Cheers soundy Let’s walk it and see,I’m as much a punter as a publican so it makes it easier to deliver what people want .Thanks for the invite Benny, and I'll certainly drop into Canty's at some stage. As I said, fair play to you as a Cork man doing well and it's great to see new generations employed. As I also said, I thought that lady in zigg...sorry The Park, had a bit about her and should do well.
Not sure why there are two murals Constance Markievicz and one of the other ladies but mustn't grumble on that one
The number of pubs in the City "centre", where I think the preponderance of your pubs are, wouldn't even approach 120. Could I be so cheeky as to ask how many you have in your stable now and roughly how many there are in total say from Coburg Street, McCurtain Street over to Goldbergs back to Fordes, north to the Northgate Tavern and back to Coburg Street - what could loosly be termed "the flat of the city". I doubt at this stage there are much more than about 60 tbh. 15 pubs for instance out of say 60 would be a big slice of the market.
I know you're the pub-trade expert and see things from that other side of the counter, and I'm just one of thousands of punters that frequent pubs on social occasions, but I calls it as I sees it with regards to tied houses and the way things seem to be going.
I occasionally go over to Scotland where I've been known to enjoy a libation or two but what I don't like about drinking over there is the lack of universality in the selection of "staples" because different chains own different emporiums.
One could go from pub to pub in Cork from the 1980s up to the naughties and be sure of getting a pint of the popular tipples - as well as being presented with a variation in the not-so-popular options. The variations have increased but alas it no longer seems to be the case when "if in doubt call one of the old reliables". I won't pretend to know anything about successfully running a bar from start to finish, but over the years I've amassed some experience of what a lot of people seem to like on the customer side of the bar
BTW, why is it only The Castle that seems to stock snuff?
Seriously though, good luck with your various ventures and maybe you think I'm just a grumpy so-and-so, but I do pine for the alas fast disappearing "local" where one can come and drink a consistently good pint and customers and/or the barman will engage you in conversation or leave you the hell alone depending on your wanting to talk to them or not.
Interestingly from Victoria cross to the lower road and from lehenamore to mayfield there have been 91 pub closures since 1980 ,but 50 of them are in the area you define ,it’s an incredible number ,
On tied houses they are no longer ,but you can’t deny the demand for award winning local beer .
The truth of the matter is that public houses have been closed by overwhelming and often contradictory compliance issues ,the same is true of the corner shop ,
It’s a shame and I agree with you there ,but we can’t cast the survivors as somehow being let’s say disloyal to the concept of the public house ,
There was a time where you could actually go missing in the pubs of cork and not be found for a couple of days
I lament is passing as you do but I disagree with you on one fundamental point ,there actually was less choice in Cork at the taps in those times and it was basically a duopoly,now there is way more choice across the city centre and most of it is local ,that is an incredible feat,
Fran well,rising sons ,stag ban,elbo lane ,look also at kinsale gin etc,
These less popular options would never get a look in back then ,now we have fewer pubs but better choices ,
Its a mighty thing to take down a giant and not sell your soul in the hope of an all Ireland ticket ,
Come on let’s go for a pint .I’ll even accompany you into a gaff that sells the Dublin stuff .