Latest news with #OldCommando
Sunday World
16-05-2025
- Sunday World
Barmaid serves up beers and cheers in McCormack's of Castlepollard with pints at just €5.50
There was a good atmosphere throughout the pub and the barmaid certainly shared a good rapport with the locals Our Commandos liked the view from McCormack's of Castlepollard in Co Westmeath It's hard to believe that more than 10 years have passed since we drank a pint in Castlepollard, but the Old Commando can still remember that cold January evening back in 2015. 'I checked my notes before we left. We were drinking pints of Guinness for only €4 that night, I doubt we'll be so lucky this time around,' he joked. Following our 75 minute journey from the capital, we arrived in the small village of Castlepollard and having circled the village green twice, our designated driver finally parked the pub-mobile and let us out to stretch our legs. Having admired the nice blue exterior, the Old Commando made his way across the street and into front bar of McCormack's pub, where he instructed us to take our seats at the front window overlooking the green area in the middle of the village. 'Isn't that a lovely view on a lovely sunny day like this?' he said as he went to place our order. It is a nice feature of this pub, we must say, to have a counter area just inside the front door in front of a large window — it almost made us feel bad for sitting inside as the sun split the rocks. However, we were here to drink porter, not work on our summer tan, and after a brief few moments a barmaid arrived and took the Old Commando's order. The creamy pints of stout cost us €5.50, an almost 38 per cent increase since our previous visit to the area ten years ago, but this is arguably one of the cheaper prices you'll find these days. There are a large selection of drinks available on draught in this pub including Coors, Corona, Birra Moretti and Orchard Thieves Wild, while the fridges and shelves were also fully stocked. There was a predominately male clientele during our stay and most of the crowd was in the front section, with saloon-styled doors separating the first two sections of the bar. The second section, which was populated mostly by younger males, contained a pool table, a jukebox, a TV and two gaming machines. There was a good atmosphere throughout the pub and the barmaid certainly shared a good rapport with the locals who seemed as happy to see her as she was to see them. The wine leather barstools were in good condition and there are coat hangers located along the counter for convenience. There are two TVs in the front bar and horse racing was being shown during our visit. We noticed a third section of this pub but it was closed off during our visit. A sign behind the counter advised that hangovers only last a day, memories last a lifetime, so having read that sign the Young Commando ordered round two and we began working towards the hangover. We noticed some GAA photos hanging throughout the bar, including one of the 1981 U21 hurling team that won their championship, and the Old Commando mentioned that it is now 20 years since Castlepollard's last senior hurling title. 'They must be starving for success, who knows what the year will bring?' he continued. Our designated driver took it upon himself to inspect the beer garden and toilets which are located side by side, and while he was complimentary of the beer garden, the toilets need some attention. 'There's no seat on one of the toilets and the cubicle lock is busted,' he told us upon his return. These are two very basic items and they should be fixed immediately. We enjoyed our visit to McCormack's bar and perhaps we'll return next year when they pub will celebrate its 50th birthday, having been established in 1976. Rating: Three pints out of Five One for the road: Town and Country – Castlepollard A very smartly dressed blonde barmaid served us when we stopped off at the Town and Country pub in Castlepollard. There were few empty seats in the front bar with a middle aged to elderly clientele all in fine spirits and enjoying their few drinks. There was a very good atmosphere during our stay and some good characters perched at the counter telling tall tales. The red leather barstools and bench seating were in good condition and we spotted a TV at both ends of the room. The brown brick fireplace is a nice feature and there is a framed Kilkenny jersey hanging just above it. We passed through the second section of the pub on our way to inspect the toilets and noticed it has a pool table, a poker machine and a gaming machine. A light bulb in the toilet cubicle is required as the current one was flickering, and the sink tap needs to be replaced too. A general update in the area of the toilets wouldn't be any harm, in Pub Spy's opinion. Rating: Three pints out of Five
Sunday World
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Sunday World
Banter was brilliant in Timmy Martin's of Limerick, but pints were expensive at €6.20
There was plenty of football banter in Timmy Martin's in Limerick BOTH the Young Commando and the Old Commando were significantly hung-over when the pub-mobile departed from HQ this week, but for two very different reasons. The Young Commando hadn't stopped celebrating since his beloved Liverpool FC won the Premier League last weekend, while the Old Commando was still coming to terms with Dublin's Leinster semi-final loss to Meath. When the idea was floated to visit the Royal County, the old guy was quick to veto the notion and insisted we get as far away from Leinster as possible, 'somewhere they'll have no interest in talking about Gaelic football' he declared, while pulling his cap down over his gaunt face. The 200km trip to Limerick city offered the perfect opportunity for some shut eye before the troops would have to sample some more porter – and we knew neither man would be found shirking his responsibilities when the time came. Our designated driver parked at the Arthurs Quay shopping centre and we made the short walk towards Timmy Martin's pub in the hope that the locals may not even know that Dublin had been beaten last Sunday. There was a predominately male clientele in Martin's pub when our team arrived and an experienced barman, who seemed to enjoy a vape or two, served us immediately. He was very welcoming and full of chat to the Old Commando as we waited for the Guinness to settle. We paid an expensive €6.20 for a pint of stout, that left us scratching our heads and wondering will there ever come a point that the Irish Government intervenes in the pub crisis. 'I can't see it. They've destroyed tourism in the country and they've sat back for the last decade watching the pub trade die on its knees with not a care in the world,' the Old Commando fumed. There was a brilliant atmosphere during our stay with the majority of the banter going back and forth between Liverpool and Manchester United fans seated at the counter. There was another small group of Limerick hurling fans in the pub and the general consensus in that fraternity is that Cork are favourites for the All Ireland, although they have plenty of vulnerabilities. The green velvet and blue leather bench seating was in good shape and the timber flooring was clean too. There are three TVs in the front bar where we sat and an additional TV in the second section of the pub that we passed en route to the toilets. We found it unusual but refreshing that despite this being a city centre pub, there was a good local feel about the place, with nearly everyone on a first name basis. The fridges were all fully stocked, the counter wiped clean and there are a large number of drinks available on draught, such as Rockshore lager, Hop House 13, Birra Moretti and Orchard Thieves. Music was playing through the speakers throughout the pub and we spotted a photo of the Limerick hurlers who lifted the Liam McCarthy cup in 1973. Our Young Commando inspected the toilets and found no faults. He told us they were small but clean with two urinals and one cubicle. As the evening wore on it continued to get busier and busier and the front door was left open as the regulars enjoyed the mini-heatwave from the comfort of their barstools. We enjoyed our visit to Timmy Martin's pub and we'd have no qualms about calling again when we're in the city. Rating: Three pints out of Five One for the road: Charlie Chaplin's Bar – Chapel Street, Limerick WE stumbled upon Charlie Chaplin's bar and initially thought it was closed as the doors were shut and there was no lighting turned on at the front of the bar. One of our eagled eyed Commandos spotted Christmas style lights at the rear of the pub, however, so we decided we'd have one or two and see what it had to offer. There was a predominately younger crowd there and we certainly overheard some English accents too. The atmosphere was lively and we were served by a barman with glasses who was kept busy during our stay. We spotted a vape machine as well as a cigarette machine and three large screen TVs. The toilets contained one cubicle and a stainless steel urinal and there was an overpowering smell of bleach. We had just the one round of drinks and decided to leave it to the young folks. Rating: Three pints out of Five
Sunday World
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
You won't be Horsing into the pints in Delgany's Horse & Hound with pints at a pricey €6.50
Wicklow boozer is a great spot with an amazing atmosphere but it is very much on the expensive side Nine years ago Pub Spy paid a very quick visit to the village of Delgany, Co Wicklow, but before that we can't remember when we made a visit. We were long overdue a good knees-up in Co Wicklow and we were interested to see how things might have changed over the past decade. As it turned out, very little has changed in the area with the exception of a few new houses, and the small village remains exactly how we remembered it. The streets leading to both pubs are very narrow and parking can prove hazardous at times. We managed to get parking close to the Horse and Hound pub but we left the fate of the pub-mobile in the hands of our Lord as we said a novena and blessed ourselves that we'd come back to find it in one piece. There were two barmen on duty when we arrived and the contrast between them couldn't have been any more stark. The barman with a beard served us immediately and he was certainly the chattier of the two. The second barman disappeared shortly after we arrived and we didn't see him again. There is a large selection of drinks available on draught such as Guinness and Heineken Zero, Murphy's, Wicklow Wolf, Tiger, Birra Moretti, Orchard Thieves and Coors to name but a few, but we were shocked when we had to pay €6.50 for a pint of Guinness. 'It's a good job they're building all those houses down the road 'cause the current locals will be bankrupt if they keep forking out that kind of money for a drink,' the Young Commando said jokingly. Once he had recovered from a suspected stroke and managed to lift his jaw off the ground, the Old Commando sampled the creamy pints and although he was far from impressed by the price, he did at least enjoy the taste. He enjoyed the second and third pints too. There was a mixed clientele of mostly young to middle aged people when we arrived but the longer we stayed the busier it got, and the crowd arriving was getting younger as the night was getting longer. The atmosphere was very good and we were very content as we sat beside the modern cylinder shaped stove which was burning logs of timber and keeping us nice and toasty. A votive candle was placed on each table. The red velvet barstools at the counter were old but in good condition, and the same could be said for the bench seating and timber flooring. While the furnishings certainly aren't new, they suited the surroundings and it's the type of boozer the Old Commando wishes there was more of. With the exception of the stove and the TVs, there's probably nothing modern about the place. They serve food here in the front bar and there is also a large restaurant section behind the front bar downstairs, although it didn't seem to be open during our visit. There are plenty of hunting photos hanging through this pub, which was established in 1790, and they have advertised a live traditional music session every Wednesday from 9.30pm. Our Young Commando inspected the toilets and he reported back to us that they were very clean with three urinals and three cubicles. We enjoyed our few expensive pints in The Horse and Hound pub in Delgany, and thankfully the pub-mobile was in one piece when we got back to it. Rating: Three pints out of Five One for the road: Wicklow Arms – Delgany We've already bookmarked a return visit to this pub. As best as our memory tells us, we had never been to The Wicklow Arms pub in Delgany before but it made an instant impression on us. Established in 1856, this spacious boozer is in wonderful condition with high ceilings, a brilliant atmosphere and a predominately female clientele. The yellow velvet barstools were in good condition and plentiful, as was the green velvet wall seating. We counted five TVs located throughout the bar. A young barman named Josh served us and there were two waitresses on duty during our stay. They were serving food in one section at the far end of the pub and our stomachs were grumbling each time the wait staff passed our table. As expected, the toilets were immaculately clean with two cubicles and four urinals. We were extremely impressed by our surroundings and fully intend to return for a longer stint. Keep up the good work. Rating: Four pints out of Five
