The Village Pubs of Cork : ‘I’ll keep on running the pub as long as I can’

Guileen, by the cliffs of East Cork, is a place that appears to be at the end of the world.

The village, made up of a pub and houses, links on to Guileen Bay. At one end is a horseshoe bay and pier, where on the sunny evening I visited sea anglers, bathers, and a mobile sauna formed a community-like hub of its own.

At the other end lies The Guileen Arms, the only pub in the village.

Bright white, it blends well with the village’s tidal washed, salty veneer, and Coast Guard station.

The Guileen Arms is a modest pub - no food, but offering good chat; a decent open plan area with a bright corner soaking in all the light, and a dark corner by the bar, where Paul Aspinwall, its owner, serves pints and chats to his customers.

Next door is a pool room with a dart board. A proper pool room, the likes of which are dying out.

Paul has been at the helm here for 12 years. Though a native of the UK, his connection to Guileen stretches as far back as the 1980s.

“My parents bought it in 1989,” he explained of the pub.

“I’ve been coming over here since then, so I knew what I was taking on.”

We met on a warm and bright evening. Traffic drove up and down the street, people carrying beach towels passed by, and a family from Canada popped in.

“April to September is my busy time,” Paul says.

“That’s when the holiday homes fill up, the weather turns, and people come down for the beaches or the sauna and sea swims.

“There’s a big swimming community down here. Some fishing; it’s a fishing village as well, and we have a few Air BnB’s here now. A lot of passing trade this time of year,” explained Paul.

Wooden beams strand the low ceiling, and a retaining wall about a foot wide indicates the age of the building.

“I’ve got documentation there which I can trace it back to 1873,” says Paul. “ So it’s a pub at least since then.”

In villages like Guileen, the simpler approach to business, the better, seems to be the winning formula.

“People come in, they want a pint, they want a chat, maybe play a bit of pool. That’s the way it’s been, and it’s the way it still is,” says Paul.

The Guileen Arms is what the government classed during covid as a ‘wet pub’ a place that serves drink but not food.

“The biggest struggle was during covid when we had to close,” says Paul. “And then, obviously, because we were classed as a wet pub, we were the last ones to open as well.

“You know, we were the first businesses to be closed and we were the last businesses, being the wet pubs, to open.”

Once, the village had three pubs and even a school.

“The others closed years ago, “ Paul said. “Probably as far back as the 1930s.

“There was a village over by the cliffs called Bunfada during the Second World War as well. The men all went off and joined the Royal Navy and never came back. The place was abandoned. There’s still ruins over there.”

While, in the summer months, The Guileen Arms serves as a meeting point for people getting away from the city, the village has a native population of about 50. Not all of them frequent the pub, but for those who do, it’s a social lifeline, all year round.

What would it mean if Guileen lost its only pub?

“Well, it would be a big loss to the community,” says Paul.

“We have cards and darts nights. Not a lot of other pubs are as child-friendly as this pub and it’s a big community down here.

Perched at the bar is Michael Wafer and his pal Martin McCarthy. Michael grew up in Guileen while Martin is a part-time resident. For Michael, it’s the only pub that he goes to.

“It’s very handy,” Michael said. “I’m only living up the road, so I can walk down and walk home. It’s the only place I come now.”

As the summer sun lowers itself, The Guileen Arms takes on a golden hue.

On the outside decking sit Cathal, John and Warren, all in their twenties. Is there not somewhere more lively they’d like to be?

“We’re just here for a few pints,” said Warren, who made his way from Ballintotis

John, who’s from Dungourney, said the last pub closed there about 20 years ago, and he doesn’t mind taking the trip to Guileen, which takes about 25 minutes.

Ballinrostig man Cathal said that while his pals probably wouldn’t come here during the winter months, that he would come all year around.

“If there was no pub here, there’d be no life around the place, and it’s great to see people stop off here and socialise here,” said Cathal.

While the locals and passing trade sustain The Guileen Arms through the year, owner Paul is candid about the struggles facing small rural pubs. Insurance is a major burden.

“Last year, my public liability was €3,200,” he says. “Now we’re being told it could go up 17%. That’s after all the talk about insurance reform. We’re going backwards.”

He’s a member of the Vintners’ Federation, and says the group has been lobbying hard. “There was talk of reform, that pay-outs would come down. But now we’re told the minister’s approved a 17% hike. It’s madness.”

Paul adds: “I’m lucky, I own the building, so I’ve no rent to worry about. I do most of the hours myself. I take Sundays off when I can, and Friday nights, but that depends. If the barman’s away, I’m here.”

With Paul now in his sixties, thoughts have naturally turned to the future of The Guileen Arms.

“If I stay healthy, I’ll carry on as long as I can,” he says.

“If I ever do sell, people have said they’d want me to hand it over to the right person, keep it in the community.”