Snooker & Beer?

Gwynston

Don't any Irish snooker clubs have bars?

Before moving to Ireland, I played for many years in local clubs in Berkshire which all had bars. Admittedly clubs in Britain tend to be members clubs which followed the old-fashioned rules and regulations of Working-Mens Clubs. i.e. you generally need to be a registered member to get in, or else be signed in as a guest. And Members' Clubs in Britain availed of special laws which waived some of the excise duty on alcohol, so drinks were much cheaper than pubs too!

If I was playing league matches I generally wouldn't drink much (at least until the match was over), but otherwise I would usually make a night of it. Instead of going to the pub for the evening, me and a mate would play snooker for 3 or 4 hours and have a few pints.

I hardly play anymore, but none of the 3 clubs I have tried around Galway have bars, so I don't even get the choice to have a couple of beers with a few frames.

Is it a licensing cost issue?
Or is it to do with the drinking culture in Ireland that people can't seem to sensibly have just a couple of drinks? i.e. once they start, it's inevitable that they'll end up getting lashed and snooker clubs serving beer would just get trashed?

(Apologies for the stereotyping, but you get my drift...)

StephenHendry

Gwynston wrote: »

Don't any Irish snooker clubs have bars?

Before moving to Ireland, I played for many years in local clubs in Berkshire which all had bars. Admittedly clubs in Britain tend to be members clubs which followed the old-fashioned rules and regulations of Working-Mens Clubs. i.e. you generally need to be a registered member to get in, or else be signed in as a guest. And Members' Clubs in Britain availed of special laws which waived some of the excise duty on alcohol, so drinks were much cheaper than pubs too!

If I was playing league matches I generally wouldn't drink much (at least until the match was over), but otherwise I would usually make a night of it. Instead of going to the pub for the evening, me and a mate would play snooker for 3 or 4 hours and have a few pints.

I hardly play anymore, but none of the 3 clubs I have tried around Galway have bars, so I don't even get the choice to have a couple of beers with a few frames.

Is it a licensing cost issue?
Or is it to do with the drinking culture in Ireland that people can't seem to sensibly have just a couple of drinks? i.e. once they start, it's inevitable that they'll end up getting lashed and snooker clubs serving beer would just get trashed?

(Apologies for the stereotyping, but you get my drift...)

generally snooker clubs here don't have bars and a club. probably for some of the reasons you have outlined in case there is any trouble. there are a few in dublin afaik, the ALSAA sports complex in Swords near the airport , they have 3/4 tables and there is a pub next to it. i haven't played here in a few years , so i presume its still there. i used to play league matches there.

the other is the kinsealy inn, Swords. they have a few snooker tables in the lounge area of the pub. tables are quite decent as well

RachaelVO

To serve beer they need to have a license!

You will find bars that have a snooker/pool room and you can get your beer but as a rule they can't legally serve beer.

Gwynston

Yes, the clubs in Britain need a license too, but that seems to be less of an issue than here.

I guess it's because in Britain they have a Members' Club license which is different and allows them to sell alcohol cheaper. Such clubs (not just snooker venues) typically require and annual membership fee.

Is there such a thing in Ireland?

omb0wyn5ehpij9

The Spawell and Ballinteer House both serve alcohol

giant_midget

The perfect combo...

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/07/25/article-1297563-0A90E267000005DC-978_634x432.jpg

JCDUB

A lot of golf clubs have decent snooker tables, and their prices are usually very cheap.

My club charges a euro an hour!

You can become a pavilion member of a golf club to just use clubhouse facilities for about €100-200 per year, and you will get good quality well maintained tables which are almost always free, and enjoy a few pints with it.

BTW golf clubs are struggling these days, and they will all be welcoming and happy to see you expressing an interest in becoming a pavilion member. The stuffy attitude attributed to golf clubs in general should well and truly be gone in this day and age, and if it's not, there are plenty of other options.

bc dub

Alsaa Sports Club - Airport Road and Ierne Sports Club - Drumcondra are two members clubs that have snooker tables with a bar I know of on the northside.

beeroclock

The Mardyke bar in Cork has snooker table and American pool tables. Though strictly a pub with snooker tables as opposed to a snooker club it ticks both boxes

locked

by jaysus there is an auld hippy spot there abroad in gort. manys a day i swallowed a sly naggin inside in the jaxx or a can or two while i would be bating a few balls around the auld snooker table.