ginger ale in Grogans

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Dublin, ginger ale, Grogans, Ireland, Irish culture, Irish pubs, pub, pubs

As many know pub-life is a big part of Irish culture – some believe it is all about the drink, but really it is all about the talk. And one of the best places in Dublin to find just that is Grogans on South Williams Street.

Like the good old fashioned pub that Grogans is, there are no TV screens or music to distract you from communicating with friends and strangers alike. Shyness is something you just have to leave at the door, since you’re probably going to end up sitting (or standing) next to someone you don’t know, but in no time you will definitely have made a new friend.

So, even though I am not drinking alcohol at the moment (an upcoming blood test requires my abstinence) what better place to go on a Thursday evening, when you have no other plans? Once in Grogans I met a friend and sat next to a couple of tourists and some “Bog Babes” from Kerry just back from a photo-shoot.

Later more friends arrived and a lively mother/daughter duo from Wisconsin and their Irish tour-guide joined us. As stories where told and memories made – some even captured on camera- I sipped my ginger ale, a little envious of those who indulged in a pint, and couldn’t help but think how wonderful a place like Grogans is. So, while some may enjoy a gastropub or a craft beer, Grogans and a proper chat is my pick any day of the week – even when I’m only drinking ginger ale!

Film Review:The Irish Pub

midweek music

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bar, Celtic Tiger, Dublin, Jennifer Evans, music, Odessa Club, pubs

Dublin is filled with pubs and bars and last night I found myself inside the Odessa, a salon like club in the middle of town. At the height of the Celtic Tiger the Odessa was a private – members only – club and with its four stories of restaurants, bars and function rooms a hot spot for all high flyers to hang out in. Now everyone can venture in and visit this old fashioned gem in Dublin City Center and if you’re lucky you’ll find some very talented people performing in the upstairs bar.

Yesterday the wonderful Jennifer Evans was singing and I sat perched on a leather puffee sipping some G&T enjoying her unique sound and incredible voice . I went on my own but was delighted to find some friendly faces amongst the other music lovers.

As the saying goes, ‘good things come in small packages’, and this description truly fits Dubliner Jennifer Evans. This tiny person has an unbelievable voice, strong and deep and when listening you can’t fathom how such volume can come out of such a petite person.

Some midweek music was the perfect way to spend my Wednesday night and well worth running through the rain for.

 

Film Review: The Irish Pub

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Alex Fegan, documentary, Dublin, entertainment, film review: The Irish Pub, film reviews, Films, Ireland, Irish heritage, Irish Pub, pubs, The Irish Pub

All around the world Ireland is famous for it’s pubs and for many the reason to visit the Emerald Isle.  They want to sit around a turf fire and listen to traditional music, have a pint of the black stuff and remember a time gone by.

Sadly these kinds of pubs are slowly disappearing and that was the reason why filmmaker Alex Fegan thought it was time to document them before they become another part of lost Irish heritage.

Travelling all around Ireland Fegan met third generation pub owners and lets them tell their stories, no script and no need for one. The Irish Pub is a joyful and melancholic love letter to publican houses all over Ireland.

What may surprise is that no matter where in Ireland a pub may be, they all have a lot in common. They seem to favour an eclectic collection of bits and bobs as decoration, never letting anything go, documenting time in the shape of a wellington-boot hanging from the ceiling, old portrait photos nailed to the walls and pots, pans, mole traps and other contraptions lining the selves.  The owners see their pubs as an extension of their living-room, their paying costumers as part of the family, their jobs as a service to the community.

Fegan has found some interestingly wonderful and quirky characters who talk about their points of view, creating a very Irish and authentic charm to this unique documentary.

And while everything is filmed within the pubs the storytelling is never really about drink. It is about chatting to friends, community life, the importance of having a place to go to and life in general.

The Irish Pub may at times be little bit twee, but as the publicans and local are constantly telling a new story, singing a song or serving a pint, the moment never last long and it never becomes boring.

So if you enjoy a few jars, a little bit of craic and a great story The Irish Pub truly does deliver, a beautiful film that celebrates Irish life at its very best.

night out with tales of old

Tags

Dublin, entertainment, Films, Ireland, pubs, The Irish Pub

Trying to settle back in to teaching, preparing and doing all those things we have to do on a daily basis has made me somewhat busy. When I come home I feel the need to keep to myself, entertaining students all day really isn’t an easy feat and really talks the ‘talk’ right out of you, no matter how much Lyons tea you drink (insider joke, which you will understand if you watch this ad).

But yesterday I decided it was time to catch up with a  good friend and since I had free tickets to a film it seemed like the perfect opportunity. And oh how right I was!

I had seen a trailer for the film, a documentary called The Irish Pub and was really looking forward to it. It was such a beautiful film, all about proper Irish pubs and the part the play in Irish society. (You can find a review here).

But what made the night out with my friend so special was that the film maker Alex Fegan and most of the pub owners from the film where there too. It was great to get a chance to chat to some of them and the stories they told were funny and truly part of what makes Ireland great.

My friend and I ended up meeting the owner  and some of the locals of The Palace Bar, an old Victorian pub and bar established in 1823. It is one of the oldest pubs in Dublin and you can find it ob Fleet Street in Temple Bar, at the heart of this dirty old town.

These charming old men, one with a long white bear, one with brilliant blue eyes and one even with a cane bought us drinks and in true Irish fashion enchanted us with their tales of old. They talked about what the Pub means to them and who Dublin has changed, they explained that although all enjoyed a drink or five  going to the pub was all about community, after all it is called a “public house”, a place for people to meet and share each others lives.

As we  finally said our good-byes, cider in our bellies and smiles in our hearts, I could help but be grateful for such a wonderful night out and for the chance to hear those tales of old  form those who lived them, a dying bread of old-fashioned Irish men.

The men who shared the tales of old with us (still from the film The Irish Pub)

corner pub

Tags

Caroline Moreau, Dublin, entertainment, french Chanson, Larry Beau, miscellaneous, music, pubs, random

There is a pub on the corner to the street where I live. I pass it by nearly every day but in the two and  a half years that I have lived here I have never been inside. I am not really sure why, I think it is a combination of not being a “pub-goer’ per se, that the men and women who hang around outside look less then inviting and that I generally meet people in town.  But yesterday everything changed!

About a week ago I found an intriguing flyer in my letterbox. It was from my corner pub inviting me to something, what was very unclear as it didn’t say just listed names and the image was of knives and forks. But because I didn’t know to what this flyer was inviting me I thought I might go, just to find out.

So when my neighbour dropped in for a cup of tea we decided to venture over and check out what it was all about and boy were we pleasantly surprised. We had to wander through the pub and climb a flight of stairs to find a lounge packed with people. Unlike the lovely old men nursing their pints downstairs these were a collection of arty, alternative and interesting looking  men of women of all ages.

The evening started off with an original reading, moved on to french chansons and then moved on to a lyrical poet, who sang wonderfully songs in a  modern mistral style.

This unique evening was not like anything we had expected and as our pleasant surprise turned into exhaled joy we both decided that this monthly event of “The House Presents” was well worth dropping in on.

And as I sat and taped my toes, sang along and drank red wine I grinned and realised that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover but it seems the same goes for corner pubs.

And if you want to know the reason for all my raving, check out  the unique Larry Beau and his lyrical storytelling: