The Pubs of Cork: 'We have plans for a new plaza and community space'

Fancy a game of pool at The Spreading Chestnut? Yep! If the table is good enough for the likes of Ken Doherty, it’s good enough for me!

The bar is situated in the pretty village of Cloughduv in mid-Cork, right at the crossroads of routes to Bandon, Ballincollig, Macroom, and Dunmanway.

This vibrant and colourful village has seen its population grow in recent years with new developments, but has managed to keep the village feel.

Self-contained, it has everything from successful sporting clubs, to a school, surgery, a church with bells that ring melodiously on the hour, a shop, and the family-run pub.

The Spreading Chestnut, designed by renowned architect Bertie Thompson, got its name from the first line of the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, The Village Blacksmith.

The first of its eight verses goes:

Under a spreading chestnut-tree

The village smithy stands;

The smith, a mighty man is he,

With large and sinewy hands;

And the muscles of his brawny arms

Are strong as iron bands.

You may recognise the design of The Spreading Chestnut as similar to other public houses created with the same aesthetic in the 1950s and ’60s; timber-floored bar on one side and carpeted lounge on the other, and never the twain shall meet!

Co-owner Berard Kelleher says: “There was precious little in the village when The Spreading Chestnut opened its doors on August 12, 1969, with one of the rarest of commodities in those days, a ladies’ loo! Previous to this, you would be obliged to use the upstairs commode.”

Jeremiah Kelleher and his wife Nora ran the successful pub until their retirement, and then handed the reins to the next generation, who run it between them, Berard Kelleher, Dan Buckley, Finbarr and Linda Corkery make up the core group.

Every family member at one time or another has been behind the bar, and even the current staff members have been there for generations.

“With the mills and quarries, the pub became the central hub of the community and remains that to this day,” Berard says, “even though many of the industries of the past have gone, the community has grown, with new housing developments bringing new customers and friends.”

Berard’s sister Bina adds: “In the ’80s and ’90s, during the summer, you would have an influx of visitors over from England on their holidays. Now our visitors are from all over Cork.”

The Spreading Chestnut, like all good pubs, has adapted with the times and creates events to draw in the crowds. In recent years, they have hosted christenings, weddings, birthday parties, communion parties, and music festivals.

Linda says the weekend trade is fantastic.

“We have the huge seating area outside so families will come as it’s a safe space,” she said. “There’s a pizza van called Curly Stu’s and a chipper van that trade here on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and the atmosphere is wonderful.

“We have music here on most weekends and it’s lovely to see all the new residents calling for a tea or coffee. They can stroll up from the new development and meet one another. It is keeping our village vibrant and busy.”

The last two weeks of August saw The Spreading Chestnut hosting a music festival that was a huge success.

“We got numbers we never expected,” Berard says, “so we’re hoping next year will be even bigger.”

At the end of October, the pub will host a Halloween party that will again bring the community together.

“People need a reason to come out,” Berard adds, “so we provide it.”

The Cloughduv pub also has strong sporting ties.

It stages dart championships, sponsors local sporting groups, and famous faces from the pool and snooker world have even popped in for a game or two!

You just never know who you might meet - Cork ace Aaron Hill, former world champions Ken Doherty and Denis Taylor, and world under 23 pool champion Sean Walsh have all played on the baize, and Rapid Ricky Evans - the fastest darts player in the world - has also visited the bar.

Ken Doherty is great company,” Linda says, “he had great craic with the locals and was very humble when he got beaten by local lady Donna Madden in 2024! He’s not just a snooker player, he’s an entertainer, a lovely man.”

All of these pool events are organised by David Joyce from the Crucible Snooker Club in Blarney Street, Cork city.

Never ones to rest on their laurels, the family have huge plans for the future for the Spreading Chestnut.

Berard explains: “All of the parking will be moved to the back so we can build a plaza.

“There will be a pharmacy and medical centre on one side of the plaza, two commercial units with an apartment building, and nine houses. The front of the bar will have a gorgeous public seating area with garden and paving.

“The pub will have a new, large kitchen and a new extension. It’s going to be a beautiful community space and a welcoming centre for our village.”

He anticipates it will be summer, 2028, by the time all of the work is completed.

In the meantime, the family pub remains at the centre of the community, welcoming locals and visitors alike to watch sporting events on the large TVs, play pool, darts, rings, or just catch up with the news and with one another.

The thriving village of Cloughduv is an example of a community keeping its tradition while looking to the future and enhancing its surroundings for all.

The Spreading Chestnut hours are as follows: Monday is noon to close; Tuesday and Wednesday, 4pm to close; Thursday, Friday and Saturday, noon to close, and Sunday is 12.30pm to close.