All my point was was someone told me the Sin É was a racing pub, years ago, and I was well familiar with the bumper and the madness of various "Ladies' Days." Wanting a rest from The Welcome I toddled in one lunchtime and asked them if they the racing was on the tellies. They said nothing was listed on RTÉ. I still had a pint of Mi Daza, coz, sure, I was thirsty after my walk and felt like supporting a local brewery (although I'll revert to both Beamish and/or Murphy's if I'm back in the future. Mi Daza just isn't right for me, despite choosing it for moral reasons for years and giving it a fair try I'm not gone on the taste; personal preference, no slight intended. The Handsum is decent and there's been some good limited bres) Then I went to the The Welcome, somewhere I knew they had the channels, whereupon I met a lovely fella who was down a few hundred but still having the time of his life, and we drank, and chatted and watched the races. I dunno about the few hundred but he did look to be enjoying himself. I enjoyed myself too.
I was talking to the Mammy and, like I said, she'd go into Canty's for lunch for years and said the racing during Cheltenham was brilliant in there. Over the last few years the friends she'd have in the office who'd go for lunch with her there during "The Festival" and at other times have retired so she doesn't bother any more. If Canty's had Racing TV, because I'd watch a meet some random day I have free time, rather than looking to the festivals, I'd be tempted to wander in, if I was welcome. A physical bookies nearby is a testatment to it; I don't like the apps. As were the couple of exhibitions I've been to in there.
Unfortunately, it seems, and maybe I wasn't clear on this, it isn't sustainable to run a racing pub in the city centre anymore. Not what I know as racing pubs. And not what I'd view as racing pubs. As you rightly point out "there are racing pubs and there are racing pubs" which was my point, so saying I was ranting when you seem to agree with me is a bit petty. If you're just showing the big festivals that's alright, there's places I can go in the villages and towns that cater to me and racing. Ones that don't have the costs associated with a city centre business (which has put me off drinking in the city.) Equally, in such a big bar as Canty's I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable leaving all my coat, etc. and my pint behind while I run out to a Boyle's (like in other bars I go to) or Paddy Power, or All Bar One. Maybe my view would change if I went in there?
