Monthly Archive for July, 2005

Souths

Published on July 30, 2005 in Cork. 0 Comments

Dress up well before heading in here is my opening tip! Souths is the hotel bar of the Imperial hotel. I was in town today for a stroll and my dad had some business in the hotel so we popped into Souths for a drink. From the moment i walked in i was very impressed with the interior. It is very comfortable and very spacious. We sat across from the bar. The bar taps are very different to what you normally see and the decoration of the pub is very classy. There are some funky lights throughout the bar. There are mirrors on the roof! The are seats up on a balcony. I had a pint of Murphy’s and it cost 3 euro 95 which is steep and it wasn’t a great pint. My dad and sister got their minerals in tall glasses that they were very impressed with. I have heard from others that it gets quite busy in Souths at night.

I took a walk through the bar and noticed a lot of steps and some very comfortable couches. The toilets are situated at the back of the pub. They are very big to be fair. You can read the front page of the examiner while in there. They were well kept. Laura took a picture of the ladies and thought that they were very dark. Overall Souths is a very comfortable bar catering for an up market crowd. Personally speaking i think it is a decent pub but it could be expensive if staying here for the night.

Toilet rating: 8/10
Pint rating: 6/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: Souths enjoys a very central location and crowds can often be seen waiting for taxi’s outside.

Lobby Closing Down

Published on July 30, 2005 in Announcements. 0 Comments

Cork’s no 1 music venue will be closing very shortly. It will be missed by a lot of people. The Lobby has played host to some excellent musicians down through the years. Anyone that has been at a gig there will have their own memories. It will be a sad day for Cork when its doors finally close.

The Library Bar

Published on July 25, 2005 in Outside Munster and Wexford. 0 Comments

The Library Bar is the hotel bar in the Brandon House Hotel in New Ross Co Wexford. I stayed there for a wedding at the weekend. The hotel itself is situated on very scenic grounds. Following the church we headed into the Library Bar for a few drinks. It is small for a hotel bar. There are some very comfortable couches available for you to lounge about on. Myself and Jen were having a few drinks with another couple Jen and Shane. The place filled up as the afternoon went on. I was drinking Guinness and it was quite good. I saw that they had Murphy’s on tap but when i asked for a pint they said it was gone. We ordered some chips and wedges to try and curb our hunger as we waited for the meal. It is a very modern bar and fine for a few drinks. We did notice that the prices were on the high side. As a matter of fact the prices increased by at least 30 cents a pint in the function room compared to the bar.

The toilets are out in the hallway and were in fairly good condition for the night. There was a trad session on in the bar later on. Overall it is a grand place, bit pricey but it is quite convenient if you are staying at the hotel.

Toilet rating: 7.5/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: The Library Bar is the Brandon House hotels only bar. It is small as i said but is comfortable.

Marlogue Inn

Published on July 23, 2005 in Cork. 4 Comments

The Marlogue Inn is in east Cork, we found it one Sunday afternoon whilst out for a drive around the Cobh area. It’s more or less hiding down a laneway next to a private jetty. At first I was quite surprised to see how busy it actually was. After choosing a table in the shade (without much choice really, practically every other of the at least two dozen tables were taken), we decided to have some lunch. The staff made their best effort to be friendly although I couldn’t really fault them for not having time to make chit-chat as people were crawling over eachother to get food & drink.

Given the massively sunny day, I remained predictable and chose to sip on a pint of Bulmers whilst eating. The food was as nice as could be expected; nothing overly special but tasty all the same. I was again surprised at the cost of the outing, somewhat cheaper than I have come to expect.

I found the inside to be an adequate size with the bar opposite to you as you enter and running the length of that wall. Understandably enough, it was more or less empty inside with the majority of people wanting to bask in the sunshine outside.

If in the area, it’s certainly worth a visit. I’d tell you how to get there if I could remember, just follow the coastline from Cobh and you’ll find it! Good for larger groups on sunny days too I’d say. Nice view out over the water while munching on your lunch.

The Moonduster Inn

Published on July 21, 2005 in Cork. 0 Comments

The Moonduster Inn is a Crosshaven pub that is directly next door to the Admiral Drake. This was the other pub we visited. Again as with most pubs in the town it commands very scenic views out over the harbour. It is not exactly what i would class as appealing from the outside. I was very pleasantly surprised at the interior. It is a very modern establishment that is both a bar and restaurant. A traditional Irish music session was in progress as we came in. There was a good crowd congregated and all appeared to be enjoying the music. There was a great atmosphere in this pub compared with the previous one. I got a pint of Murphy’s and the bar staff were very efficient and friendly. The pint was of very good quality and i enjoyed it. Many people were out in their shorts and t-shirts which was nice to see. Both myself and Jen enjoyed our visit to this pub. There is quite a lot of rugby tributes on the walls and one very interesting one about Munster teams of years gone by.

You go up a step to get to the toilets. They weren’t too bad. It is certainly a place that i would consider coming for a bite to eat. I will make an effort to visit this pub again. It is a decent pub that is worth a visit.

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

Final comment: The Moonduster Inn is a fine pub. If your looking for a good trad session, this is one to consider.

Admiral Drake

Published on July 20, 2005 in Cork. 0 Comments

Decided to head down to the seaside town of Crosshaven to review a couple of pubs tonight. The first stop we made was at Admiral Drake. We took the door on the right on the way in. There was only one other person there. The first thing i noticed was all the memorabilia on the walls. It is full with different interesting photos and a guide to particular types of fish. Our first impressions were that the decor is outdated but it is a grand place to go and have a drink. The bar man was friendly and he pulled a very decent pint of Murphy’s. There was a group of lads who came out from the other section of the bar and left. The seating is comfortable. You can access both areas from behind the bar. There is a smoking area out near the toilets and there was a few people congreated out there.

The toilet was not not great to be honest. It was usable but its condition was not the best. The pub has an idyllic location overlooking Cork harbour and is fairly central in Crosshaven. It is not a pub that i will be rushing back to visit again but a visit at the weekend many be more enjoyable.

Toilet rating: 5/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating 6.5/10

Final Comment: Admiral Drake pub in Crosshaven is one of the many to choose from. Appears old fashioned but does have appeal.

Durty Nelly’s (The Village Inn)

Published on July 18, 2005 in Clare. 1 Comment

This is one of the most famous pubs in Ireland as far as i can see. Everybody seems to know of it. We paid a visit to Bunratty castle recently and popped into this pub. It is a place that is always likely to do well being conveniently situated next to the castle. On our visit i decided to go for their local brew. It was a lager and was enjoyable. There were loads of people sitting outside the pub where there are many benches and tables. We sat outside as well and only went into the bar to order our drinks. From looking around it appeared to be a very modern establishment. Many people were enjoying food from the extensive menu. It is renouned as a restaurant as well as a bar. It was nice to sit out on a sunny day and enjoy a cold pint. According to the pubs website it was established in 1620 so it is steeped in history. The web address is www.durtynellys.ie It is full of interesting information.

I didn’t make use of the toilets so i didn’t see them. I am sure that this is a pub and restaurant that many people know very well from trips to see one of Irelands most popular tourist attractions. Bunratty castle has been a popular destination for school tours over the years and has some interesting sights for the 12 euro entrance fee.

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

Final comment: We didn’t spend all that long at this pub when we were there. On a warm sunny day it is especially pleasant to sit out for a drink.

Macs

Published on July 17, 2005 in Galway and Outside Munster. 0 Comments

View from the beer garden.

We spent a very enjoyable night last night in Cornamona Co Galway. This was my first trip to Galway in a good few years. Cornamona is a Gaeltacht area and has some of the most beautiful scenery i have ever seen in my life. It is a truly breath taking place. We were there to visit friends that are staying up there. There are two pubs in the village and Macs is the one we visited. There is a good sized car park outside. There are two sections in the pub and also a restaurant area. Seeing as the weather was great we sat out in the beer garden. It enjoys a very scenic location overlooking a river. We sat outside and enjoyed a few pints. The pints of Guinness were very good. We also got some bar food there and it was good too. There was a good crowd of us enjoying the sunshine and drinks. After a trip to change we moved inside. The pub had live music on and it was very lively. I met a teacher from my old school and we had a good chat. There was a very good atmosphere in Macs last night. There was a sponsored cycle on in the town and everybody was in here.

Alex from Madagascar enjoying a night out in Macs!

The toilets are located near the front of the pub and are fine. There is one cubicle available but you cannot lock the door. I noticed an air freshener that automatically sprays every so often. It is a very comfortable pub where you can order your drinks in English or as Gaeilge! I sang two songs with the band and it was a good laugh. I really enjoyed the trip up and unfortunately couldn’t stay for a second night. There are fantastic lakes and i was supposed to go fishing today with the lads but had to head off. I would certainly go back as Connemara is a beautiful location.

Toilet rating: 6.5/10
Pint rating: 7.5/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Final comment: Macs bar is a nice spot for a drink. I especially enjoyed the beer garden. I went for a swim in the river and it was very refreshing. We stayed in a B+B where they leave the key in the front door! The people are extremely friendly and it is one of Irelands most scenic places. Check it out.

Kirbys Korner

Published on July 11, 2005 in Cork. 1 Comment

It was our last stop on our flying visit. There was a group of about 20 lads outside the pub as we were going in. We went in a door to the right and sat down across from the bar. It is a pub with a very impressive interior. The bar man was very polite and referred to me as ‘sir’ which is something that you don’t hear in pubs that often. I got another pint of Murphy’s and it was excellent. Three very decent pints of Murphy’s in three different pubs, thats good going! I really enjoyed Kirbys Korner and there was a sing song on in the other part of the pub. They serve lunch daily which may be worth checking out. Under the bar counter there is a nice stone effect. The pub is wheelchair accessable which is good to see. It is a grand comfortable spot for a few pints.

I didn’t get to check the toilets. This is a pub that both myself and Jen said we would like to come and try some food. Hopefully we will get back soon.

Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating:8/10

Final comment: Kirbys Korner was my preferred of the two pubs visited in Ballinhassig. There was a lot of life around last night for a small country village.

Sportsman’s Rest

Published on July 11, 2005 in Cork. 1 Comment

I was driving through Ballinhassig today (24/10/05) and noticed that the above name is no longer displayed on the pub. I don’t know if it is open or closed at present or if it has a new name.

Seeing as we were in the area we decided to go to Ballinhassig and try the night life out there. The first pub we came across was the Sportsman’s Rest. This pub faces the road and you cannot miss it if driving through the town. It was very busy there last night. A lot of people were in there following the Cork match. We walked in and saw a seat over to the right and sat there. There was a pretty good atmosphere. There is an area up the back of the bar that we didn’t see. The pint of Murphy’s was another good one. It was clear that the pub was full of local people last night. We did not feel any way awkward and enjoyed the drink. I’d say that they had a good crowd there since the match. There is nothing spectacular about the pub but it is fine for a drink.

The toilets are very small and have a Cogan’s towel. They also have a little bar of soap but i don’t know how safe it would be to use it!! The Sportsman Rest is a nice pub and was enjoyable to visit.

Toilet rating: 5/10
Pint rating: 7.5/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: The Sportsman’s Rest is one choice you have in the village.