Author Archive for Eoin

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The Grafton

Published on March 14, 2011 in Cork. 0 Comments

A relatively new bar in Cork City centre. You will find this pub on Oliver Plunkett street. It is a big pub and on the two occasions i was there i encountered two very differing scenes. On the first occasion i was there just before christmas the place was thronged with people. There was barely even standing room and a very loud band. We decided not to stay on this occasion but i called back recently on a Wednesday night. There was very few people here on this visit except some people in to watch a champions league game. It seems to be a decent pub to watch a match in. The bar man was extremely friendly and engaged in pleasant chit chat and pulled a great pint of Murphys too.

The pub has some comfortable seating areas although the area just inside the smoking area appears to not have been furnished to the same standard as the rest of the pub. The smoking area itself looked to be a very nice area to enjoy a drink. My overall view of this pub was good until i checked the toilets. They appeared fine until i saw the seat on the cubicle. It was in need of bad need of attention and i suppose i should have said it to the bar man but i didn’t. I have to say that i enjoyed my pint here and would head back again.

Toilet rating: 6/10
Pint rating: 7.5/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: The toilet conditions in this pub let it down but saying that maybe the staff were just unaware. It is definately worth checking out for a pint.

Florry Batts (F.B O Sullivan)

Published on February 19, 2011 in Kerry. 0 Comments

The last pub that we visited in Kenmare on Fos’s stag was Florry Batts. We had just come from Crowleys bar down the road. The bar is on your right on the way in and there is another area down the back with a pool table and an open fire. We all stayed down in this section for our drink. The bar staff here were pleasant and the pint of Guinness was good it has to be said. There was a good atmosphere in this pub.

The toilets were out the back and were fine when i checked then. Kenmare has some good pubs to offer their locals and visitors alike.

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

Final comment: Florry Batts is a pub worth popping into for a pint.

Oscars bar

Published on February 18, 2011 in Cork and hotel. 0 Comments

We headed down to Clonakilty recently for a family night away. I had heard very good things about the quality hotel in Clon. To be very honest about it all were true. We stayed for one night and couldn’t fault the whole set up there. We have a little girl and were looking for a child friendly hotel and we weren’t disappointed on that front. Facilities for kids are first class and you can sit back and relax while they are entertained.

Oscars bar was very busy on the saturday night that we were there. It is a big pub with plenty seating areas available. They serve pub grub and there was a lot of people eating there. The bar staff were very efficient and i wasn’t waiting long to be served. The pints of Murphys were very good, i couldn’t fault them. We didn’t stay in the bar area for the night but instead chose to sit out in the lobby where the reception is located. In fact all parents of the smaller kids were sitting here. It was great that they could run around and have fun and have the space and tolerance of staff and other guests to do it. The toilets were well maintained when i saw them and they are just before you enter the restaurant area. We are heading back to this hotel at the end of the month and i’m really looking forward to it.

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

Final comment: This hotel is certainly one to consider if you have kids of any age. I enjoyed my overall experience here and Oscars bar is worth a visit.

PF Mc Carthy’s

Published on February 9, 2011 in Kerry. 0 Comments

After our disappointing trip to O Murchus bar we continued down the street when we came to PF Mc Carthys. This pub had been recommended to us by locals we were talking to earlier in the day. It was buzzing when we walked in and got the drinks in. Live music was just about to start as we went in and we stayed here for a few pints. The pints of Guinness were good here and went down well. I found this bar to be extremely enjoyable.

The toilets are located down the back of the pub. They were in good condition and well maintained to be fair. I didn’t go out but i think there is a smoking area out the back. This is a very decent pub with efficient bar staff and is most certainly worth a visit.

Toilet rating: 7.5/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Final comment: This pub is certainly one of Kenmare’s hot spots and i’d head in there again.

O’ Murchu’s

Published on December 2, 2010 in Kerry. 0 Comments

After a pleasant trip to Ryan’s bar in Kenmare our stag group continued down the main street and crossed the road to O’ Murchu’s bar. First impressions were good. We got a decent spot just inside the door just across from the bar. There was a few people at the bar and others down the back playing pool. As we ordered the drinks we noticed that the bar man was acting a bit strange. One of our group asked him if they could get a glass of water with their pint. Quite a reasonable request in my book. Mr bar man thought that this was very funny for some reason but did eventually get the water. I asked him how much a pint of Smithwicks was and again being smart he asked me why i would want to know this. We all sat down and were enjoying our drinks when it became aparent that we were sitting in the reserved area of the local basketball team committee. They came in and sat behind us with their plates of food but moved out again. There was no signs on the tables to say that the area was reserved. We didn’t feel at all welcome at this stage.

One of our group then went to find the toilets and came back a bit startled looking. He told us that the same smart ass bar man had grabbed him by the arm and started slapping his face. The toilets in this pub do not have gents/ladies signs on the doors so you could easily end up in the wrong one. Thats what happened to the member of our group and he was reprimanded by the idiot working there.

We were a stag party going into a bar. None of us was any way drunk, we were all behaved impeccably yet this pub didn’t appear to want our business even in these bleak recessionary times. For that reason and the complete idiotic behaviour of the bar man we will not be recommending visiting this pub. We took a picture outside the bar and everyone gave it the thumbs down.

I’m not going to give any rating as i feel i’ve said enough about the place.

Ryans

Published on December 2, 2010 in Kerry. 0 Comments

After a nice pint in the Bold thady quill bar at the Lansdowne hotel which was previously reviewed, the stag party headed down the street to Ryans bar. It was quiet when we headed in. There was a match on the tv and plenty of seating available. Some of us headed to the pool table down the back for a few games. To be fair the pint here was top notch and it went down easily. The bar man was efficient and we got served quickly. I have to say that i liked this bar and there was a good crowd of people coming in as we were moving on after our drink.

The toilets are out the back and were in fairly good condition when checked. Overall visiting this pub was an enjoyable experience.

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

Final comment: Ryans bar is one to check out in Kenmare.

The Courtyard bar

Published on November 21, 2010 in hotel and Kerry. 0 Comments

Last weekend we attended Fos’s stag party in Kenmare, Co. Kerry. After an enjoyable day of activities at eclipse adventure centre and a great bbq we headed back to the Kenmare bay hotel where we were staying. We had a drink in the hotel bar before hitting the town. Everybody was in good spirits and ready for some fun. The coutryard bar is small and cosy. We all just had the one drink before moving on. The pint of Guinness that i had was very enjoyable and reasonably priced too.

The toilets are near the reception desk outside the bar and were perfectly clean and well maintained when i saw them. Overall this hotel is a very decent place to stay. I found the breakfast to be excellent and only 7.50 which was well worth it.

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

Final comment: A very good hotel and a nice bar for a drink.

Bunnyconnellans (revisited)

Published on November 7, 2010 in Cork. 0 Comments

Bunny’s as its most commonly known has reopened as a fantastic bar and restaurant. It has been completely renovated and the main difference is that the bar is where the restaurant used to be and the restaurant is where the bar used to be. I have had a good few pints of Murphy’s here in my four visits and have also eaten here on two of those occassions. It is a very trendy bar with a very nice area to sit outside overlooking the ocean. The two meals that we enjoyed there were both very enjoyable. The pints that i have had have been consistently good. It has been busy on all our visits there. It would be a fantastic venue for a summer bbq out the back of the restaurant.

The toilets are very modern and clean and were always very well maintained when i have seen them. The gents toilets are small but no complaints about them. I have to recommend visiting Bunny’s for a drink and certainly having a meal there too. A good place to go with the kids after a day on Myrtilleville beach.

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

Final comment: Bunny’s is a great spot to eat and drink.

RESTAURANTS

Published on September 1, 2010 in Announcements and Restaurant Reviews. 0 Comments

Munsterpubs will soon be reviewing restaurants predominantly in the Cork area. Our new recruit Jason will be taking on the task and many reviews to come hopefully over the next while.

Pub of the week 5

Published on August 28, 2010 in Pub of the week. 0 Comments

Our pub of the week is O’ Reillys bar in Crosshaven. It is only recently opened for business and we are delighted to hear of a new pub opening. Best of luck to the owners and we’l be down shortly for a review!