The Village Pubs of Cork: ‘A lot of customers are lonely, the pub makes a difference’

He has been in the pub trade his whole life, and Pádraig Coughlan has risen through the ranks to be general manager of one of Cork city’s most distinctive bars.

“I came to work at Murphys Rock Bar when I was 20,” he says.

“Being from around here, I knew everyone who drank at The Rock. All my friends came in here, so it seemed like a natural transition when my friend, who was working as a barman in Blackpool, told me there was a job going at Murphys Rock.

“I took the job part-time and then it spiralled. As a youngster, I worked in pubs collecting glasses.”

Like the good pint of Guinness served at The Rock, Pádraig started at the bottom, and he rose to the top.

“I was barman, bar manager, then general manager,” says Pádraig, who has worked in the bar in Ballyvolane for 15 years now.

Murphys Rock Bar offers a carvery, and bar food seven days a week, a sun-trapped beer garden, live sport on numerous TVs, cocktails, live music, and is a fabulous party venue.

It has always been at the heart of the local north-side community.

“Most of our locals live nearby and they can walk to the pub,” says Pádraig.

How do they get home?

“By wheelbarrow!” laughs Pádraig, who is referring to the pub’s in-house transport service.

“When someone needs a lift home, we say, ‘get the wheelbarrow out!’”

Some locals arrive at the pub by other means.

Pat recalls: “One of our fond locals, who we’ll call Mick - otherwise he’ll kill me! - has family in the U.S, and he was visiting them there for two weeks.

“When he arrived back in Ireland, he drove down from Shannon in a blizzard. He got home and decided to walk down the road here to the pub.”

It was hazardous.

“At the time, there was bad ice,” Pádraig says. “He had jetlag, and there is a slope coming in the front door. ‘Mick’ slid down the slope, and he landed at an angle in the car park!”

He lived to tell the tale.

“Himself and his mates got a lot of mileage out of that for sure,” says Pádraig.

Murphys Rock is named after its owner, and Pádraig adds: “Also, down the road near one of the housing estates there is a stream running through a field that has a big rock in it. It is known as The Rock. Hence the name of the pub.”

The bar stools and the seats at the tables in the bar have names on them.

“Groups of friends sit at the exact same table when they come in or at the same place on stools at the counter,” says Pádraig.

There is a time for the place.

“If Ger, who comes in every day at 5.30pm, is not in by 5.40pm, we know he’s not coming!” says Pádraig.

“If we see one of a familiar couple sitting on their own, we make inquiries. It could be the case that the husband or wife is sick or in hospital. Then we keep tabs on them until they get well again. It is often the case that we know the brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters of our customers.

“A lot of our regular customers are home alone and they feel lonely,” adds Pádraig.

“They don’t like to be at home. When they come here, they enjoy the chat and catching up with the news, matches, etc. It makes a big difference to their day.”

There isn’t a day goes by that something is not happening in Murphys Rock.

“Our live sports streaming on all the TVs is very popular,” says Pádraig. “We have lots of raffles on Facebook when there is a major sporting event on the TV. Or if there is a Cork match on, the lads can win free pints if they have the correct result.

“We sponsor a lot of the local sports teams in the area,” he adds. “We’ve sponsored the under-age awards for Leeds FC for years, St. Mary’s Soccer Club, Glenthorn Celtic, and Old Christians Rugby. Murphys The Rock is a big part of the community.”

Pádraig is a part of the community too. “I enjoy great job satisfaction here.”

He has a big team working with him.

“Forty in all,” says Pádraig. “All locals.”

I heard that the Sunday carvery has to be eaten to be believed?

“Our head chef, Chris O’Sullivan, is a great cook and yes, our Sunday carvery is the highlight of the week for a lot of people,” Padraig says. “There is a steady lunch trade all week.”

There is steady activity in the locality.

“The building sites bring in more custom,” Pádraig says.

The refurbishment of the premises in 2000 added to the space available for partygoers.

“Our live music sessions are very popular,” Pádraig says. “And bingo night is always well attended.

“Rory Buckley is our resident Wednesday night musician. There could be two or seven in the band. Lads on guitar, violin, the bodhrán.”

It’s a case of round the house and mind the dresser.

“All ages enjoy the music,” says Pádraig. “Our Sunday DJ draws a great crowd.”

They come from all over.

“When tourists arrive from the USA, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, they love the music and we often see the same tourists back here again when they visit Cork.”

In the sunny beer-garden, Tex introduces himself.

“I’m the chief-bottle washer and the maintenance man,” says Tex, aka Denis O’Leary.

He keeps the premises ship-shape.

“I’m called Tex since I was 13 years old,” he tells me. Any reason? “No. I just always answer to Tex!”

Around the corner from the beer garden, a new retractable bar is being built.

“It will have its own kitchen opening later this year,” says Pádraig.

His favourite tipple is stout.

“And this is still my local!” says Pádraig.

What’s his best-seller?

“Coors,” says Pádraig.

Employee Marney Power makes herself known. “Will you have a cuppa and toastie?” she asks.

Indeed I will. The toastie is up there with the Sunday carvery.