The Village Pubs of Cork: ‘There are challenges, but nothing 100 years of experience can’t fix’

In the village of Tower, The Huntsman Bar stands out. Bright and white, it hugs the windy road that passes through the Muskerry village, some 11km from Cork city and about 3.5km from Blarney.

The exterior points to the pub’s century-plus vintage - 1916 to be exact. The interior appears somewhat newer, with various iterations being carved out over the years: the addition of a lounge in the 1970s and the recent knocking of a wall which added space and revealed some beautiful stonework in the process.

Yet, while the interior may have the appearance of a newer bar, the feeling matches that of a pub well beyond its centenary year.

It is spacious, with efficient use of counter space, room for standing, tables for sitting, and the trunk of a tree, which came from Ardrum Wood, acts as a table-come-support pillar and has been in place since 1969.

Owned by Terry McCann since 1978, The Huntsman has been in his family for generations. And while the current building has been in place since 1916, the original one, a one-storey thatched property, owned by Terry’s great-grandmother, burnt down in 1914.

“In fairness, all the locals helped take out the stock and save the stock. And the village was drunk for about two months,” he laughs.

“When I was about 16, I found the original invoice for the rebuilding of the pub, and it was £675, good value for that time.

“My mother is from here, and it’s been in her family for donkey’s years.

“I saw some correspondence recently from a court case where some gentlemen who were drinking here all day back in 1890 with my great-great-great grandmother, there was a bit of an affray, and they ended up in court afterwards, so they were there at least that long anyway.”

Any idea what that was about?

“Oh, I couldn’t tell you, the usual thing, drink?” Terry says, laughing.

Steeped in history, The Huntsman has survived numerous recessions and the War of Independence.

“When I was young, my grandmother used to tell me stories like this,” Terry says. “The Black and Tens would come in and they’d just put a hand grenade on the counter, and they’d call what they wanted. Nobody questioned it.”

Julie McCann, Terry’s daughter, explains how The Huntsman got its name, from the time when hunters from the Muskerry Hunt would meet outside the pub.

“We used to have hunters come around normally around Christmas time. There were so many horses outside the front of the pub and then they’d all head off and they’d trek up through the fields. Before the traffic got too heavy and it got too built up.”

What are Julie’s strongest memories from growing up over The Huntsman?

“The strongest memories were probably when all the friends used to come over. On a Sunday, it was just the families. All the families used to come to the pub on a Sunday and that’s when we got all our friends.

“Everybody’s part of the family, even as part of the community. So, it’s quite nice.”

A quick walk around the pub, and you can see that this old place is still keeping up with the times.

Terry’s youngest daughter, Jenny, is hosting comedy nights in the outside space to the rear, with some well-known names taking to the mic.

An upcoming show headlined by Karl Spain takes place this Friday, August 15, with previous nights hosting well-known names such as Bernard Casey. Not something you might expect to see happening in a satellite village like Tower.

Terry explains: “Well, how it happened was that with covid people couldn’t be inside in the premises. And you could have somebody, but they’d have to be outside, but you couldn’t leave them in the fresh air, obviously. So, you had to put a temporary structure up.

“So, we were putting up temporary structures and taking them down in the rain.

“Eventually, we said, look, we’d have to try and put some kind of a permanent structure up there.”

As an offshoot to their business, the new structure offered them additional space and the option to hold live events, but also it catered to younger customers, who find it more convenient to stay local instead of heading into the city.

“The young people then found it was maybe more convenient to come here and sit outside and meet their friends here rather than go all the way into town and, you know, and try and get buses and taxis,” says Terry. “So, they get mummy to collect them. You could have mummy and daddy here and the 20-year-olds up there.”

What role does The Huntsman play in the wider Muskerry area?

“It plays a big role, obviously, because you kind of sponsor all the GAA teams,” replies Terry.

“Most of the sports teams come here, years now. Because they’re having a presentation and things.

“We have a great sound system, and we always look after them as well, with food and things.

“And the rugby teams come here now, they’re great.”

The Huntsman does not double up as a restaurant, but it does supply pizza, which can be bought in and is popular with hungry customers.

The challenges faced by publicans across the country, such as drink-driving laws, people drinking at home, and the ebbs and flows of pub culture, are well known, but Terry takes in his stride.

“I’ve plenty of experience in dealing with all of that,” he says.

Referencing his long lineage of family ties to the business, he adds: “It’s nothing over 100 years of experience can’t fix.”