It was between two pubs for P on the alphabetical pub crawl of Cork City. Originally i had planned to head to Preachers which had been closed for a long while. I read an article in a paper that another bar that had been closed and completly renovated was open for business again. I am not sure what the correct name is for its location but it is on the main road between Cork and Blackpool, just down from the Heineken Brewery. I had never been in Pa Johnsons before all the changes but Kev had and he said it was much better as it was. It was relatively quiet when we walked in. We sat on high stools just inside the door. It is a very small pub and there was mainly an older crowd inside. Ryan commented on a piano half way down the pub and then pointed out the plasma screen tv above it. It just didn’t fit, in our opinion anyway. The pints were by far the best we had all night and we even treated ourselves to pringles and nuts.
The toilets are very modern and were extremely clean. From what i’v read there is a jam session on, on Tuesday nights that might be good. Check out the new Pa Johnsons for yourself.
Toilet rating: 7.5/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Final comment: Pa Johnsons is a fine little bar that has a lot of appeal. It just appears to be that bit too modern. Well worth checking out.
I used to be a regular before the renovations. It was better then, but wasn’t everything. It’s still a great locals bar and the best pint of Heineiken in Cork. Also, the piano gets used on
a regular basis and makes for a good night.
Renovations? The word doesn’t cover it. The building that was Pa Johnsons for years beyond reckoning was demolished and removed and a complex built over it. For quite a long time Pa Johnsons wasn’t. Now, in the newly erected building, it has been reincarnated. The shock of seeing this for the first time yesterday was a bit much for my frail brain. It brings about questions on the nature of identity that I can not fully comprehend. A brand new licence would be needed for the new bar, not just a renewal of the old one, this can’t be what the bar was; the original building was destroyed, so Pa Johnsons isn’t confined by physical limits; is it the same owner and/or staff – is this where we can find the identity of the bar? Or is it more delicately scattered among the denizens of the city who in the past have enjoyed the surrounds, and in the future will coalesce to drink in the nascent scenery?
To say that Pa Johnson’s is a treasured piece of Cork history is an understatement. Though many were sceptacle at the start, the new building is a breath of fresh air. Though the building may be modern Pa’s still holds a historic ambiance with pictures and memorabelia decorating the walls, from music to sport and Cork memorableia.
Even though it is a small establishment, the ambiance that fills it speaks for itself. With a mix of regulars and visitors to Cork mixing together, accompanied by live music throughout the week, Pa’s has stood the test of time to keep it’s well earned title as one of Cork’s most treasured pieces of history!!