The Pubs of Cork: Some older regulars never came back to the pub after covid

There is one seat available at the round table inside the door of The Huntsman Bar in Belgooly. I am reluctant to take it.

“The round table has a more well-known name here in the bar,” says owner Tom Keogh, who runs the bar with his wife Kathleen and their staff. “It is known as the ‘bulls--t table!” he laughs.

“You cans see the plaque with the name on it on the wall above the table,” adds Tom.

He is not bullsh--ing me. The sign is erected in pride of place.

“The seats at that table are reserved specially for the people who have served their time there!” says Tom..

So ‘Handsome Pat’ and ‘Jammer’ are well qualified to take their seats at the round table?

“Indeed we are!” says ‘Jammer’. “We are experts!”

Will Stephen not go into the photograph for The Echo?

“I will not!” says Stephen. “My boss reads The Echo every day!”

The Hunstman has opened every day since Tom, an electrical contractor from Ballinhassig, and Kathleen, of Toomevara, Tipperary, bought the charming roadside premises in 1996.

“I worked in bars when I was an apprentice electrician,” says Tom. “I liked the business, the sociability of it, and the camaraderie with customers was always great.”

There is great camaraderie in The Huntsman in Belgooly.

“Our core trade is our local trade,” says Tom, who enjoys a pint himself with the locals when the local GAA team have a win.

“We do benefit from passing trade too,” adds Tom, who has three adult children.

“And we built onto the original building in 2008, creating a restaurant and function room. The cosy snug is still a popular spot in the bar. The stove is lighting all day and it is nice for people to relax there with a drink or a coffee and read the paper.”

I tell Tom that back in the day ‘the snug’ was reserved for the ladies.

“Yes, I know,” says Tom. “It is a good job those days are long gone.”

Some of the characters from back in the day are long gone too. “It is such a shame that many of our older customers who are real characters, never came back here after covid,” says Tom.

“They were fearful and they had been isolated for so long.”

Tom tells me about a memorable character who frequented the pub before the ban on serving alcohol on Good Friday was lifted.

“It was Good Friday and myself and a mate were installing new lights in the main bar. We were in and out to the van parked outside. When the door was open our man noticed and he slipped in.”

Kathleen duly told him to scarper and to return the next day!” She is chief cook and bottle washer at the Huntsman.

She is something else too.

“We have our own wine-taster in house,” says Tom. “It is Kathleen herself!”

Does he ever have to deal with awkward customers?

Tom has a think.

“We had one regular who we were very fond of. He drank pints of Beamish. I used to drop him home. When he wanted to go, I had to drop everything on the spot to drive him even when we were up the walls!”

Tom remembers a period in the 1990s when trade was slack.

“Yes, it was a challenging time. Instead of trying to clear the house at closing time, we were trying to drag people into the pub from the street!”

What does Tom, who enjoys the cráic, like about the pub business.

“I like that I am my own boss,” he says.

Not Kathleen?

“Apart from Kathleen! She’s the boss too!

“It is good to live and work in your own premises. The community here are great and very supportive.”

What else appeals to Tom?

“I like that my son Ciarán likes the business. It’s great he shows an interest in it for future reference.”

Tom’s sons have already left their mark on The Huntsman.

“When we moved in first, there were old wooden beams on the ceiling in the bar,” says Tom. “The lads decided to do a bit of jumping upstairs in their bedroom. All the dust from the beams descended down into the bar. We could hardly see ourselves or the customers for dust!

“Another time when one of them was taking a shower, the water came down through the ceiling!”

A neighbour of The Huntsman also made his mark.

“Kieth Floyd, the famous chef lived across the way from us,” says Tom. “He often came in for a drink. He was a very nice man and very entertaining.”

Kathleen understands the challenges of running a busy country pub.

“The cleaning alone takes up a lot of time,” she says. “The overheads are challenging.”

Help is coming though.

“We are employing a chef next month. Right now, I do a lot of the cooking,” says Kathleen.

“Events like birthdays and christenings take place here. We have the space for parties and gatherings which is great.”

Tom and Kathleen employ between 10-12 part-timers. “We are like family,” says Kathleen. “The part-timers get on great and help each other out.”

Having loyal, reliable staff means that Tom can get out and about.

“I like to go fishing to Galway in May,” he says Tom. “The Corrib is a mighty spot.”

The Huntsman is a mighty spot for a lot of hobbies.

“The Belgooly Show Society meet here and the SCOIN Taekwondo Club, as well as Kinsale Macra. There is always something going on.”

That’s for sure.

“Our two local darts teams are very active playing home and away, and the pool table in the bar is always in demand. During the summer months when we have live music the dance floor is hopping!”

Is it a case of round the house and mind the dresser where beautiful glassware and delph are displayed?

“It is lively all right,” says Tom. “The place is buzzing.”

Tom is buzzing for the future.

“We are looking forward to a great summer. I hear it’s going to be a good one.”

And he’s not bulls---ing me...