Well, Carrigaline is changing. Collins bar in the Carrigaline court hotel has been completely renovated and it is a welcome change for many people i have talked to. The bar used to be a traditional Irish bar that was full of sections that all had different themes. It is now much more open and very modern. There is the main bar and a smaller back bar available. I have been in the pub three times since it re-opened. I like it personally and it was almost certainly influenced by Barry’s pub in Douglas. The decor and pub in general is very similar to that of Barry’s. The three times i have been here all have been different. The first time i went in was midweek and it was relatively quiet, the next visit was a Friday night at about 10:30pm and it was busy but not packed. The third occasion i headed in was last weekend on the Sunday night of the bank holiday weekend. It was packed, the door staff even had to stop letting people in. The place was buzzing with what appeared like most of the population of Carrigaline there. The Aristocrats, formerly ‘The groove orchestra’ provided the musical entertainment. To their credit they are an excellent band fronted by local Carrigaline musician Billy Marnane. I enjoyed the entertainment and the atmosphere last Sunday. There are many seating areas and they are all very comfortable. The pints that i have had in the bar have been very good. The Murphy’s is especially good, better that the Guinness in my opinion. There are more than enough bar staff serving and the bar area is big enough that you will always find a spot to get served at.
The toilets haven’t been renovated as of yet but there are signs up to say that that is to be done in part two of the project. The toilets don’t really need upgrading but apparently thats whats happening. Giving an overview, the new Collins Bar is certainly a lot different from the old one and it will be more popular with the growing population of Carrigaline.
Toilet rating: 7.5/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Final comment: Someone made the comment to me that this pub ‘is like everywhere else’. It may well be like a lot of places but it is a first for Carrigaline. Credit has to go to Barry Collins and the Collins for the amount they have contributed to the town. The new hotel bar is just another example of how much they have contributed.
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