commands superb views of the Atlantic Ocean. As i said at the start this is better known for its restaurant but if you decide to go in for a drink, have a bite to eat too.

Toilet rating: 8/10
Pint rating: 5/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: The Huntsman is certainly one of the best restaurants in Waterville. The bar is relaxing and they do table service.