'It’s lovely to see the familiar faces': Delight as Hi B reopens 

A legendary city centre establishment, with a notoriously stern ruling on mobile phones, reopened on Thursday - much to the delight of punters and publican alike.

Speaking to The Echo, Nancy O’Donnell, who runs The Hibernian Bar - otherwise known as The Hi B - with her daughter Rachel, said she was delighted to be back in action.

“It’s lovely to see the familiar faces coming back again,” Nancy said, “It’s like old times, having a nice chat.” 

The old-school bar announced some very modern changes, with newly installed credit card machines. However, the age-old ban on texting, tapping, snapping and taking calls or pics is still being emphatically enforced.

“The ban is here to stay,” Nancy said. 

“This is a pub for conversation.” 

In terms of the credit card machines, Nancy said she wasn’t into technology, but she was adapting.

“I'm a bit old fashioned, I’m not into technology at all, I find it a bit difficult, but I will adapt.” 

The bar on Oliver Plunkett Street is now offering wine and prosecco by the bottle, something that would have been the subject of scorn in a previous era, as well as ‘good coffee.’ 

“It’s a very simple coffee machine, we don’t do cappuccinos now or anything like that. Nothing elaborate, but a nice coffee.” 

Nancy also said they now had a “very fine” wine menu.

“We didn’t have that before, that is new,” Nancy clarified.

The publican also said during the closure they had the place painted.

“It is all the same colours, you wouldn’t even notice, but it's a bit cleaner.” 

On Wednesday, the pub posted an enthusiastic video of the gleaming bar, awaiting its punters with the caption: “Having been closed for 705 days we are thrilled to announce that we will be opening on Thursday 10th February at 4pm.

“A couple of new editions this time around, Credit Card Facilities, Wine and Prosecco by the bottle and good coffee. Still no mobile phones (except to pay), good conversation and great music!!”

The Hi-B was once part of a hotel on Oliver Plunkett Street, which was bought by Nancy’s father-in-law in 1925. The Hi B was the hotel bar for a time. Nancy's late husband Brian, who died in 2019, was one of Cork's best known characters - beloved for his unique approach to dealing with customers.