Man your pumps, Wetherspoons are coming

I'm not out that frequently in Dublin, but it is the cask beers I would go to the 'spoons for. I haven't had any success in Camden Street, and they only had one on (despite what the app said) last time I was in Grand Canal Dock (and it wasn't one of the Irish ones).

I've been in the Silver Penny about four or five times since the start of September, all on a Saturday afternoon, between 2 and 5 say. Only once did I see any kind of "drama" and it was a one drunk man speaking a bit loudly to another drunk man at the same table as him, it might have boiled over but I got the impression they were keeping a lid on it as a group, given the very obvious security situation.

I was exclusively drinking cask ales, and paying 2.50 a pint for them. I was in the company of what I suppose you'd term "beer nerds" and the conversation centred around the beer itself, so it was perfect for what we wanted. On at least 2 occasions they had the Rugby World Cup match that was taking place at the time, on at least one screen.

No one knows, only confirmed that they are up for sale.

Yes, I have been in the Grand Canal Dock outlet twice.

Busy both times, many non-Irish, as might be expected by the employment nearby.

The pub is over two floors, there is seating in the basement. Also seating outside.

Yes, 2.50 for cask ale, great value.

When you think about it, the 2.50 price shows the massive profits being made by brewers and pubs selling pints for 6.00-7.00 nearby.

I've been in the Carlow one maybe 15-20 times.

For me, It's clean, warm, has a couple of large screens with Sky Sports and TNT Sports, and pints of Stella for €3.00 or Renegade for €3.45

I'd only be in for the sport and a few cheap pints now and then, perhaps never there past 8pm, so never saw any hassle.

The 3 half (or is it 1/3) pints of cask for €1.95 is insane value, when the cask festival is on.

It will continue to trade until sold, a staff member told me.

4.20 is a great price, but 4.45 is still great value in the south docks office area. I can't see many docklands/southside office workers etc making the trek up to the junction of Dorset st/Gardiner St to save 25c pint.

I'm happy to see more Weatherspoons in city centre locations. if you go in with a crowd from work, or group of friends, you make your own atmosphere. There are exceptions like Mulligans, but I dont think most office-clientele Dublin city centre pubs are big on "atmosphere".

I'd rather drink literal píss...

Forged is €4.10 in the Carlow one.

It's all personal taste but I've tried Forged and thought it was awful stuff.

Proper 12 is a close cousin to basic Bushmills.

Is your point that a settlement of, say, 60,000 people will be busier in Ireland than a 60,000 place in GB?

I often wondered why that is?

Limerick has 90,000 which puts it in the bracket of minor regional city in the UK whereas in Ireland it makes it the 3rd biggest centre and therefore in cultural terms the Manchester or Leeds of Ireland.

I have friends from Torquay and Carlisle which are roughly similar to Limerick and people there would never expect to have a major sports team or be upset when Bruce Springsteen doesn't choose their town.

The other difference is the chains have gutted the English high street and gutted the level of expectation of the customer. They think a Nicholsons pub and meat and veg from a Sainsbury's are quality to be cherished.

So Spoons probably think we can do great in Cork because we can do great in a Cork size city in England but a Cork size city in England won't have a Bierhaus, Abbotts, the Rising Sons pubs or the myriad of old local pubs Cork has.