The Village Pubs of Cork: ‘I love running a pub ... but price of a pint must be kept down’

When Leo Spratt took over a pub in Carrigtwohill 28 years ago, he didn’t have too many ‘locals’ to call upon.

“When I arrived here, there were only 1,500 people in the village,” says Leo. “There are 10,000 people living here now.”

That’s quite an increase!

When I called in late one afternoon, it was plain to see that Jack Spratt’s on the village’s Main Street is a hostelry where pints are shared, names remembered, and where laughter flows as easily as the Guinness.

I’m sure that Leo has been down the road of the Jack Spratt nursery rhyme being quoted to him?

“Indeed, I have!” he laughs.

He may not eat fat, but is he living off the fat of the land, being in the pub business for almost three decades?

“The pub trade is doing OK,” says Leo, who used to be on the road when he worked as a rep for Cadbury’s. My dad was a sales rep too and I decided that life wasn’t for me. I decided to work for myself.”

Why Carrigtwohill?

“It was recommended to me by locals,” says Leo. “It is a great little village where everyone is friendly.”

It’s not so little any more though? The increase in its population and the rail connection to Cork must be good for business?

“The bulk of my customers are 98% locals,” says Leo, who has created a shared community hub where conversations and comfort can be enjoyed, providing a vital defence against rural isolation.

“My staff, and our seven part-timers, know everyone by name, and often we know what they want to drink before they even ask!”

The staff enjoy job satisfaction at Jack Spratt’s.

“They are all fantastic,” says Leo. “They all look out for each other. Some of them are with me between 15 years and well over 20 years.”

Marie Wilkinson, working behind the bar for 23 years, nods her head in agreement as she drops the ‘usual’ on the counter for her customer who is content at a quiet stool bar.

“We know all our customers, and we enjoy chatting to them about their day, their weekend, or just the weather,” says Marie.

However, Leo has noted some changes to footfall in recent years.

“The old timers are a dying breed which is such a pity,” he says. 

“In pre-covid days we knew between 20 and 50 of the great characters coming in who lived in the village. Now we know only two or three of them. After covid they never returned.”

Not even on pension day?

“Seldom,” says Leo.

He welcomes clientele from further afield.

“People who are passing through going to Fota or to Cobh, for instance, often stop off here for a beverage,” says Leo. “They like to shoot the breeze and find out what activities or attractions they can discover in East Cork.”

Main Street, Carrigtwohill, is a busy, buzzing throughfare.

“Paddy Powers is next door, and people are always popping in and out of there. And then into us,” says Leo.

It’s a win-win, hopefully!

“If GAA, rugby matches or horse-racing are on the TV, we always have a lot of punters in the bar who are interested in following the various sports,” says Leo. “Local horse trainers Terence O’Brien, Noel O’Neill, and Don Brown are well known in the area, and they have a lot of followers. It’s mad in here during Cheltenham! It’s great fun.”

Customers can go away from the madding crowd into the lovely beer garden that also boasts it’s own TV screen.

“We have music at the weekends which always provides lively sessions,” says Leo. “The card players have their own table reserved. The pub can feel like a real community hub at times, with people watching matches, playing cards, enjoying each other’s company, or having a well-deserved drink after a hard weeks’ work. Jack Spratt’s is a community space where everybody is made welcome.”

Paudie, the local taxi driver who has passed away, was always made welcome. His photograph is in a cute little nook beside the bar counter.

“Everybody knew Paudie,” says Leo. “He was a great man. So obliging. There is a great opening for someone to operate a taxi service in the village.”

What does Leo, who comes in to open up the pub every day, like about the business?

“Well, I like that I work for myself.

“There may be 10,000 people here, but Carrigtwohill will always be a village.”

Leo is proud of the place he calls home.

“Carrigtwohill won the Pride of Place in 2019,” he says. “There is a great community here. The St Patrick’s Day Parade is always a great success. It’s twice the size of the Midleton parade!

“When we host our Marymount gig, we could have a collection of 15 bands in the beer garden. The support is always phenomenal.”

Leo gets by with a little help from his friends.

“Coors beer is our best seller here in the pub,” he says.

“The company were really good to me and really helped me in so many ways when I was doing up the pub. They are fantastic to deal with.”

How does he see the pub business evolving in the future?

“There is no doubt it can be a hard trade to be in,” says Leo.

“I think the breweries have to try and control price rises in the drinks’ industry. I can see the pint costing €10 in ten years.”

However, the future of Carrigtwohill looks good all round for business and leisure.

“There are more businesses opening here all the time,” says Leo.

“Schools are growing and the infrastructure is improving. It’s great for us and it’s great for Carrigtwohill.”

Leo is looking to the future.

“There is a derelict building out the back which I am going to renovate to create a hatch into the beer garden for food to be served. That’s down the road in the summer months. So yes, there will be a lot going on.”

Right now, Leo is happy with his lot.

“The day of a match, I like to sit down with the locals and have a pint or two with them.”

Does he support Cork or Waterford, where he grew up?

Leo is diplomatic.

“I am half and half! On the fence.”