Monthly Archive for March, 2005

Page 2 of 3

O’ Donnabhain

Published on March 19, 2005 in Kerry. 0 Comments

I was thinking back to our summer trip to Kenmare while there today and remembered visiting this bar. Myself, Jen and Ryan popped in here one night for a few pints. It’s on the smae street as the previous pub and is a very inviting pub. As you walk into the pub the bar is on the left hand side and there is seating on the right. There are some nice alcoves that you can choose to sit in. One thing i distinctly remember about this pub was the presence of candles. It was a very rainy night when we went in and from the outside it looked like it had the warmth we were looking for. There is an open fire inside. From what i recall the pints of Guinness were fine and we enjoyed our drinks.

I cannot honestly remember what the toilets were like so i can’t comment on them. It is definately a pub that i would head back to again if spending a couple of days in the area. It worth stopping off at.

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

Final comment: O’ Donnabhain does pub food as well as being a guest house.

The Wander Inn

Published on March 18, 2005 in Kerry. 0 Comments

I popped in there for a quick drink in the past. It was around lunch time when we wandered in! We weren’t looking to get food but just some refreshments. As you walk in one of the doors there is seating on the right and left and the bar is on the right. If you walk down to the back there is seating all around this area aswell. The bar extends around to the other side as well. There was a big screen tv in this section and we sat here. The staff were busy serving the customers that were there. It was quiet except for the few that were getting a bite to eat. I got a coke and Jen had a coffee. It was very difficult to form an opinion about the place when it was quiet during the day. Apparently they have regular trad bands and dj’s playing here.

The toilets were relatively small and clean. As i said it’s hard to form an opinion but it was grand for the drink. I think you would have to go in there at night to really sample the atmosphere. It is also a B+B and you have the option of staying there if on a break. B+B rates are 31 euro in winter and 38 euro in summer pps.

Toilet rating: 6/10
Overall rating: 6/10

Final coment: The Wander Inn is on Henry street in Kenmare and is very central. Find out more for yourself.

An Bonnan Bui

Published on March 18, 2005 in Kerry. 2 Comments

I have been down in Waterville loads of times and have never gone for a drink in Cahersiveen. Cahersiveen is the big town in the area. We decided to go in the other night. Following dinner in the local chinese we headed to An Bonnan Bui, a local pub in the town. Jen has wanted to go in here for a long time so we went in. The pub is the name of a famous Irish poem that Jen did for her leaving certificate. It is also known as Mc Carthy’s bar. As you walk in the door there is a small enclosed area to the right. There is seating to the left as you walk down along. The bar is situated on the right. As you walk down the bar continues on the right and there is some seating on the left and right down the back. There is a glass door leading out to the back where there is a patio area. I ordered a pint of Murphy’s and quickly changed it to Guinness remembering where i was! It became blatently obvious where we from. We got a Guinness and a white wine.

We got chatting to the owner Mrs Murphy who told us that the bar is just 5 years old and was built from the ground. She was extremely friendly and even sat down and had a chat with us. The Guinness was very good quality and i had two pints. Presently the owners are selling the pub. Along with it being a decent pub they do a good bar food menu. There is also 8 ensuite bedrooms upstairs along with a sitting room. Me and Jen were chatting away about the pub and we were invited to take a look at the living accomodation. We got a personal tour of the whole place which was great. It was very impressive.

The toilets in the bar are small but were very clean. There are also wheel chair toilets available which is a big asset. It was quiet on our visit but it is out of season. There is regular traditional music in the bar. The owners are asking 700,000 euro for the whole package. We enjoyed our visit.

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

Final comment: An Bonnan Bui is a fine pub and is worth a visit if in Cahersiveen.

The Royal Pier Bar

Published on March 18, 2005 in Kerry. 0 Comments

Knightstown is where this bar is located. There are two towns on the island the forementioned and Chapeltown. We stopped in Knightstown to have a look around and a local man thought he recognised me as ‘Robert’. He was very friendly and began chatting about life and current events. He informed us that it was very quiet around and the pubs weren’t due to open until 5:00pm. It was only lunch time and he then told us that the hotel might be open. He then followed two bewildered people up the road. We went off down by the marina and spotted the ‘Royal Pier Bar’. It is truly a beautiful scenic place and is great for a walk. The place is quite big but looks like it could use some investment from the outside. As you walk in there is seating on the right and left. There is a lot of seating to the left. Part of the bar is in front of you and if you walk past the main area of the pub is on the left. There is a games room directly on the right as you walk in and thats where we decided to go. In here there are two pool tables, a Juke box and some video games. Myself and Jen decided to have a few games of pool. I had a pint of Guinness and Jen had a mineral. The Guinness tasted very sour when i started to drink it but it got better the more of the pint i had. The bar is big overall and there was a few people coming and going.

S4200123
Above is the beautiful scene from on Valentia Island looking over at Portmagee across the linking bridge. The toilets are off the games room and are small and there was a bad smell in them. I don’t know how to describe it but the urinal wasn’t that obvious. There was one cubicle and that was it. There is a few benches out at the side for smokers to relax on. The games of pool are 1 euro a game amd that was fun. We enjoyed our trip to Valentia and this pub was a good laugh.

Toilet rating: 4/10
Pint rating: 6/10
Overall rating: 6/10

Final comment: The Royal Pier Bar is an old style pub but has many nice features. As i said it in Knightstown so if your over that way have a look.

Bridge Bar

Published on March 18, 2005 in Kerry. 0 Comments

Portmagee is a truly beautiful area in Kerry. It is situated facing Valentia Island and the bridge to the island is a few minutes walk away. We stopped off at this bar following a recommendation. Portmagee is a very small village but is very well kept. The views from the windows are fantastic. As you walk into the pub there is seating to the left and right. As you walk through the pub the bar is on the left and there is seating across the way. There is more seating straight ahead at the back. There is a restaurant attached and it’s called ‘the Moorings’. This bar has a great reputation for food and we were very tempted to try something but didn’t in the end. There is an extensive menu available. I had a 7up and Jen had an Irish coffee and she said it was delicious. It is quite a dark bar with lanterns hanging from the roof. It appeared to be very clean and well staffed. It was busy but wasn’t packed and we sat at the bar.

S4200124

The toilets are down the back and out a door on the right. They are quite small but were clean. If you are ever on a drive in the area, a stop here is well worth it.

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

Final comment: There is also a B+B available in the building. Food is big business here but it is also nice for a drink.

Brod’s Bar

Published on March 18, 2005 in Kerry. 1 Comment

It is a relatively new bar in Waterville and is situated near the Bayview hotel. We spent many nights in ‘disco 2000′ in this building but that’s gone now. Brod’s is a very modern and bright bar and it appears a lot of money has been spent on renovating the whole place. I have been in there three times since it opened, the most recent being last night. As you walk in the door there is an area just outside of the bar where there are some tables. When you walk in there is seating on the left and right. As you walk up the bar is on the right hand side and there is seating across the way. There is also an area across from the bar, kind of a small semi private seating area. If you keep walking straight ahead you go into a back part and there is more seating available here. It is overall a very bright pub and the staff are very efficient. The pints of Guinness in there are of good quality. There was quite a few tourists around last night for St Patricks day. There was a one man band in action playing some old Irish favourites.

The toilets are located out of the back section. The gents is a reasonable size but it was in poor condition last night. Brod’s is certainly the most modern bar in town and it appears to be doing well. During the summer this place will become busier and will be worth checking out then.

Toilet rating: 5/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 6 and a half/10

Final comment: The Lodge looks like it would be a nice place to stay at. I think there is a nightclub open at weekends although i haven’t seen it. Brod’s bar will do well.

Scotts Bar

Published on March 15, 2005 in Kerry. 0 Comments

I stayed at Scotts Garden hotel in the past but it was at a very quiet time of year so it’s hard to judge it. It is a centrally located hotel adjacent to the Killarney park hotel. Scotts bar is situated at the back of the hotel. We were there for a break in January and there was live traditional music in there on one night. It is known as a very popular bar in the town. It is a very modern and bright pub and there are some comfortable seating areas. The pub has an entrance at the back of the hotel onto another street. The staff were very friendly and efficient. I got a pint of Guinness and it was very good. The stout is a big seller and you can tell by the quality. The traditional music was enjoyable and a crowd came in on account of hearing the music.

The toilets in the pub were very clean. Overall this pub is a nice comfortable bar and is one of the many decent hotel bars in the town. This hotel is certainly not the best available in Killarney but it’s a good base to have.

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

Final comment: Scotts bar is a place to consider for a drink while in Killarney. They serve a good Carvery lunch between 12:30 and 3:00 and bar until 9pm.

The Red Room

Published on March 14, 2005 in Cork. 0 Comments

S4200182

The Red Room or Redz as it’s known is a bar and nightclub on Liberty street in Cork city. It is a popular student haunt and i’ve been in there twice. You can normally expect to meet bouncers at the gate on the way in. As you walk in the bar is off to the left and there is seating all around. If you are going to get a pint then you are probably better getting it downstairs. There is nothing too special about this area. If you walk down to the back and up a stairs you come to the nightclub. The bar is on the right at the top of the stairs and is very small. If you take a left the dancefloor is straight ahead and there is seating at the sides tot he left and right. I wouldn’t recommend drinking stout, sticking to beer or spirits is a better idea.

I’ve used the toilets downstairs and they have always been alright. To be honest i can’t see myself heading to Redz again. It’s not my scene and the nightclub played very select music when i was there. Apparently they do nice lunches so it may be worth a daytime visit for that. If you head in there before 10:30 there is no cover charge.

Toilet rating: 6/10
Pint rating: 4/10
Overall rating: 5/10

Final comment: Redz is a popular late night venue. It is quite central, check it out for yourself.

Mika Bar

Published on March 10, 2005 in Outside Ireland. 0 Comments

The Mika bar is the bar of the mika villas in Piskopiano in Crete. This is another accomodation i frequented in the past. After a shaky start getting called from the balcony above, we soon settled in. The accomodation is basic, you can’t flush your bog roll! Having said that the locals were very friendly and welcoming. The Mika bar is located at the front of the complex just off the small reception. There is a pool table here and we had a good few games. As you walk into the bar from the reception the bar is straight ahead and is quite small. There is wooden seating all around and welcome air conditioning. There is a lovely spot to sit outside the bar and we sat there mostly. There was a great selection of beers and wines available. The heat was unbearable in the sun at times and heading in here was a welcome relief.

As i said the toilet facilities are somewhat lacking in Crete so be wary! It took a little bit of getting used to but you adjust to waht you have. There is a toilet just off the bar and it was there when needed. The Mika villas were grand but i really liked Piskopiano village. It’s up a big hill from Hersonissos, the hub of Crete nightlife.

Toilet rating: 4/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 6/10

Final comment: The Mika bar is run by lads who get to know their guests. The island of Crete is beautiful and you can have a nice holiday there.

Nova Bar

Published on March 10, 2005 in Outside Ireland. 0 Comments

The Nova bar is in the Nova Apartments in Palma Nova, Majorca. We stayed at these apartments before and visited the bar a few times. It is situated just off the main reception. As you go in there is very comfortable seating all around. It is a very spacious bar and commands breathtaking sea views. The bar itself is off to the left as you walk in. The bar men were very helpful but as is the culture if you did not tip them they were not so nice. As you can imagine stout isn’t the best selling product in Majorca. I was mainly drinking various beers and spirits that were available. The floors all around these apartments are marble and were impressive.

The toilets are located outside the bar in the reception and were always clean if not a bit basic. There was entertainment on there a few nights and was a bit of a laugh. There was the usual Mr and Mrs competitions and karaoke. Overall it was a lively enough place but you couldn’t stick it for the whole night. The Nova apartments were a very comfortable place to stay.

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

Final comment: It’s probably a good idea to head to a place like this in the summer when there is some life about.