The South County Bar & Café – Douglas Village, Cork
It would have been very hard to have had a Whiskey Trail in Ireland without including The South County Bar & Cafe. It is one of the few remaining pubs in the Cork area that has managed to preserve that 'old world atmosphere' and the only pub in Ireland which has its own dedicated Irish Whiskey Corner, drawing on the long proud heritage of whiskey distilling in County Cork. This pub has been owned and operated by the O'Connor family since the early 1970's when it was purchased from the Cork city based Beamish & Crawford brewery. The South County is now owned and managed by brothers Tom and Colm O'Connor who took over the business from their parents in the late 1990's after spending a number of years in Chicago working in hotels and restaurants.
The South County is located in Douglas, a busy shopping and residential suburb of Cork. Douglas is on the way to Cork airport and is only a few minutes by taxi from the city of Cork. The bar's cafe prides itself on offering some of Ireland’s old time traditional favourite dishes, such as the doorstep sandwich, fish 'n chips, beef stew, and shepherds pie.
The pub underwent major renovations in 2009 but has kept its old world feel. Once boasting the largest selection of Irish whiskeys in Ireland, this is an Irish pub which will bring a smile to any whiskey drinker’s face. Tom O’Connor is a whiskey connoisseur himself and he is constantly looking for new ways of sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for Ireland’s Water of Life with his customers. He put a huge amount of effort and dedication into creating his own Whiskey Corner within the pub, a large, warm and cosy area full of whiskey casks, cases and assorted memorabilia. He likes to encourage his customers to discover the different types and styles of whiskey which Ireland produces and he is developing his own Whiskey Tasting Menu. He has imparted his enthusiasm for whiskey to his staff, so don’t be afraid to ask them for recommendations or even to offer your own comments for incorporation into their Whiskey Menu. Then settle down into the South County’s Whiskey Corner with your chosen whiskey, and enjoy whatever the moment brings.
If you are staying in Cork, intend to visit the Jameson Distillery Experience or flying in or out of Cork airport, then you should definitely schedule a couple of hours in your programme for some food and a whiskey in the South County Bar. Sunday evenings is a great time to call - the South County's music sessions fom 6pm to 8pm are very famous in Douglas. It’s a great place to start or finish your visit to Ireland: a place that has Irish traditional feel by the bucket full, with regular Irish music sessions, comfort food, good pints of stout and of course the best of Irish whiskey!
The South County Bar & Cafe - Douglas Village, Co. Cork
Tel. + 353 (0)21 489 1574
Web: www.thesouthcounty.com
Email: info@thesouthcounty.com
Local Tourist Info & Accommodation: http://www.discoverireland.ie
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