The Pubs of Cork: Brothers run Cork bar - 'but our mammy keeps an eye on us'

The Boland brothers - Gavin and Daniel - have been running The Ensign Bar in Monkstown for 13 years.

Being brothers, I wonder if they ever butt heads?!

“People often ask what it’s like having two brothers running a pub together,” says Gavin. “I normally tell them we’re both still speaking - and more importantly, still alive! After 13 years that is probably our greatest achievement!

Brothers will be brothers.

“Like any brothers, we don’t always agree,” says Gavin. “But luckily there is usually a bar between us!”

The Ensign has more than one use locally.

“Over the years, we’ve also realised that The Ensign isn’t just a pub,” says Gavin.

“Somewhere along the line we seem to have become the unofficial Monkstown information centre!”

What do Gavin and Daniel get asked?

“We’ve been asked everything from directions and taxi numbers to ferry times, where to get a good dinner, who owns a certain house, and probably the full life history of half the village!”

Do they always know the answers?

“If we don’t know the answer, there’s normally someone sitting at the bar who does,” says Gavin.

“Or the very least, someone who is sufficiently confident in their answer that you’d never know the difference!”

And then, of course, there’s the sport chat in the bar.

“Over the years, an extraordinary number of matches have been won and lost from the bar stools of The Ensign,” says Gavin.

“Managers have been sacked, teams have been picked, substitutions made, and tactics completely reorganised-all without anyone having to leave the comfort of their stool.”

The pub pundits are professionals.

“Some of the post-match analysis would put the sports’ pundits to shame,” says Gavin.

“The only difference is, our panel of experts generally have a pint in front of them and absolutely no intention of agreeing with one another.”

More lofty discussions about world affairs can happen over a pint too.

“Over 13 years behind the bar, I’ve learned that there are very few problems in the world that can’t at least be discussed over a pint,” says Gavin.

“Whether they actually get solved is another matter entirely!”

Gavin, a good listener, often takes good advice on board.

“One bit of advice that has always stayed with me came from the late Brian Isherwood, a local man who had moved to the area from England many years ago.”

Gavin fills me in about Brian.

“Brian was a very witty man, and a great character,” he says.

“Brian told me, ‘My old boy, working behind the bar is like being a priest. You hear everything and say nothing!’

“He also told me that working behind the bar would be one of the best forms of education that you could ever get.”

Was he right?

“After 13 years doing it; boy, he was right!”

Gavin seems to really enjoy his role as proprietor.

“You meet every type of person, from every walk of life,” he explains.

“You hear every story imaginable, the good, the bad, the funny, and occasionally, the unbelievable!

“You learn to talk to people. But more importantly, you learn how to listen to them.

“And just like Brian said, you quickly learn that some of the things you hear are best left exactly where you heard them - at the bar!”

Gavin and Daniel are lucky to have an Irish mammy helping them in the bar.

“I used to come in to do the cleaning in the morning, and I got persuaded to go behind the bar and pull pints!” says Cecilia.

“I only live five doors down the street, so no commuting!”

“She keeps an eye on us!” says Gavin.

“Mam has helped us out a huge amount over the years, and she is always there when needed.”

“Like most Irish mothers, Cecilia has a great ability to help out while making sure myself and Daniel know exactly what we should be doing.

“Her help and support over the years has meant a lot to us both and to The Ensign.”

Being a publican in modern times can be a tough task.

“Anyone who has worked in a busy pub knows it is not always the easiest job in the world,” admits Gavin.

“There are long days, long nights, busy weekends and plenty of characters to deal with.

“We have been very lucky with the people who worked with us over the years. They’ve been a huge part of The Ensign, and a huge part of the atmosphere in the pub.

“Daniel and I certainly couldn’t have done without them.”

They all make for a good team.

“Between ourselves, our mum, and the staff, we’ve poured a fair few pints, heard a fair few stories, and we’ve solved most of the world’s problems over the last 13 years,” says Gavin.

“Unfortunately, nobody outside The Ensign seems to have taken much notice of our solutions!”

Gavin took notice of someone special who came into The Ensign one day

“Claudia was house-sharing locally at the time,” he says.

“One night she came down to The Ensign with her housemates for a few drinks.

“Unbeknownst to her, Sheila’s 50th birthday was in full swing that night.”

Gavin vividly remembers that night.

“I had finished work after a long day, and I had promised myself I’d have one pint and go home” says Gavin.

It wasn’t to be.

“Anyone who has spent any time in a pub will know, very few great stories have ever started with ‘just the one’.

Gavin took a swallow of ‘just the one’.

“Then I spotted Claudia!” says Gavin.

“Suddenly, going home didn’t seem quite so urgent.

“I finished my pint, went home, had a shower and a shave, found the best clothes I could lay my hands on, and headed straight back over to The Ensign.”

He looked the part then.

“So, there I was, freshly showered, freshly shaven and back in the pub looking like a new man.

“There was only one problem,” says Gavin. “I still hadn’t the courage to speak to her.”

Patrons of The Ensign are experts at solving problems of the heart, as well as problems of the world.

“Thankfully, Fiona Browne, who was at Sheila’s party, came out into the beer garden, took one look at me, and immediately knew what was going on,” says Gavin.

“She said, ‘I know why you’re back here.’

Gavin came clean.

“At that stage there wasn’t much use denying it,” he says.

“Fiona offered to go in and get Claudia to come outside. Thankfully, she did, because left to my own devices, I’d probably have had another three pints for Dutch courage and still be sitting in the beer garden trying to work out an opening line.”

The problem was solved.

“Fiona brought Claudia out. We got chatting, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

And baby made three.

“I’d nearly prefer a night shift in here than doing the night shift at home!” laughs Gavin.

Love conquers all.

“Yes, I actually met my wife Claudia, here at The Ensign,” says Gavin.

“So apart from everything else the pub has given me over the past 13 years, it also managed to find me a wife - although I’m not sure that was included in the original business plan!”