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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
03-05-2025
- Sunday World
Trapper's Inn on the Tuam road hits the spot for good grub, perfect pints and atmosphere
The Old Commando didn't see the need to use up space in his gut on food so he stuck with his usual pint of plain, of which he was very complementary. Trapper's Inn on the Tuam road hits the spot for good grub, perfect pints and atmosphere OUR Commandos were delighted to be making the five-hour round trek to Galway this week and, as the Young Commando said, I only wish we could go there every week. It has never happened to us, and we don't know of anyone it happened to either, but we don't think it's possible to have a bad night out in Galway. It's always busy in or around the city regardless of the time of year, the time of the week or even the time of the day you call to a pub. 'Hopefully today's no different,' the Old Commando said, as our designated driver took us along the Tuam Road on the outskirts of the city centre. As sharp as ever, he spotted The Trapper's Inn on the right-hand side and suggested to us that this might be a nice little local to check out, while noting they served food and his stomach was rumbling. The Commandos don't mind where they visit as long as there are refreshments available, so he parked the pub mobile in the spacious car park adjacent to the boozer. Stepping inside the front door we found a bar to the left and to the right, but the Young Commando immediately turned left as he spotted a soccer match on one of the two TVs. It was reasonably busy when we arrived with a mixed clientele of mostly couples or groups of men, but we were served very quickly and a couple of the Commandos even opted for food. The Old Commando didn't see the need to use up space in his gut on food so he stuck with his usual pint of plain, of which he was very complementary. Coors and Rockshore are also available on draught and the bar staff and waitresses were all polite and friendly. The Old Commando enjoyed his pint of Guinness as he checked out the Galway GAA memorabilia behind the counter. Most of the clientele appeared to be tourists rather than locals but we did meet one regular barfly who informed the Old Commando as he sank his pint of Guinness of the new Radisson Red Hotel which had just opened 300m away. 'Trade has picked up around these parts since Christmas when that new hotel opened up. I suppose they're all coming here first for a few pints before getting taxis into the city centre,' he told the Old Commando. There was a decent atmosphere throughout the pub with a high turnover of customers during our stay. Most customers were dining, or lining their stomach as the Young Commando put it, and our troops who did order grub were left satisfied. The solid fuel stove wasn't lit as the spell of warm weather continued, and the green leather bench seating was generally in good condition, although it was torn in parts. The Proclamation hangs proudly inside the front door as well as a photo of Michael Collins, and the Tricolour is draped from the ceiling. Some of the great Galway teams in both football and hurling are also proudly displayed – such as the 2017 senior hurlers, the 2001 senior footballers and the great teams of the 1980s. Having survived in New York last weekend, perhaps the four-in-a-row chasing Connacht champions might have a new photo to hang at the end of 2025. Before we departed, we dispatched the Young Commando to inspect the toilets and he reported back to us that they were fresh and clean and contained two cubicles and a ceramic urinal. We enjoyed our grub and the few pints in The Trapper's Inn before our designated driver took us into town to finish off the night. Rating: Three pints out of Five One for the road: The Dew Drop Inn – Galway As the Young Commando pointed out, it probably wouldn't matter if you called to this pub on a Wednesday night or a Saturday night — it would still be busy. Our love for Galway continues to grow and it took us to The Drew Drop Inn recently where we enjoyed a fill of pints — too many, if the truth be known. There was a mixed clientele of all ages in the front bar where we sat, but the higher you went up in the building the younger the crowd. There is one TV in the front bar and a votive candle on each table with a nice open fire in the cosy snug section at the rear. The purple bench seating was fine and the timber flooring was clean. There was a brilliant atmosphere throughout the bar and the staff were friendly and offered efficient service. The toilets are located upstairs and contained two urinals and one cubicle. Rating: Three pints out of Five
