buddhu wrote:There are a few places with tavern in the name (The Somerset Tavern in Luton, for example) but if you were to ask someone: "What kind of business operates in that building over there?", then you would be told: "It's a pub... What, are you blind?".
A surley bunch in Luton... must be a lot of pipers...
buddhu wrote:There are a few places with tavern in the name (The Somerset Tavern in Luton, for example) but if you were to ask someone: "What kind of business operates in that building over there?", then you would be told: "It's a pub... What, are you blind?".
A surley bunch in Luton... must be a lot of pipers...
Possibly so. There are loads of Irish people in Luton, so I'd hope there'd be a piper or two. And When I saw Finbar Furey in Luton last year there were even audience members playing air-pipes (as in air-guitar, but on pipes)! I never saw that before!
I bet few of the Luton Irish contingent would let their local landlord emerge unscathed from a debate during which he suggested that everyone refer to the pub as a tavern in future... He would, no doubt, be on the receiving end of a near-fatal p**s-taking.
Not the nearest pub to my house, but one of the nicest for a quiet drink.
I'm planning on taking my American Brother-in-Law on a pub crawl round Ealing when he comes over, and counted about 20 within easy reach. Maybe not so easy after a few suds though.
Martin, how are places like that treated where you are? Is it common-place or a rare gem? Here such a place would be so quaint as to be chique ... for a while. As with all fads it would fade and be re-invented to something else.
djm
I'd rather be atop the foothills than beneath them.
flanum wrote:
(quote)
The Cobblestone, a traditional Irish music bar, on the edge of the renovated Smithfield Plaza.
The Cobblestone is located at the top of Smithfield, near the Four Courts, in the North Inner City. The D7 area has recently become very trendy among the late '20s and early '30s and many mingle with inner city Dubliners in this convivial old bar. The bar serves a very nice pint and has an excellent range of beers, including the full selectition of Dublin Brewing Company beers.
The décor of the bar has all the charm and musty elegance of a country pub. The atmosphere is chatty, convivial and unpretentious. Above the bar is one of the city's finest little venues, The Cobblestone. The Cobblestone holds gigs throughout the week hosting some of the country's finest traditional and roots musicians.
There are also traditional sessions in the bar every night with trad musicians from every part of the country playing quality music. So if you'd like to get away from the big city for a night and enjoy a bit of gossip over a pint, head down to The Cobblestone.
Listen to this man, y'all. We went to Dublin last week and flanum not only directed us to this pub but also supped *several* pints of black porter with us there on several nights and got me playing a tune or two. It is assuredly one of the best pubs I've ever been in and you'd be severely missing out if you ever found yourself in Dublin and didn't get to it. And, if you are in town, you should endeavour to track this man down for he is the consummate guide to Dublin and its music pubs. You will not be led astray!
"Last night, among his fellow roughs,
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
We did everything that being on foot in Dublin for three days allowed. Apart from the pubs in the evenings (Cobblestone, Hughes' and O'Mahoney's, which is further out near the Royal Canal in the north) the highlights for me were the Book of Kells exhibition at Trinity College and the prehistoric gold collection in the national museum. Both flanum and I are in this pic taken at O'Mahoney's but I'll let him pick himself out if he wants!
"Last night, among his fellow roughs,
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
flanum wrote:oh dear i seem to be looking "surly"!
But whats that cd i spy on the table in front of me?
Y'know, it's amazing what you don't do. That is the only pic I have with you on it, and out of all the pics I have from the Dublin trip I haven't got one with you and me on it apart from this one - and not a single photo with Nicky and me on it!
"Last night, among his fellow roughs,
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
Hey, flanum, it's Wednesday as I write - did ye get yer pipes down to O'Mahoney's as the good lady Marian was urging? I'm next out playing on Friday and, though I usually drink the Doom Bar in Cornwall these days, I'll obtain a special pint of Guinness at about 9 o'clock and raise a glass to ye. I predict that a silent tear will run down me cheek as the thought enters my head "I wish this place was Cobblestone...or O'Mahoney's..."
"Last night, among his fellow roughs,
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
SteveShaw wrote:the Book of Kells exhibition at Trinity College
Ooo, fantastic! What page were they displaying? I have it all in books, of course, but have never seen a manuscript live. I doubt any photo could do it justice.
djm
I'd rather be atop the foothills than beneath them.
SteveShaw wrote:the Book of Kells exhibition at Trinity College
Ooo, fantastic! What page were they displaying? I have it all in books, of course, but have never seen a manuscript live. I doubt any photo could do it justice.
djm
Gosh, I dunno. They turn the pages over periodically but I don't know how often. There's a wonderful exhibition of huge, wall-sized photos of various pages, all superbly interpreted for paganistic morons like me, and the actual book is in a glass display case in a room with low lighting. It's really easy to get your nose right up to it! The atmosphere in there (when we were in there at any rate) was appropriately reverential. There are several other equally ancient books in the case - I recall the Book of Durrow as being one of them. I would say that anyone visiting Dublin should see this as a first priority - they really have done a superb job of putting the book into its context. You need about an hour and a half in there I reckon!
While I'm in eulogising mode, I must say that we found the "Rough Guide to Dublin" to be an invaluable guide while we were there.
"Last night, among his fellow roughs,
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
Ah i didnt get to omahoneys wed, i was recovering from bank holiday madness in Cavan. ill probably go next wed, but id say ill do the rounds of Dublin this weekend starting tomorrow night.
Listen to me young fellow, what need is there for fish to sing when i can roar and bellow?
flanum wrote:Ah i didnt get to omahoneys wed, i was recovering from bank holiday madness in Cavan. ill probably go next wed, but id say ill do the rounds of Dublin this weekend starting tomorrow night.
Heheh, I hope you're not flagging because Nicky and I wore you out! Back to me own session tomorrow which will be a bit of a jolt. I'm just going to start sets the other buggers don't know in revenge every time they start that bluegrass nonsense - and get started on the road to "eventually sacking" our bodhran "player!"
"Last night, among his fellow roughs,
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
Here's the best local pub here in Richmond, VA...Rare Olde Times. The publican, Andy Jennings, used to be a bus driver in Dublin before he moved over here, so it's got more authentic flavor than the "fern bar" pub downtown. (at least i suppose so, I haven't been to Ireland...yet ) Here's pic of the stage too. I would be the unlucky bastid that had to go up and sing on his birthday (house rules). At least I had the presence of mind to copy the lyrics so I wouldn't flub them up in front of family and friends!
"Who's the more foolish? The fool, or the fool who follows him?"
i seem to be looking "surly"!
Back to me own session tomorrow which will be a bit of a jolt. I'm just going to start sets the other buggers don't know in revenge every time they start that bluegrass nonsense - and get started on the road to "eventually sacking" our bodhran "player!" 
The publican, Andy Jennings, used to be a bus driver in Dublin before he moved over here, so it's got more authentic flavor than the "fern bar" pub downtown. (at least i suppose so, I haven't been to Ireland...yet 
I would be the unlucky bastid that had to go up and sing on his birthday (house rules). At least I had the presence of mind to copy the lyrics so I wouldn't flub them up in front of family and friends! 
