Connacht Tribune
Galway man turns old caravan into pub of dreams!
Shebeen when translated means ‘a drinking place’ and comes from the Gaelic word síbín, which was a small mug measure of ale in Ireland in the 18th century.
The word conjures up images of dark secret bars where alcohol was sold to thwart attempts by the English to regulate and tax it, much to the disdain of the unruly Irish.
While you may have had to travel down many boreens to the wildest locations to get to the Irish version of a speakeasy, that looks all set to change thanks to an enterprising Clarenbridge man.
John Walsh came up with the idea of converting a dilapidated 30-year-old caravan into a mobile Irish pub.
But not just any watering hole, this pub is the real deal, just as cosy as any authentic snug which graces your favourite traditional pub.
When entering on a freezing cold November’s day, the Shebeen is so warm; the heating comes from a simple electric fire. It’s a welcome respite from the world outside, a world created by John thanks to a festival competition.
He paid €800 for the caravan to go to the Electric Picnic two years ago. It did the job nicely but when it came to trying to sell it on, he found he was being offered a fraction of what he had paid for it as one of the panels was falling off.
The following year the Electric Picnic was running a competition – to design a caravan which would become an installation in the festival trailer park. It had to be interactive and cut a dash among the organisers’ own unique creations which are used to host gigs and events.
“I thought this is the chance to do something with the caravan lying in the yard. I wanted to create an old style pub. There were 130 entries and five were chosen. Mine wasn’t one of those but we stayed going with it anyway as a project on Friday afternoons to unwind after the week.”
John is a cabinet maker by trade and had built custom-made kitchens with JW Design and for the last three years cleanroom furniture for pharmaceutical companies through his company Clinical Cabinets. He got his five employees involved in the project, which took six months to complete.
The interior woodwork is handcrafted in Irish oak, which has been stained and distressed to recreate a vintage feel.
There is used solid pine on the floor and the seats are designed to look old and well worn. Antique pictures, mirrors and carefully selected pub memorabilia which came from an old pub in Monaghan adorn the walls, which have been papered in traditional patterned wallpaper.
As well as an antique cash register and electric stove, gracing one wall is an old hurl with a set of false teeth imbedded in it. Outside the white polystyrene cladding resembles a white washed cottage, with the door the only thing remaining of the original caravan, which can open out to replicate the traditional cottage half-doors.
His interior designer Claire Finnegan picked out the furnishings “to give it the woman’s touch”. But there’s nothing womanly about this bar.
Behind the bar are two taps for draught beer or Guinness, which he can supply the kegs
The following is a vivid description of what The Shebeen aims to recreate: “The authentic Irish pub experience is not easy to define – it’s magical and warm, a cosy haven on a cold winter’s eve. It’s sipping on a pint beside an open fire, deep in conversation with people you like. It’s forgetting the world and escaping to a place where nothing other than the drink in front of you and the people around your table matter. It’s banter and laughs and fun and tears.”
The shebeen seats 14 and both windows fold down allowing drinks to be served through each window, giving extra counter space outside.
No licence is required provided drink is not charged for.
There is a complete music system inside allowing revelers to play CDs or connect iPads or iPhones.
It needs a power supply to run fridges, coolers, lights and sound system.
He tried the Shebeen out for a family birthday and it was a huge success.
The children were enthralled, adults behaved like kids as they pulled their own pints and by the end of the night it was the older men who had moved in to play cards to get a bit of piece and quiet from the young ones dancing to music outside.
Just two weeks ago, he launched the Shebeen on Facebook and already the bookings have flown in for the afters of weddings and parties. It can be rented for 24 hours from €750 for private events, more for corporate gigs.
Word of the Shebeen has already made its way to Boston where an order for a second Shebeen has been made. He is currently designing one which will be transported to America by St Patrick’s Day.
He plans to build up to eight next year, most of them bound for the US and Canadian markets where he will rent them out under a licence. He has taken out a trademark for the concept and is confident nobody will be allowed copy it.
“For the next one we’re building it from a new frame and chassis so there’ll be more storage and you can bring it anywhere as it will be very strong. We’re thatching it to make it look more realistic. The only thing that will give it away are the wheels.”
Not everyone will be thrilled to see this venture a success. His father Sean, who runs Walsh Crane Hire, has become a most loyal local.
“On a Sunday he likes to come down here with his friends for a few pints. It’s like a home away from home.”
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
