The Village Pubs of Cork: 'There's no shop, no post office, no other pub..this is it'

In the harbour village of Ringaskiddy, 16 kilometres south of Cork city, the hush of the sea beneath the sound of ferry engines and cargo trucks provides the sonic backdrop of the vibrant one-sided-street village.

A little over halfway down, next to the old RIC barracks, is The Ferry Boat Inn, the last remaining pub in town, when there was once three - an all too familiar theme in Cork villages.

Here, Sarah O’Grady runs a bar hub where the food is hearty and the pint decent.

Sarah has steered the pub for more than a decade. First in 2010 under a lease; she bought out her business partner in 2015, before taking ownership of the premises in 2019 just before covid closed the licensed trade down.

During the pandemic, when it was allowed to open, The Ferry Boat Inn served as a valuable meeting point for locals.

Sarah continues to run the bar as a community haven and a resting spot for international cruise crews.

As well as the Ferry Boat Inn being the last remaining pub, Ringaskiddy has also lost its Post Office, and the village once had three shops.

“There’s no shop here. No post office. No other pub. This is it,” Sarah says in a matter-of-fact manner.

“I try to keep the pint price down as best I can. It’s about balance. It’s about people coming back.”

Sarah’s family history runs deep in Ringaskiddy. Her grandfather, Dean Murphy, was a local legend, a shrimp fisherman who had an incredible knowledge of the rhythms of the tides.

“Very few people understood the water like he did,” says local historian John Twomey. “It was in his bones. He trained rowers from here who were never beaten.”

All year around, the coastal village of Ringaskiddy has a truly international footfall. From international sailors and local dockers, to students from the National Maritime College at Haulbowline, The Ferry Boat Inn caters to all.

With Brittany Ferries docking twice a week and cable-laying ships arriving regularly, her clientele is varied.

“We had a crew in Tuesday night from the Calypso state-of-the-art ship with a helipad,” Sarah says. “They come in, have a bite, a pint, a laugh. My sister sent me a photo.

“You might walk in and find a table of Filipino or Russian crew from the Calypso cable-laying vessel, or truck drivers parked up overnight calling in for pizza and a pint.” Sarah says.

Passengers destined for Brittany tend to pop in before the ferry leaves; their holiday begins at The Ferry Boat Inn. With a name like that, how could it not?

“It’s a real mix,” says Sarah of her visitors. “You have locals walking down, people coming in from Passage, Carrigaline, even truckers sleeping in the cab overnight who’ll come in for a hot breakfast.”

The Ferry Boat Inn has earned a reputation for offering proper food at fair prices.

“You have lads coming in from working the port since 7am. By half-ten, they’re ravenous,” says John Twomey. “The breakfasts here... the only question is whether they can walk after it,” he laughs.

Sarah keeps it simple. “We do our best to keep things affordable. You still get enough on the plate.

“And if someone wants something extra, they’ll get it.”

But it’s more than what’s on offer from behind the bar. It’s the welcome and the feeling that you’re part of something, even if you’ve never been before.

John explained: “You don’t realise the kind of day someone’s had out there. They come in, and that friendly face behind the bar changes everything.”

John, who grew up in the village and knows the pub’s history well, remembers the time when Ringaskiddy had three pubs and three hotels.

“You had Sam’s, which used to be Palmer’s, they were agents for the White Star Line, the same company that ran the Titanic.

“Then there was the Middle House, and this place which used to be Fowley’s, and before that, Forde’s.”

Sarah’s memories of the pub go back to her childhood.

“Growing up here, Fowley’s was the only place I knew,” she says. “Gene Fowley ran it, his wife did the cooking, and their daughters worked shifts behind the bar. It was the heart of the village.”

It’s obvious that Sarah has maintained The Ferryboat Inn’s ethos as the heartbeat of Ringaskiddy.

The Port of Cork’s relocation has brought some changes, though not as many as one might expect.

“I wouldn’t say it’s transformed business,” Sarah says. “The roads and the construction have more of an effect. But the crews, the sailors, they need a place like this when they come ashore.”

Being the only publican left in Ringaskiddy, with its surrounding industries must carry some weight?

“Fourteen years it’s been like this,” Sandra says. “But we’re still here. And that’s the main thing.”

John Twomey sees the bigger picture: “This is Ringaskiddy’s perfect pub,” he says.

“It’s where people gather, celebrate, mourn, meet.

“It’s not just about drink. It’s social glue. And in a changing Ireland, that glue is needed more than ever.”

Sarah’s business model is very simple - show up, take care of your customers, and stay open.

“Pubs are charging €7 a pint,” she says. “We keep ours as low as we can. People notice. They come back.”