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WINTER IS WELL and truly here now and while we may lament the end of the grand stretch in the evening, the season does have its perks.
From wrapping up in cosy layers to enjoying really hearty foods like soups and stews to heading to the pub and setting up camp in front of the fire for the evening, there’s a lot to be said for darker, colder nights.
We’ve rounded up ten of the cosiest pubs in Ireland to check out this winter. They’re all shortlisted on the Bord Na Móna Fuels Hearth Session search for cosiest pub with a fire in Ireland – and you can vote for your favourite below.
The Harbour Bar has been around since 1872 and was once both a bar and an undertakers. It featured in James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake and Joyce was often seen propping up the bar – or relaxing in front of that gorgeous open fire. The perfect place to bring a book to and spend a lazy afternoon.
The Strand Bar, Strandhill, Sligo is just minutes from a great surfing spot in the Atlantic. But if you fancy your pints while you’re still dry head inside and check out the roaring open fireplace there. The pub’s been around since 1913 and used to be a guest house but is now run by the three Byrne brothers.
The Oval was established in 1759 on Cork’s oldest street right opposite the Beamish and Crawford Brewery and was designed in a Mackintosh-style. It gets its name from its oval ceiling and is a great place to head to for a quiet pint in front of the open fire.
Laying claim to the title of the oldest bar in Europe and over a thousand years old, Seán’s Bar in Athlone is on the banks of the River Shannon and close to Athlone Castle, which itself dates from the 12 century. The open turf fire is quite the draw on a long winter night – if you can get a coveted spot in front of it.
Known for being a friendly pub that serves food and excellent Guinness, among other drinks, Kelly’s On The Green is where to head if you fancy watching a big game or just fancy a stop before or after heading to Birr Castle for some culture.
Silken Thomas / TwitterFancy a G&T?!! pic.twitter.com/33uX1067c6
— Silken Thomas (@TheSilkenThomas) February 17, 2016
Silken Thomas has been around for over 30 years and was named after Lord Thomas Fitzgerald, known by that name for his fancy clothes and the silk banners carried by his standard bearers. Silken Thomas comprises a restaurant and guest house as well as the pub and is just the spot to plop yourself in front of the fire.
The Merry Ploughboys are both pub and a band and both have been around for the past 25 years. The band members of The Merry Ploughboys own and run the pub, The Merry Ploughboy Irish Music Pub making it the only music venue in Ireland owned and run by the musicians themselves. There is traditional live music every night and regular Irish dancing shows up on stage. And you can, of course, have your dinner or a drink in front of the roaring fire.
O’Connor’s of Salthill, Co Galway was established by Thomas O’Connor who had thirteen children. The pub is run by the third generation of O’Connors today and you can take the shortest walking tour of Ireland or to check out the famous whiskey wall.
Nancy Blakes in Denmark Street, Limerick is a traditional Irish pub in the city, and renowned for its real, authentic charm – down to the sawdust on the floor. This fireplace had Jameson whiskey bricked up behind it for safekeeping a few hundred years ago – but clearly there was never a “dire need” for it. That’s obviously not the fireplace you’ll be cosying up in front of, of course. There’s traditional Irish music every Sunday and live music on Wednesday and Thursday night too.
This pub on Newbridge Main Street has been run by the Johnson family for over 40 years. The pub has live traditional music on Fridays and a live band on Sundays, where a little dancing tends to happen and it’s well known as a sports lover’s pub. There is also the open fire to settle yourself in front of in quieter times.
What’s your favourite cosy pub with a fire? Head over to Bord na Móna Fuel’s Facebook page to vote for your favourite. Three finalist pubs will win a Hearth Session with Róisín O and Brave Giant – and you could be going to a session too. #WarmerMoment
Oh my god they expect them to work 37 hours a week with full on contributory pension and 30 days holidays. Shocking. They should strike.
Lol so true
If its that good now well it must have been a great job before . How come u never got a ps job ?
Nobody is representing the people paying for all this, namely the Taxpaying public.
So it looms like the cowards who are masquerading as Government are going to capitulate once more. He’ll it’s only a few weeks since our great leader stated he would legislate for public service pay cuts, if Croke park 2 was rejected. Ah sure it’s much easier to raise money by cutting child benefit!
Ha it must boil your piss Reg, after months of playing the troll on topics like this.
Because you lot sowed all the jobs for your self’s and family that why Alan mulvey.
I love this one- might I remind you Jeremy that people working in the public sector are indeed part of the taxpaying public?
While we’re on the subject, dare I mention that some people working in the private sector (a small but significant percentage, and generally the wealthiest) have been known to dabble in a little tax avoidance/evasion from time to time?
Given back in tax what you are been paid by the taxpayer????????????
You haven’t a clue! These are the best Public Sector conditions that are being quoted here & are giving such a warped picture. I am public sector, work a 42hr wk & have 20 days annual leave which is the statutory minimum. This deal needs to be changed & it remains to be seen wether it will go far enough. How was it fair that a top earner would take an 8% cut & a front line nurse or Garda on far less would take up to 12%. The deal was disproportionately hitting front line workers, the ones people need the most!! Who are now worked harder because reform under CP1 was a joke! I’m disappointed to hear the first bit of progress seems to have been to box off those on €65k to €100k!!! Savings can be achieved through proper reform, not through demotivating every staff member, vilifying them, treating them like crap & paying them peanuts! Too many chiefs & not enough Indians in many areas. Problem is mainly with management in the Public Service.
So someone in the public sector on €918.99 a week is supposedly being paid peanuts? My my, what a country this is…
Jeremy we have addressed this already, most of us wouldn’t take that amount home in 2 weeks, never mind 1..
..you got anything decent in that hat of yours??
I’m a tax payer too..
We are all paying for it, we are ALL the tax payers
Jeremy – I mean this in complete seriousness – are you ADHD or autistic or something? You must be able to see that the public sector pays tax too?
..I actually thought this too, I didn’t want to appear rude..
However if you look at his postings you’ll see a similar pattern emerge..
What is the standard working week in the private sector? My understanding was that it is 9am to 5pm with a minimum 0.5 hr break for lunch. That’s a total working week of 36.5 hrs, hardly draconian? Any decent employer would probably throw in a 15 min break elsewhere during the day and a lot of workers also finish up 15 mins early on a Friday, reducing the actual working to about 35hrs a week!
Or is it possible that I got it completely wrong and the standard working week in the private sector is now something along the lines “I’d be so lucky to work them hours, I work 60 hrs a week, sometimes up until midnight for NO EXTRA PAY!! I just do it because I’m the worlds best private sector worker. Don’t get anything to eat either, not allowed to take a toilet break, have to hold it in all day. If I go sick, I’d be sacked, if I’m late, I’d be sacked, if I ask for a pay rise, I’d be sacked. It’s too easy in the public sector with their permanent jobs for life, it’s not fair! They should have the same lousy conditions as me, rather than me having to stand up for myself and fight for better conditions for myself!”
Dont know where you got that from I worked in the private sector before I retired with NO PENSION only the old age pension I started at 8am finished at 5pm noe you that works in the public Sector make that up brainie????
OMG you sound so miserable, do you live in Asia and make cheap T-shirts for famous clothing high street stores? Your job sounds draconian alright, get up & pull those trousers up, your arse is hanging out of them and the welts on your hands must be killing ya!
Another urban myth about the Public Service is that we all work 9-5, Jazus I’d love that!
However in reality I work every weekends, unsocial hours, night shifts every two weeks and pay crippling taxes and levies, I imagine more than you mate.
Maybe you should have went for one of the many jobs that were available in the public Service during the late 90′s and most of the naughty noughts, when pay was horrific and the Public Service couldn’t even hire people because the jobs then didn’t appeal to anyone..
Ironic because I remember pay and conditions were far better in the Private sector back then. In fact I took a pay cut from my private sector job to join the Public Sector.
why? Because I saw the greed that existed back then, ethics and goodwill were something I only read about in fairytale books, everyone was after the fast buck!
I was lucky to get a job in the PS that was rewarding and gave me enough money to buy a house and even consider a family.
However I have no gripe with your comments, they are just ignorant, we are all in this sinking ship together now. You keep on blaming the Evil Public Servants, because they caused the collapse of the state as we know it, nothing at all to do with the greedy capitalist private sector banking system and the blotted politicians who hid behind their golf weekends and brown envelopes..
put your head back in the sand Stephen, its easier than standing up straight and taking a stand :-)
So who did you know that got you that job royston TJustice your TD and a few judge’s
LoL very good
@Royston
I think you got the wrong end of the stick. I’m sick of listening to private sector workers bemoan how bad they have it. All I ask is that they organise themselves, stand up and fight for better conditions.
And get their money back in 2017 and 2018…. A bloody joke
The next government may not have the resources to restore their pay structure.
At this stage I reckon Kenny knows that, could be the best move they ever make giving FF a taste of their own medicine.
You wha?
You speaka da englaz mate?
Irish public servants get paid significantly more than other European countries. We can’t afford to exert upward pressure on pay let alone restore the old system.
Aul FG Jeremy back with his usual propaganda templates, exact same shite from the other threads!
There is a front door in your luxury little office mate, walk out and have a walk around and talk to real people, nobody is happy with your fumbling Masters! I can only imagine sitting behind your desk in your on filth is no way to live, get out there and enjoy life mate.
There will be life after this government collapses I can assure you :)
We also have a higher cost of living. It’s not a difficult concept!
Europeans don’t have a pension levy nor a USC deducted from their income and a lot haven’t been hit by the pay cuts of the Irish Public Servant in 2009.
European public service pay rates are neverthless lower than Irish ones, overall. Minister Howlin should benchmark to European rates – not to a non-existent celtic tiger benchmark that no longer exists.
Jeremy the FG propaganda machine doesn’t sleep, he doesn’t engage on any personnel level & has a wealth of statistics as his disposal. He can post almost every hour & manages to repeat his statements quite often.. Anyone think this is odd??
Most Europeans do not have mortgages either so rent prices can fluctuate in accordance to the current economies.. Not the case here in Ireland where fat bankers keep pushing up mortgage repayments
if we get a pay cuts we stop spending,small shops pubs restaurants etc. suffer ,a race to the bottom!!
The public sector got a 20% pay rise around the time of the millennium. The problem with this model is that it inflates the economy. All public and civil servants need to be on the same type of wages as other EU countries.
..I must have missed that pay rise..
Me too. I am getting onto payroll in the morning to sort it out
Money back in 2017/18?? We are the worlds expert at kicking cans down roads.
Temporary pay cuts? This country is a joke. This country needs permanent reforms. How on earth will Ireland regain its competitiveness when politicians give away and surrender. No wonder small and medium businesses are continuing to close. New taxes on property to finance deficit spending, a socialist system, a bankrupt state.
Haha. Keep it up regi
Reggie, Reggie, Reggie….. when will you learn.
All the fault of the banks, politicians in government & in opposition..
Small & medium business’s surfer because guess what, nobody has any money to spend with them. excessive austerity caused this Jeremy!
I thought you were better than that mate?
Just goes to show. Say NO to the bully and they will back down. I thought it was CP2 or nothing Howlin? They have backed down. The Irish Nation needs to learn the word ‘NO’. To the neanderthals who hate on Gov/State workers I say this. Cut us and IBEC will follow. Be careful what u wish for….
inb4> Jeremy34
Croke Park 2 will be slightly tweaked and then it will be presented back to the public servants again. The same way the Lisbon treaty was slightly changed and then everybody voted yes to it then
“Irish people are animals who will turn on each other if things get tough”. I Always defended us as a nation until the government created a Public v’s Private war and sat back and laughed as people snipped at each other like rats as the bankers got fatter.
This is more money out of my business no matter what way i look at it. I don’t stop Public sector workers from buying in my shop… I’ll take their tax too for roads and hospitals that they take care of :)
If you owned a business, you would need to break-even. A big government doesn’t need to turn a profit. If this country were a company, it would be bankrupt long ago. The reason is simple: the country has such a large deficit. Do you know the consequences if this country is unable to pay back its debt?
Why does everything need to be run like a business Jeremy?
Emergency Services, Defence, healthcare etc etc.. I’m not seeing your point at all mate?
Up to bed with ya mate, your past your bedtime..
Because Royston
All those things – emergency services, defence forces, healthcare – they all cost huge amounts of money.
Sooner or later the money runs out,
The Public Sector argument boils down to this – “We do not care that the government cannot afford it. That’s not our problem. Pay us anyway. Get the money somewhere. Beg, steal or borrow – we simply do not care…”
It is absolutely disgusting that increments for workers over 65K will be restored while there’s a hiring freeze. Young people looking for jobs can all emigrate so long as I get unsustainable pay increases – “I’m alright Jack” alive and well in Ireland.
Alas more slander & speculation, the usual ignorance i expect from armchair finance ministers ..try stay on track, I was asking the relevance of these services being ran like buisness’s..
They are all services, not to be mixed up with profit making organisations..
Armchair Finance Ministers? As opposed to the talented and hardworking finance ministers who got us into this mess?
These services may not have to be run like businesses. But they do have to be paid for. Someone has to pick up the tab somewhere. The money doesn’t materialise from heaven.
Someone somewhere has to pay for these services, which means someone somewhere has to be profitable to do it. That someone is Ireland inc. If Ireland wants to be able to afford those services – she needs to be profitable.
Unless you’re arguing that the Irish should be the World’s biggest charity because we refuse to cut our cloth to suit our measure.
Thats what the Public Sector argument boils down to:
“Pay us what we want”
“We cannot afford it – we don’t have the money…”
“I don’t care, I want it so get it”
Seriously Royston – how do we pay for it?
What I said was you were an arm chair finance minister, read the post you clown
I know what you said – what I am suggesting (which appears to be beyond you) is that the finance ministers we have had, you the know the so-called “professional” ones, are scarcely better than armchair finance ministers.
Now, back to the question you so obviously failed to answer.
How do we pay for it?
Do not trust this government they are Proven liars, stay together and hold the little we have left
I think few taxpayers would trust the Unions and their members.
..I’m a tax payer, no lover of unions either, what’s your point?
Same boring templates Jeremy, got anything new or constructive to contribute?
..me thinks you need a hobby
Stick CP2 up your Jaxie Howlin, your a liar!
Are the going to give the pensioners back the household package and the Disabled back there allowance well IF the can give back themselfs and the Public Service back theirs why not startb with those who need it??
Spineless government , it’s up to the private section to learn a lesson from this
Cut the payments to the 80 000 non nationals on welfare cut our 650 million overseas aid budget problems solved.
And look like a shower of racist, xenophobic idiots. That’ll look really attractive to the rest of the world!
Well If the Rest of Europe played its part by opening borders to the eastern block countries the thousands of non nationals in this country could find work in a country neighboring there homeland its not racism when its the truth !! If a 100 thousand polish people want to find work within Europe they only have a choice of 3 country’s that allow them work Britain, Ireland and Sweden unless your Highly skilled ..
Why punish non-nationals on welfare and recipients of foreign aid when they’ve done nothing to cause the crisis? Remember, it was a property crash and failures in the banking sector that have us where we are.
The government and media are doing a great job in implying that the most vulnerable in society have caused this mess- those without work, etc. I’d hate to think that Australians and Canadians are blaming Irish immigrants for the problems they are currently experiencing.
What eastern block countries do you refer to?
Polish? Under EU law they have free movement of people and labour across all EU member states.
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/work/abroad/work-permits/index_en.htm
..that silenced ya marty!
We are not backing down… a million ways to save money in public sector… my take home pay is not one of them! Touch my pay.= a No vote= Industrial action! Simple as that!
Will you have any control over that if Ireland needs a second bailout. Reality has a way of biting in the end.
Jeremy Jeremy Jeremy (sigh),
Get some rest mate, all your FG masters have returned to their coffins for the night, there is no one to please at this hour. It’s only us public servants up watching over things, no need to worry..
Go to your cot, rest that aul nugget of yours, you can come back tomorrow & play, now go on, up to bed with ya & brush your teeth ;-)
Lazy overpaid public servants are dragging this country down. The unions are a disgrace and the union leaders should be done for treason
Of course they are. At least the bankers and black market workers are doing their bit to dig us out of trouble. Remind me again how much tax is lost to the black economy and how much the banks cost us..
WOW so many FG heads here tonight,
WHIP CRACK! ..I’m a sorry master, I go back to my cotton fields, Lordy Lordy I is so sorry!!
…”Auuulllll man river..”
Looks like a comment based on sound scientific evidence
Lazy overpaid public servants are dragging this country down.
Kieran Mulvey must have the patience of a saint
A total sellout! Further proof that the public sector unions are the real power in Ireland. But for the Troika, there would be absolutely no reform whatsoever!
All hail the Troika!!!
First borns to be sacrificed to the bond holders soon.
Our masters must be pleased at all cost!
Ha its mad watching the country rip itself apart from the inside out. Well its been a go run ole republic.
As a Public Servant, namely a teacher, earning significantly less than 65,000 it would seem as clear as day that the unions are ring-fencing the upper echelons for protection whereas those of us in the profession in the lower and middle income brackets who rely heavily on the bi-annual S&S payment are gonna be screwed. Those on 65,000 plus rarely opt to do the S&S scheme as financially they don’t need it and it’s possibly because are nearing retirement. It is a lifeline for those of us struggling with mortgages and other debts etc. Those on the higher pay scale certainly don’t have the same debts and negative equity as the younger generation. I definitely get the feeling of “them” and “us” playing out.
According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), public sector workers average weekly wage €918.99 compared with €611.66 in the private sector:
This was at the end of June 2012.
Interesting statistics my FG man.
Shame you wasted your time there..
Sad reality is that in 2011 & 2012 I & o can assure you thousands like me in the lower paid sphere of salaries never earned anything close to those figures.
Even working night shifts and weekends every week & receiving allowances for same I could never match those earnings you show here..
When you subtract all the deductions in my pay that the government has smothered us in including paycuts, pension Levy’s, USC, PRD & PRSI I can confidently tell you I give back almost 1/3rd of my earnings.
Very far from those statistics..
Can you try attach a link that is realistic please, I’m sure you have all these fancy facts at your disposal..
A cursory look at any statistic will put some perspective on it.
@John Fox You’re right, it’s us teachers just beginning and in the middle that are being hit the worst, along with the guards and nurses. Unfortunately people automatically just look at the statistics pertaining to the people who are earning well in the public sector and seem to forget there are people being negatively affected too!
I get less than €600 p.w., net of course, teaching since 2005. That’s the reality Mr. FG
I’m nursing since 1990 and I get less again about €550if I do a week of nights or a weekend. I’m top of the scale with a long service increment and an allowance for one of three post grad qualifications.
C’mon not one “Divide and Conquer” comment, poor show
Nearly used as much as the ” overpaid and lazy public sector worker” quote….
I prefer “reasonably well compensated and underutilised” myself
Sounds to me like the tough talking little howling minister blinked first. Another smoke and mirrors arrangement to make it look like a deal was done. Bring back Joe O Toole at least he was foolish enough to state publicly that his sector got an ATM for themselves. The back room boys in Leinster House will be working hard on planning the next raid on some other area of middle/low class earners income to prop up the corrupted banking sector and their wealthy cohorts.
Can you hear it? The FG propaganda machine is firing up for another hard day of spin!
As confident as a traveller finding your back door open, the Politicians will swing into action with the Media!
Enda The Destroyer will dispatch his dark and treacherous goons to spin their web of deceit and fear. Scaring and worrying all and sundry about how badly the country balances on a knifes edge and how savings must be made by yet another cut to the Public Service for fear the Troika won’t be satisfied..
The battered spouse LABOUR cowering in the shadows as FG beat their chest and show just who’s boss! Scaring all into believing there is no other way out of this crisis, turning the hard working people of this land against each other until there is nothing left but soul destroyed people who will surely be a slave to the wage.
.
The Unions, now distrusted by the very people they claim to represent will clash with Kenny’s Dark Forces for the show down that has become known as Croke Park 2A..
I would like to see a family tree of the Lenihan family and theircrelotives who still work in the Civil Service plus their salary. I betcha lot of relatives have the bigger jobs in the government agencies. The same joes hot the labour and FG families. That is why they’ve just cutting the less well off and the higher paid will keep getting more.
Roy you have way to much time in your hands. Agree with most of what you are saying though. Ohh lordy lordy :-) is been good boss :-P
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