Myself and Jen were out recently in the city by ourselves, something that doesn’t happen too often these days. We had a drink in Clancy’s bar and next headed into this pub on Marlborough street. As far as i can remember this pub used to be Lebowskis. The Twins O’ Brien is a narrow pub but there is plenty seating available. It appears to be an old style bar with a modern twist. I was served by a very pleasant girl and she was chatting to a few guys sitting at the bar. It was quiet when we headed in but it got much busier by the time we were leaving. A pint of Beamish tickled my fancy and Jen had a bottle of Coors light. The pint was excellent and i stayed for another as well. We sat just across from the bar and there is plenty memorabilia on the walls especially of the sporting type. We got peckish while inside and decided to order one of their pizzas which was only about 6 euro for a fine sized margarita.
The toilets are a bit of a walk away and are located upstairs. They were in good condition when checked. I think i spotted a smoking area upstairs but didn’t take too much notice. We left at just the right time as the guy doing the music wanted to set up where we were sitting. A very good experience over all.
Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Final comment: The Twins O’ Brien bar is a relatively new bar and we wish everyone involved the best of luck with the venture.
Cork’s newest music venue. Situated on Careys lane, just off Patrick Street. It appears that this pub is like the new lobby. I haven’t seen a gig there as of yet but i have been in the bar downstairs on two occasions. The bar itself is quite spacious with some comfortable seating areas. There is a nice area out the front for smokers and people watchers. My most recent visit was a with a big group and i had a fair few pints there. They were very good quality pints of Murphy’s. Myself and Agger even got a few free pints as there was a promotion on! The music being played on the sound system was enjoyable and not too loud. The glass front is a nice feature of the bar. This pub was formerly called Coopers and was completely renovated.
The toilets are up stairs and to be fair even though they are small they were well maintained when i saw them. This pub is definately worth checking out whether it for a gig, a drink or maybe even a bite to eat. I saw that they have a website available http://www.pavilioncork.com/
Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 7.5/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Final comment: Check out this venue out and catch the best of local talent.
After leaving ‘The Islanders Rest Bar’ the stag group all headed to this bar. It was very convenient because i felt i could nearly jump into my tent from the front door of the pub! There was people sitting on the benches outside when we arrived there. The place was packed inside. There was not a seat to be seen. I managed to get to the bar and ordered my drinks but the bar man forgot to serve me so i was waiting a while. To be fair even though the place was very busy the pints of Murphy’s were still reasonably good. The bar staff ran out of draught beer at one point during the night and were only serving bottles. There was a mighty sing song going on in the back section of the pub and thats where i found myself for most of the night. I even eventually got a seat for a while. There is a smoking area available out the back of the pub and there are also more benches here.
I know that they do food here but we didn’t try any. The toilets are located out the front door and in another door. The gents were in very poor condition it has to be said. There was no lights working in there for most of the night. To be fair we were all removed at a pretty reasonable time and managed to get some sleep before getting the ferry back the next morning and heading our seperate ways.
Toilet rating: 3/10
Pint rating: 7.5/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10
This is a very popular pub and i enjoyed my visit. It is small but has a lot of character and there was a brilliant atmosphere there on our visit.
I attended the stag party recently of a friend of mine over on Sherkin Island about 10 minutes by ferry from Baltimore, west Cork. We camped in someones garden and had a good game of football on the beach. That evening we decided to find somewhere to eat and myself and Ryan wandered into this pub. It’s much more that just a pub really. They have accomodation and a function room available. In fact the great John Spillane was playing a gig upstairs while we were there but we didn’t attend. We all ate here and the food was reasonably priced and the portion sizes were generous. The pints of Murphy’s were consistent all night. The bar area is quite spacious and there is also a room where they have loads of pool tables and a fussball table. This is where we spent most of the night. We played music and pool and it was fun. There are seats and a garden outside the back area and there are fantastic views of Baltimore and surrounding areas.
The toilets were well maintained when checked but one of the cubicles was locked so was wondering why that was. There was a group of lads singing in the main bar and they were having a great time. It appeared to be doing a very healthy trade while we were there. We stayed there before heading up to the only other public house on the island.
Toilet rating: 6.5/10
Pint rating: 7.5/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Final comment: I enjoyed the food in this bar but it wasn’t as lively as the other bar on the island ‘The Jolly Roger’.
I have visited this venue a couple of times and most recently the other night. The Crane Lane Theatre is one of Cork City’s most popular night spots. It is located on Phoenix street and was formerly club one. There are bouncers at the door and when you walk in you first enter the smoking area. There have been a few occasions that i have went in to this bar and came out again because it was too packed. Last Friday night we headed in and it was quite busy but not full. We went in a around 9pm and went into the back bar. There were no seats available when we went in but some people left and we had some where for our group to sit. I have to say that the music that was played for the whole night was varied and very enjoyable. I was drinking Murphy’s for the night and all pints were generally good. On one occasion i was waiting at the bar for about 5 minutes before one of the bar staff came out from the front section. The bar staff i encountered were generally friendly and efficient. I really like the decor in this pub. You really have to go in there and see it for yourself. It is certainly the only bar of its kind in Cork.
The toilets that i used were ok. The gents is small and on occasions during the night there were queues to use the facilities but they were well kept that night. I am sure that there are other toilet facilities available but i didn’t see them. There are often gigs and other events taking place in this venue and i will most certainly be back again. This is a place that you must visit at least once if you live in Cork.
Toilet rating: 6.5/10
Pint rating: 7.5/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Final comment: There was a great atmosphere in this bar the other night. It got really busy later in the night. It’s near the GPO, check it out.
I was on my christmas work night out recently and we had a very nice meal and drinks at the greyhound track in Curraheen. Afterwards we headed into the city centre for a few drinks and headed into the relatively new Chambers Bar on Washington Street. This pub was previously ‘The Mercury Lounge’ and more recently ‘PI’. We passed the bouncer on the door and got a seat on the left hand side just inside the door. It is a very big pub and there is ample standing space available even when all the seats are gone. It has a very nice interior and i got a good vibe from the place. There was a dj playing and she played a very good selection of songs. I had a few pints of Murphy’s and also a few jager bombs. The pints were fine but the shots were excellent! The service at the bar was very efficient and the bar staff were friendly.
The toilets were in very good condition and there is a very impressive mirror in there. There is a smoking area at the back of the pub. It is a late bar on Friday and Saturdays as far as i know but it could be open late other nights as well. I have to say that i enjoyed my visit to Chambers bar and it is worth checking out if in the city.
Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Final comment: Thats Chambers bar. Take a look for yourself.
When we were younger we used to frequently head into a pub of the same name on Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork City. It was our local in the city for years but it has closed and changed names twice since our days there. An Teach Beag that i am writing about is in the beautiful west Cork town of Clonakilty. We headed in here on our christmas night out recently. It looks like a small shed from the outside but it was very surprising on walking inside. Basically this is a traditional Irish pub designed for tourists. It is not a huge bar but there is a fair amount of seating available. The first thing i noticed was the indoor shrubbery. I went to the bar along with the others to order our drinks. I was waiting ages before the guy behind the bar bothered to acknowledge me. Very poor bar service as far as i am concerned. It wasn’t that there was crowds of people trying to get his attention, he was just being pure ignorant. I eventually got served and listened to the trad music. The musicians were very good but they didn’t tolerate any noise when they were playing tunes. As we sat and enjoyed our pints which weren’t too bad you could hear very loud music coming from a near by bar.
The toilets are up stairs and the gents toilet is a single cubicle. It was in good condition on the night. There is a balcony overlooking the bar and there was a few chairs here aswell if you wanted to sit up here. Overall it is a grand pub but i personally wouldn’t head back here again but it is worth a visit once as it is quite unique.
Toilet rating: 6/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Final comment: An Teach Beag is a quaint bar that will appeal to anyone who is visiting from abroad.
We headed out west to Clonakilty for our christmas night out this year and we enjoyed the hospitality of Kevin and Eithne. We had a very nice dinner in An Sugan before heading to this pub for a drink. I liked Fiddler’s Green from the moment i walked in. It is a small bar and has some very interesting memorabilia on the walls. It was quite busy when we went in and we managed to find a small room just off the bar that accomodated all our group. I enjoyed a very decent pint of Murphy’s and soaked up the atmosphere of this fine country pub. There was a digital jukebox in this section and i made sure to put on a few songs!
The toilets are at the front of the pub and when the pub got really busy i found it difficult to get to them as people were on bar stools blocking the path out! They were absoloutly fine about moving for us when we wanted to get out. The toilets themselves were ok but not in great condition to be honest. We all had a really enjoyable time in this pub and it is most certainly worth visiting.
Toilet rating: 5.5/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10
Final comment: Fiddler’s Green is a nice Clonakilty pub that appeals to tourists and locals alike.
Carrigaline has a new pub!! Hogans bar opened a couple of months ago where the old post office used to reside. Carrigaline has been steadily losing pubs in the village over the past few years so it is good to see that a new pub has been established. It is a long bar and is narrow at the front section where there is a bar. There is another bar at the back of the pub and there is comfortable seating areas here. The bar staff i have met have been very efficient, even providing table service which is great. There is a restaurant upstairs and i have heard good reports about that and there is also a bar food menu available. The pints of Murphy’s are very good and will compete with anywhere in Carrigaline for quality. It is a very modern and comfortable pub.
The toilets are a very strange set up indeed. The gents is way too small with one cubibicle and urinal available. The condition of the toilets was good when checked. Apparently new toilets are being planned for this pub. There is good size smoking area available out the back of the pub. I think that this pub will do very well and with a population the size of Carrigaline it is sure to thrive. One thing i can’t figure out is why they called it Hogans when we have a Cogans. It’s causing all sorts of problems when we are ringing to find out where people are! They should have called it ‘The Post Office’!
Toilet rating: 5/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10
Final comment: Hogans is a very decent bar that is modern and appears to be run very well. Best of luck to the owners.
On the same night that we visited the Bierhaus and The Laurel Bar we also paid a visit to a relatively new pub Slainte. This pub was formerly The Vineyard and is located down Market lane just off Patrick Street in Cork City centre. There was a good crowd inside when we headed in but we managed to get a seat. The pints of Murphy’s were very good and went down well. It has a somewhat intimate atmosphere as the lights were low and there was background music playing.
The toilets are up some steps and are small but the condition was ok when i checked them. I have read that there is live tradional music every Wednesday with the Ceili all stars and there is a BBQ on a Sunday. These would be most certainly worth checking out.
Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Final comment: Slainte is a decent pub that i have heard a lot of people talking about. Its definately worth a visit.
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