Wednesday 9 September 2009

Mulligans - Is it any wonder the pubs are empty?

Gombeen Man in dedicated pub-spy guise here, putting you wide to what's hot and what's not in Dublin publand.

I met an old school friend today for a lunchtime pint and a good moan about the state of the country. The venue was Mulligans on Poolbeg street, which styles itself as a no-nonsense "auld Dublin" pub offering convivial, if plain, drinking space for punters who still value a bit of an old chat with their pints and a corresponding absense of conversation-drowning musak.

So far so good, and I found it came up to scratch on those counts in the past. Today though, upon entering the darkened threshold, I was immediately aware of a similar absence of any customers. Well, maybe one or two - but this is lunchtime, remember. No wonder. One pint of Guinness and a rock shandy for my driving accomplice relieved me of a princely €10!!! Is it any wonder the place was empty if that's what they're charging these days?

Recession? What recession?

Irish publicans just don't get it, do they?

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8 comments:

Ella said...

I bought a nice bottle of Chardonnay in the local supermarket yesterday (on special offer) for EUR 5. That's what people do now, they don't go to pubs but visit the offie/supermarket as it's so much cheaper (okay less expensive) than going to the pub. If publicans want to fill their pubs, they need to readjust their pricing and stop complaining.

Harald75 said...

A pint at lunchtime? Good Idea. I'm off ;-)

The Gombeen Man said...

Ah yes, Ella. I appreciate a good bottle of wine. I'm quite fussy though - it has to be over 13% vol.

Harald, I'm afraid it was two actually. As a print man, I'll be surprised if you haven't encountered (or partaken) in this kind of lunchtime carousing?

It's a very rare thing for me now - maybe a couple of times a year - but when I worked in a repro house in London it was mental. One lunchtime a couple of us had 2 or 3 pints of Lowenbrau and a couple of Tequilla slammers to wash them down. Long time ago! I'd be having my stomach pumped out if I tried that now. And then I went back and did my job as a planner. A litho planner - not a city planner, you'll be glad to hear.

Harald75 said...

On the other hand: Some of the cities I know look exactly like you (or anybody else) would have planned them after loads of Loewenbrau (gosh!) and Tequila ;-)

Actually, I really had a pint after reading that in your blog.

And you got me: I also know about this tradition, and years ago back in Austria we were also used to it. But working here now, on my tiny little desk in our - not so tidy but also little - Industrial Estate in Tallaght, unfortunately there is not much left of this good old tradition ;-)

And I'm getting older as well. Nowadays, the amount of beer almost kills me which I had in earlier days before even going out.

The Gombeen Man said...

"But working here now, on my tiny little desk in our - not so tidy but also little - Industrial Estate in Tallaght, unfortunately there is not much left of this good old tradition"

Well you see Harald, readers of the blog may be surprised to see that even I think that some traditions are definitely worth keeping! ;-)

They're a very straight-laced lot where I work now... not like my colleagues in Damat Studio, London, in the late 80s-early 90s (good bunch of blokes, actually).

Sadly repro houses as they were back then are also no more, and those skillsets are gone. You do it all on a Mac now. :-(

Harald75 said...

So we both agree: Steve Jobs and his Macs are the main reason why the two of us don't have the chance for our daily pints no more ;-)

Blame you for that, Steve!!!

Anonymous said...

"One pint of Guinness and a rock shandy for my driving accomplice relieved me of a princely €10!!!"

Are you local?

The Gombeen Man said...

Well, local enough. It's in Dublin city, and I'm from Dublin city (still work there). Maybe I'm just getting stingier, but I think that's a bit steep? What's the damage around your way?