It's a St Patrick's Day like no other. No pubs. No parades. No craic. Maybe it's only when Paddy's Day's is taken away that we can truly appreciate it for what it is. It feels against nature and borderline criminal that this mid-March day can come and go without even the option of nipping in the side door of a beloved boozer and taking anywhere from 30 minutes to 8 hours out from the day to take stock, meet friends, meet strangers, eat peanuts, play darts, tell stories, sing badly, swear a lot, argue a lot, apologise a lot and the million other things essential to life that take place in pubs.
We've found the next best thing to going the pub: thinking about going to the pub, and thus appreciating the privilege of going to the pub. We loved this Twitter thread started by Declan Lawn where people describe the one pub they could go to when this all blows over. The replies come from all walks of Irish life and they represent the drinking diaspora.
Here's some of our favourite replies:
Murty’s obviously, but one more day on the Camden high st with my brother Paschal and his great friend Gerry McMahon in the Cobden arms 😢 we sung it high 💪🏿
— Anthony Daly (@DaloAnto) March 17, 2020
TWO TOASTED CHEESE SANDWICHES AND THREE PINTS OF BEAMISH FOR DINNER IN GROGAN’S CASTLE LOUNGE PLEASE
— David O'Doherty (@phlaimeaux) March 17, 2020
Tigh Neds, Inis Oirr. Absolute paradise! pic.twitter.com/T9FMYtVcad
— Sorcha Vaughan (@Sorcha_V) March 16, 2020
The Castle Inn, South Main Street, Cork. Fine pints of Murphy's sweating slowly, Aunty Mary chatting away and Denis throwing a bit a pallet on the fire. A little piece of heaven.
— Jonathan Hill (@jhill_16) March 16, 2020
Gallagher’s in Birkenhead. The seat just by the open front door with a warm wind blowing up from The Mersey . Beer has to be Oracle by the Salopian brewery .
— Harry McNally (@HarryMcNally00) March 16, 2020
One of my old haunts when I lived in Kinsale. A few afternoons there in the company of Ray Davis, yes the Kinks genius, he lived in the town at that time. But my personal choice is the Pipe and Glass, South Dalton in East Yorkshire. David Hockney’s favourite as well.
— Ken Reid (@bigkenreid) March 16, 2020
The Long Valley Bar #corcaigh c.1984 Humphrey Moynihan owner in his late 60's cartwheeling on the bar after hours. Serving us art students Angels Kisses, Tia Maria with whipped cream on top!!
— Liz Cullinane (@liznangel3) March 17, 2020
The nearest one @DecLawn
— roderick (@26rjp) March 16, 2020
What's yours? Give me O'Connell's in Portabello on a rammed Paddy's Day.
And lordy, when it's safe again to go back to the pub, we'll make it count.
