Don’t really have a local anymore. We usually went to The 51 to watch football so the summer soccer break meant there hasn’t been much to watch. Used to do Saturday all-dayers too so the lack of a local is saving me money. We were up in McSorley’s a few times but it’s a bit out of the way. Haven’t found anywhere else in Ballsbridge that’s less than a fiver.
Don’t think you lads will ever find another 51. The barmen seemed to worship ye and ye had a free run pretty much. Still not worth 5.20 a pint…
I meant to say a fiver or less rather than less than a fiver.
Just to clarify, I don’t have any issues paying a fiver for a pint
We decided to write The 51 a letter detailing our demands and invite a response from them.
[quote=“Bandage”]I meant to say a fiver or less rather than less than a fiver.
Just to clarify, I don’t have any issues paying a fiver for a pint
We decided to write The 51 a letter detailing our demands and invite a response from them.[/quote]
Post it up here please
What did I do?
My main task this week is to compose it. I might do it in poem format as I always find time to come up with a rhyme.
isn’t it amazing what a win can do.
A mouthful of Guinness costs approx. 17.5c.
I cringe when giving people their bill you just know they are wishing you a horrible and painful death for giving up your saturday night to charge them 5.50 a pint.
€4.10 for a Guinness in my place. €4.50 for a lager.
Paid €3.80 for a pint of Guinness at the weekend…in a Four Star Hotel!
Down the country somewhere or has some Dublin hotel owner got a guilty conscience?
The Galway Bay Hotel Bandage…
at a wedding over the weekend and twas €5.50 for a pint bottle, €4.70 for a pint of heineken(pure muck) and €4.30 for porter in the hotel…pretty saucy…
We Want To Go Back To The 51
My Missive To The 51
Dear PJ, Aidan, Ciarn, Paddy, Alan, Crystal, Rose, Shirley, Crap Bald DJ From Fridays and Regulars,
It’s with a heavy heart, sweaty balls and much regret that I find myself typing this letter. As at the time of typing, 161 days have passed since we last walked through the narrow (for me especially) doors of The 51. But unlike Trevor Deely, we haven’t disappeared without trace - instead, we’re engaged in a peaceful protest and the cause of our unrest and sole reason for our boycott was the deplorable, despicable decision to raise pint prices above the 5 threshold from that fateful day - Friday, March 7, 2008.
The credit crunch had gripped the nation, our brothel and stripclub appointments were reduced to a mere 5 sessions per week, money was scarce and our only refuge was our local pub, a place where we could procure a pint for a reasonable 5. But, in the blink of an eye, everything turned to shit - much like service levels when Ciarn and Paddy come back from their breaks after smoking several joints in the alleyway behind the bar.
Frankly, we were disgusted and feelings were running particularly high for weeks afterwards. Columbine Mark II was considered but we decided against it fearing one of the Noels would get shot and killed in the crossfire. Frosty then passed his pilot exams and was anxious to fly a light-aircraft into the premises 9/11 style but got bored waiting for the autumn rugby internationals where maximum damage could be exerted. We even planned on taking Paddy hostage and torturing him but quickly concluded nobody would give a shit and it wouldn’t help us achieve our objectives.
Put simply, we were appalled that rather than keeping prices constant and trying to increase revenue through promotions and events, it was instead decided to raise prices in an action that would see regulars suffer. I understand you’re losing out on Landsdowne Road revenue but making up for the shortfall by syphoning cash from regulars was at the heart of our dispute. A 5 pint was acceptable and, in our view, it was a maximum level and a ceiling. It’s alright paying a bit more than a 5 in a super pub for the last hour on a Friday night but not in your local pub on any other evening - it’s inherently wrong.
But there were other material concerns too. What sane individual wants to pay for his 5.20 pint with a 10 note when they’re going to get back a couple of 2 euro coins, a fifty cent piece, a twenty cent piece and a ten cent piece. The only way this would possibly work is if you arranged to have some homeless fook sitting at the side of the bar and we could fire our unwanted shrapnel at him. Please consider this option.
And now the football season is upon us and it promises to be our first one away from The 51 since the 2004/05 season. We’re like little Maddy and PJ is our Gerry McCann. Sure, we’ve been away for quite some time but we’ve never given up hope of returning home. We haven’t found anywhere else with the 2 Noels sitting just inside the door. We haven’t found a pub with anyone as annoying as John. Nowhere had Louis popping in when it was quiet, having 7 or 8 glasses of red wine and then cycling home. Or Mick telling us to fook off back to Wexford as he wooed yet another impressionable young lady. Or the rugged good looks of Peter and his fondness for a half-price dinner. Or Colm Cullen, his messy beard, his soccer prediction league and his cohort Brendan. Or Dave really wanting to sit with us but then going down to the boring fooks at the front.
In conclusion, we’ll be as giddy and excited as Cathal O’Searcaigh on one of his visits to Nepal if we can negotiate a settlement to end this stand-off. But we’re unwilling to sacrifice our principles for any price (above 5) and need to consider our options carefully. However, we’ve taken the time to put our feelings on paper, with the intention of soliciting your opinion on this grave matter and to determine whether you believe a peaceful solution can be arrived at that will allow all parties to retain their dignity and us to return to The 51. We respectfully await your response and have taken the liberty of providing you with a stamp-addressed envelope for ease of contacting us. Finally, I would appreciate if you could reply within 51 hours of receipt of our missive.
Your erstwhile regular,
Bandage
As a matter of interest how much cash would all of ye together roughly have been leaving in this place over the course of an average month?
I’d be amazed if they compromise unless they’re really feeling the pinch in the tills
[quote=“balloobasluvsbeer”]As a matter of interest how much cash would all of ye together roughly have been leaving in this place over the course of an average month?
I’d be amazed if they compromise unless they’re really feeling the pinch in the tills[/quote]
Quite a lot balloobas afaik. I’ll estimate between food and drink, at least 1500 between the 3 of them (Bandage, Jugs [whose ‘real’ name Bandage gave away above] and cesc4. Of course there’s also the fact that they suck other people into their little vacuum.
Cathal O’Searcaigh?
Got a reply from The 51. Christ, it’s actually earnest and they seem to be missing us! I thought they’d ignore it or reply jeering us. Anyway, it’s brief so I’ll type out what they said:
Bandage, cesc4 and Jugs,
Back from holidays so just got your letter. Good to hear from ye after all this time. Hope all are well. Appreciate your comments about the price increase but that was not my decision. We miss ye about here for the bit of banter so maybe ye might drop in for a chat and we can work something out. Hope to see ye soon.
PJ Kelly 51
Had occasion to go to the Vaults for drinks last night, someone leaving work and an opportunity to have drinks with people I hadn’t seen in a while. Anyway €6.30 for a pint of Bulmers, that’s a pint, not a pint bottle even. Ridiculous. Guiness was €5.10.
you should have haggled…ask the barman would he do a deal for cash…