Good Friday train stations of the cross

[admin]

Myself and Rossa spent most of yesterday afternoon in Connolly station drinking pints of Guinness, just cos we could. We were even talking to Conor Pope the journalist, but in fairness the English stag party were more interesting, so we didn't make it into the Irish Times.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/beer-and-banter-on-tap-for-railway-stations-of-the-cross-1.1343397

Got me to thinking, CIE are a waste of space generally, and none more so than when it comes to making a go of bars in train stations which have special dispensation under the law and don't need to follow the normal rules. Talk about opportunities lost.

You do have to have a ticket for a journey of 16 miles or more, cheapest of which is a €4.50 single to Balbriggan (21 miles according to Google maps although I'd say Skerries is closer to the 16 mile mark). Leixlip is 10 miles, but as "it's in Kildare" I was let in!

So it got me to thinking, what stations have bars that are open, aside from Connolly and Heuston? I know Bray has a bar, but that seems to be closed (again), although probably not permanently.

I was in the bar in Cork Kent maybe 10 years ago, but I read that under the redevelopment a few years ago the bar was done away with. Is that the case?

I was also in the bar in Waterford Plunkett, but even 20 years ago it looked like it was on its last legs. Waterfordians, is there still a bar there?

Also, Galway Ceannt used to have a miserable excuse for a bar, but that was 15 years ago. I presume it's no more?

Is there a bar in Belfast Central, or any other stations in NI? No silly Good Friday law or silly CIE, but curious all the same?

Any other stations that had or have a bar? Limerick? Dundalk? Anyone?

[Garry]

That's a funny piece I love this bit:

Sitting nearby was a stag party from London, and they weren't laughing quite so hard. They were desperate for some craic and seemed less than impressed with a best man who had managed to organise the worst party on the one Friday of the year when the craic in Ireland is considerably less than mighty. "When I heard that all the pubs were going to be closed in Dublin of all places I thought it was a joke," said Robin Flindaell.?

I haven't been in Kent station too many times but I don't think they have a bar there?

[irish_goat]

I don't have a copy on me but apparently I made it into the Irish Times on a bit about Good Friday closing rules. 

[Will_D]

If you want to see how we used to do it in NE Manchester ( and still do) her's a link:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1404161-d1784187-r123905365-Transpennine_Real_Ale_Trail-Stalybridge_Greater_Manchester_England.html

My 'auld landlady Sylvia from Ashton now runs the bar on Stalybridge station.

The 'Trans Pennine Pub Craw' has been featured on various TV prgrams both good (craft beers - lovely locations) and bad (bunch of hairy piss heads gettin bladdered on a train) but there is some great bers to be had.

Then of course there are some great "Real Ale & Steam Trains" trips

[CARA]

If you want to see how we used to do it in NE Manchester ( and still do) her's a link:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1404161-d1784187-r123905365-Transpennine_Real_Ale_Trail-Stalybridge_Greater_Manchester_England.html

My 'auld landlady Sylvia from Ashton now runs the bar on Stalybridge station.

The 'Trans Pennine Pub Craw' has been featured on various TV prgrams both good (craft beers - lovely locations) and bad (bunch of hairy piss heads gettin bladdered on a train) but there is some great bers to be had.

Then of course there are some great "Real Ale & Steam Trains" trips

I used to work in "The Head of Steam" (The owner of which, Terry Brookes, is a good friend of Cuilan at White Gypsy coincidentally. Cuilan used to send ALOT of his beer to England through Terry, unbeknownst to my younger self) just off Liverpool Lime St Station. 12 hand pulls and shit loads of train memorabilia. We got a lot of train spotters and beer tickers in. Not too sure what the real ale situation there these days is.