Jesus, that place looks magnificent. Thatâs some tour of pubs. Iâve never drank pints in Waterford. We use to go down around there loads when I was a kid visiting friends of the parents (I was born in the hospital in Waterford but we lived just over the border) but Iâve only been there a handful of times as an adult (once for work and the other times for matches).
It is nice, whatever the vicissitudes along the way, to have been born. You get to drink Ardbeg, watch All Irelands, have random Wednesdays, read Denis Johnson and Annie Proulx, eat tealâŠ
Make sure you get to visit Thomas Maherâs and Downesâ at least once. Not 60 seconds between them. You would love both spots. Good at any time of the day.
J & K Walshâs 30 seconds from Maherâs. Also big time worthwhile, though not at all as familiar to me.
Why Beamish, might I ask? Iâd say the best pint of Guinness I had in the last 12 months was in Thomas Maherâs (followed by Maryâs GAA Clubhouse in Leixlip, imagine).
I drink Beamish when I know it will be good â or better than good, as in both Maherâs and Downesâ. I just like the smoky wild taste. And there is nowhere in Kilkenny that serves Beamish.
I went to UCD in October 1985. By earlyish 1986, I had found my feet a bit and was friends with a few fellas who had all been to Belvedere College. We started going drinking in the Palace Bar. If memory serves, a pint of Guinness was around ÂŁ1.40 at that time. The Palace, same juncture, had a pint of Beamish on special offer for ÂŁ1.05. I remember, visually, the card with the flagged Beamish price on it up on the partition as you went down to the back room.
Tried Beamish for price â stayed with Beamish for flavour. Back then, we felt we were getting every fourth pint free⊠Sweet bird of youth.
Still staying with it, when I get the (high) percentage chance.