Murphy's, Galway, Ireland - pub details
Address: 9 High Street, Galway IRELAND
> Current user rating: 6.0/10 (rated by 6 users)
user reviews of Murphy's, Galway
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
| Great pub, usually one of the best pints in town, a real irish pub through and through kel_bar - 28 May 2010 12:34 |
| The decor in Murphy's probably explains why it is so popular with most of the people who frequent the place. It is one of the few pubs left in this town that hasn't fallen victim to a developers axe and sledgehammer. Unlike most pubs in Galway, Murphy's has changed little down the years. And they ALWAYS serve a good pint. Add to that its location right in the heart of Galway city's so called "Left Bank" and you should have the makings of a great pub. And it is a great pub. But - and there is a but. It can be very clannish. Perhaps for for some of the reasons I mentioned above. Anytime I go in there I get the feeling that I'm somehow intruding on some of the long stanting punters who regard the place as a second home. All the customers heads turn when you walk in the door with numerous pairs of eyes glancing towards you to suss out whether you are a local or a stranger or just another german tourist asking for directions to the nearest bicycle hire shop. You can expect that in remote rural pubs in Ireland where the pace of life is slower. But it can be off-putting in the heart of the fastest growing city in Europe. I often got the feeling I was sitting in someone elses seat even though the usual occupier of that seat might not be due in for another 2 hours. I don't believe for one second that anyone who drinks here regularly deliberately sets out to come across as unfriendly, but the overall atmosphere in the place appears to be one of a pub that is very set in its ways. I hate to be overly harsh about this pub because despite it all it is a lovely spot. However, I do feel it dines out on the fact that it hasn't changed in decades and as such it has nothing else to do in order to make newcomers feel welcome. I know some of the locals who have been drinking here since before I was born and perhaps they feel entitled to a degree of ownership to the pub at this stage such is their lifelong affinity to the place. Such a long standing patronige, however admirable and earned should never be used to make newcomers feel uncomfortable. It is a public house, not a private club. The staff are very efficient and Gerry is one of the best Barmen I have ever seen. (On a curious note, all the barstaff are male. Why no women behind the bar?) At least in Murphy's one can get the feeling that some things never change, and in a city which is fast selling its soul to the mighty �uro that is a comforting thought. But can a real pub with an ageing clientele continue to survive the developers axes and sledgehammers in the heart of this city over the coming years? I honestly hope so. Perhaps its the old "what you see is what you get" attitude needs to be axed first. The_Inspector - 8 Jun 2006 06:48 |
