S4406 Hilton Kilmainham

For the second time in recent history, I walked past a sign I had clearly seen and read, with the expectation that its requirements would not be enforced.

The sign here was stating the hotel bar was for residents only; but with a very open and inviting looking bar terrace facing on to the road; I decided that this clearly only meant during gigs at IMMA. 

I didn't ask to find out if that was the case, but I was served beer and lunch - reasonable but not great, I wouldn't go here specifically for a meal anyway - without issue.

I'd probably just go to S1510 Patriots Inn across the road if I was in this area looking for a pint; but this is definitely an option, sometimes.

RetroReview: S0253 The Goat

Like the previous RetroReview, I have visited here due to my prior work in radio; but I had actually visited here for other reasons.

This was a semi-regular stopping point to grab dinner before going to see Harps games against UCD; but my most recent visits here didn't involve drinking, as they always related to getting breakfast at outside broadcasts arranged from outside the pub.

The ultimate hosts for those occasions, you'd never come away better fed from a broadcast than at The Goat; with four services of food delivered out to the broadcast vehicle during a full day. These would be slightly Hobbit like, with breakfast when the kitchens opened, Second Breakfast around the time of the show change at 10am; and lunch and dinner later on.

I can understand why, from an animal welfare perspective, the pub no longer has an actual goat in the carpark; but the website does reminisce about the days of Gertie and her kids that lived on-site prior to 1983. With The Clocks aviary having closed many years before the pub did; I'm not sure we have anything beyond a potential Pub Dog left as an animal mascot for a Dublin pub.

1019273 Big Mikes

This vast premises is the latest offshoot of the noted Michaels restaurant in Mount Merrion; and it is certainly aptly named - I don't know this centre well enough to know what was in this space before, but it is a multi-level space running from the inside of the centre out to a large terrace at the front.

There is a full pub licence in place here, and a conventional bar, and walk-ins for drinks only are welcome - assuming there are seats, I suspect that standing at the bar may not be that practical. 

There isn't a great tap list, though - some other pubstaraunt venues have a few craft taps even when they have a smaller bar - but its all macro and all quite boring here; although there were Kinnegar bottles.

RetroReview: S0304 McCormacks

This was my grandparents local, so to speak; and they were certainly regular customers - but my grandfather on this side didn't drink; and my grandmother was likely not sneaking out for a sherry so they went here primarily for food.

Indeed, every visit I've made here involved food. There was one date, with someone who lived nearby and picked the place, which was a tad awkward lest my grandmother actually sneak in for a sherry (I'm sure she never did); and I went here for dinner with a friend who lived nearby some other times - but otherwise the rest of them were family events, from parties to meals after memorial services.

EPITR: LEP073 McCaffertys, Dungloe

There aren't all that many pubs in The Rosses; but as two of them are operated by the one chain, and they also have one in Dublin; I need to put the town name in the title to clarify it.

This is a large pub, fitted out to a very high standard, and you may end up paying for that depending on what you buy - a €6 pint is exceptionally expensive for Dungloe; but I was drinking a local APA rather than my usual for ticking Smithwicks, which I imagine is a bit cheaper.

They also do food here, which most of the other pubs in the town don't.

RetroReview: S0232 The Glenside

Erm, its got a thatched roof... and I had lunch here a few times, at least once with a pint...

The last time was over a decade ago and I honestly can't remember much at this stage.

S0296 Kelly & Coopers

The last of the 'traditional' pubs in Blackrock village that I had yet to visit, this pub once had a name that sounds like the Whatsapp message you may get before an indecent proposal - the "U Inn". That was around 90 years ago; though.

As mentioned in the previous (non-retro) writeup, Blackrock is a bit rugby mad. Kelly & Coopers interior designer may have latched on to this, with the window to the toilets being shaped like rugby balls, the light fixtures in the side of the staircase in the main bar being shaped like rugby balls, and some other rugby references around the place.

And yet, the pub-wide sound system was playing the sound of the FA Cup Final instead.

From memory, there was a reasonable tap selection here - there's quite a few places in Blackrock with a reasonable selection, although not everywhere as we'll see soon...