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Shelbourne F.C

Shelbourne F.C, football away days

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In between writing up my trip, Shelbourne got promoted to the Irish Premier Division for the 2020 season. Well done to Ian Morris, in his first stint as a manager, for getting the old club back to its rightful position amongst the top gods of Irish football. Credit is due to the fact he assembled a very good squad of players, also having a team with ex Dundalk striker Ciarán Kilduff, ex Pats powerhouse Conan Byrne, Ryan Brennan, James English, Karl Moore, and Dean Delaney in goals, all helped of course. 

 

My latest Irish footballing groundhop brought me to the Northside of Dublin, to Drumcondra, an inner city suburb, where the The River Tolka and the Royal Canal meet. Drumcondra is home to one of Europe’s finest stadiums, Croke Park, with a capacity of over 82,000 people, where the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) have their main events (football and hurling), but it was to Tolka Park where I ventured, to see one of Ireland’s oldest footballing clubs, Shelbourne FC.

Shelbourne F.C

I am well aware of Shelbourne as I used to live not far off, in Fairview, and often went to a game there back in the day. I also know that Drumcondra, and the North Side, has many of the city’s finest pubs, all a bit rough and ready, but never lacking in Dublin wit and character. So I looked forward to traversing the side streets of this end of the town, on the hunt for good beer and even better company, and to see “the Reds” once more. 

Shelbourne F.CDrumcondra is one of Dublin’s oldest inner residential suburbs, and you can still get to see some of the old terraced style houses on show. Also the Royal Canal hugs this side of the city, and it can be nice on a hot day to walk along the towpaths and get a feel for the Northside. Griffith Park, near the well to do Griffith Avenue, is a lovely escape, and the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin is only a short walk away.

It is worth visiting Croke Park at least once in your life, and the museum beside the stadium is top notch as well. They have also started doing skyline tours from the roof of the stadium which is something I will definitely have to try some day, offering a nice view of the skyline of North Dublin. When the GAA is on in Croke Park, the area comes alive with pubs doing a roaring trade, the “craic” is at ninety, and the match day atmosphere all fun and jovial. 

Shelbourne F.CGetting to the area is very easy, with the area even having its own national rail and DART (Light rail) stop at Drumcondra railway station, on the main Drumcondra road, only one stop from Connolly station (Ireland’s main train station). Also a host of Dublin Bus routes serve the Drumcondra area, such as the 1, 11, 16, 33, or 41 amongst others (usually can be taken in and around O’Connell Street). You could also walk it from the city centre, taking about 30 minutes or so brisk walk.

Famous residents and people from Drumcondra include Ex Taoiseach and crook Bertie Ahern,  writers Seán O’Casey and James Joyce (who said that Drumcondra was where the world’s best English was spoken!), and well known contrarian and ex-footballer Eamon Dunphy.

 

Pub watch

Quinns

Address: 42 Drumcondra Road Lower, Dublin 9

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Shelbourne F.CStraight off the Drumcondra train stop and with lightning speed we went right into the nearest and handiest pub for thirsty souls, and that was to be Quinns. I have reviewed this pub before when I did my Guinness tour of Dublin

Considered a good lively bar, Quinns is a well known and popular pub which is always busy when there is a GAA game on nearby in Croke Park. But was quiet though when we arrived early enough on the Friday, mid afternoon. Sat up at bar and ordered my new favourite light lager, a pint of Rockshore, and a packet of Manhattan Salt and Vinegar crisps, a brand I hadn’t seen before but were well tasty. Service was fine, pint nice and cool, and settings was relaxed and comfy. 

I like this bar, has good friendly staff and always a decent pint. Recommended, especially if attending a game at Croker. Can get busy at night time, and is a student favourite (but don’t let that put you off!).

 

Patrick McGrath’s 

Shelbourne F.C

Address: 22 Drumcondra Road Lower, Dublin

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Shelbourne F.CSecond pint of the day was a short walk away in Mcgraths, an ordinary decent boozer as they would say. Pretty dull frontage, all brown, but inside it was nice and comfy, wooden interior and had some decent beers on tap. I sat down at the busy enough bar for that time of the day, and went for a pint of Galway Hooker Pale Ale, something I have heard raved about online, it has won awards dont you know! Served fast enough by the friendly bar man, pint was great, lovely and cool, and enjoyed my short time here having a nice quiet chat with the brother. The bar has a bit of a local feel to the place which adds to its cozy atmosphere. 

Apparently this place does good food too, with great reviews online, which I would never have guessed and I didn’t see any menus hanging around. Ah next time I am in town so………..

Good bar, and definitely will be back. 

 

The Red Parrot 

Shelbourne F.C

Address: 57-58 Dorset Street Lower, Drumcondra, Dublin 1

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Shelbourne F.CNext pub of the day was to be the Red Parrot, a smallish pub that was very empty when we arrived, just one other customer! Ordered a pint of stout from the friendly barman. 

What I did like about this bar is that they had 80’s and 90’s music on from the TV, the old hits pumping out, brilliant. Not too loud but easy enough on the ear to enjoy, and the tunes went down very well with my very decent pint of plain. 

Not much else to say, small local bar, simple interior, not busy and good pint. 

 

 The Hideout

Shelbourne F.C

Address: 1-3 Campbells Row, Ballybough Dublin 1 

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Shelbourne F.CAs we were walking along we noticed a sign for The Hideout Pub, we followed, intrigued, down an alley into a square with a block of flats and at the corner there was a bar. No need to guess too hard why the bar then is called the Hideout!

Bar was doing a small trade, but the bar man was in good humour, full of Dublin wit and asking for us to take his photo, all good fun. Sat down beside a local who we noticed was drinking a bottle of Macardle’s. I knew this beer was from Dundalk, but had never seen it on sale, so naturally went for a bottle of it too. Served nice and cold it was fantastic, really crisp and refreshing. So good I went for another one and broke my one bar one pint rule. I checked on Wiki and they say the Brewery was discontinued, but obviously not if it can travel all the way to inner city Dublin.  

Shelbourne F.CShelbourne F.C

Apparently this bar was opened after many years of closure, by a couple who met here and fell in love. Twenty five years later they came back to reopen this bar in 2014, five years after it had closed down. 

In the shadow of Croke Park, this is a pretty decent boozer, offering nice tasty beers in a nice refurbished interior, with a fun bar man and chatty customers, I will definitely be back. Recommended. 

 

Phil Ryan’s  (The Hogan Stand Pub)

Shelbourne F.C

Address: 514 North Circular Road, Dublin 1

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Shelbourne F.CNext up was a pint of Guinness in The Hogan Stand, a popular pub this side of Dublin. The Hogan Stand is a well known stand in Croke Park Stadium, the GAA ground nearby. 

The Pint was fantastic, perfectly poured and tasted delicious. Also had some Kings crips, salt and vinegar variety, that was lunch sorted! 

Pub had a normal decor, nothing fancy, and the clientele was your average man and woman of the northside. A busy enough crowd in, all good atmosphere, and enjoyed myself here. 

Standard Dublin pub. Good fun, good beer, decent atmosphere. 

 

 The Bridge Tavern

Shelbourne F.C

Address: 6 Summerhill Parade, Dublin 1

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Shelbourne F.CNext pub certainly stood out from the crowd, what with a big fuck off murial of Dublin GAA on the frontage, eye catching and definitely worth a closer look!

In we went, a real Dublin pub with traditional bar wooden interior where Guinness still rules. Ordered two pints of plain, and sat down. Bar was relatively busy, horse racing on the box and a general jovial atmosphere in the pub. 

The bar man was quick and he pulled a very decent pint of Guinness. Could have stayed here for a few more, but with time running out, and with us wanting to squeeze another couple of pubs into the walkabout, we decided to drink up and leave. Good pub that we will return to again in the future for a closer inspection………..

 

Lowry’s Pub 

Shelbourne F.C

Address: 16 Summerhill Parade, Dublin 1

Shelbourne F.CWe headed into Lowrys on the corner. Place had a very good crowd inside, interior was nothing special, old style decor that looked like it hasn’t changed since the 80s. Ordered a Smithwicks, pulled fast from the friendly bar man.

Some good banter in the pub, with a pint that was fantastic, and Elvis was in attendance, this pub was where the craic was building. Pity we had to drink up and head onwards on our trip………..Good pub, will be back for sure. 

 

Luke Kelly Sculpture

Since we were in this side of Dublin we decided that it would be a shame not to have a quick gander at Dublin’s newest statute, a Luke Kelly sculpture situated just across the bridge on the edge of Guild Street and Sheriff Street, to mark the 35th anniversary of his death. (Died in 1984 of a brain tumour aged just 43). Luke was born into a working-class household in Sheriff Street, in 1940. 

Shelbourne F.CLuke Kelly, with his very distinctive singing style, was a quintessential Dublin singer, folk musician, and social activist, and a hero and all round Irish legend to many. Luke, of course, was a prominent member of The Dubliners, the Irish trad specialists, whose versions of Irish classics like “The Rocky Road to Dublin”, “Seven Drunken Nights”, “The Town I Loved So Well”, “On Raglan Road” enthralled millions of people not just in Ireland but all across the world, a folk singer that will forever be remembered.  

Designed by German born but Dublin based artist, Vera Klute, the sculpture is quite distinctive and definitely stands out, showing a big curly red head and bearded Luke on display for the whole world to see. Eye catching, just like Luke Kelly was, that being the point I guess!

It’s quite big and I have to say it’s a great piece of artistic work, getting Kelly’s facial expressions down to a tee. Hats off to Vera Klute, this is an excellent sculpture and one that the people of the Northside can be proud of. 

Shelbourne F.CBut wait a minute, the statue was apparently vandalized with graffiti just a few weeks after its unveiling! No one knows why but I was thinking perhaps it might be that the statue is really not in the heart of Sheriff Street but just across the bridge on the edge of the area he was from, and nearer to the nicer part of the town? Walking straight across the bridge to the statue one can be in no doubt that you are walking across a social divide, at least that was the impression I got, and not so much a gift to the local people but something for the tourists to gawk at and then promptly turn right around least they venture too close to the centre of Sheriff Street. Or maybe I am putting too much into that…………. Anyway, thankfully the graffiti was removed and the statue was restored in all its glory by the time we had a look. 

Noctor’s

Shelbourne F.C

Address: 34 Sheriff Street Lower, IFSC, Dublin 1

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Back on track we went into Noctors, a pub with a bit of a “reputation” shall we say. Straight away we stood out, two culchie (country) lads in the big schmoke, so much so a lot of the clientele thought we were coppers. Bit funny, perhaps less so when they started following us to the toilets! Least we were safe, not like they are going to whack a cop, lol!

Anyway place was pretty busy, mostly young fellas having a few jars. Ordered a Smithwicks, this isn’t a craft beer joint! Bar lady was friendly, and efficient, pint served fine, and was tasty. Did strike up a conversation with a nice young man beside us, but it was a bit distracting when literally the whole bar were looking at us. Still though, gotta love the Dubs, eh! 

Didn’t get to take any photos of the interior or my pint, best not to really. This is definitely a local bar for local people, and we drank up quickly and left even quicker………….thankful we were to survive another day! (Albeit I had a drunken suspicion we were followed!)

 

The Tolka Bar

Shelbourne F.C

Address: Richmond Road, Dublin 3

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Before and after the game, we managed to have a few jars in Shelbourne’s own bar, The Tolka Bar, a crammed little place but with some good atmosphere going on.  A lot of good football memorabilia on display too. I have had a pint in this place before which was rotten, but on the day that was in it, the beers were perfectly fine.  A football bar with football supporters, not much else really to say, all good clean fun…………

 

Shelbourne F.C.

Shelbourne F.C

Founded: 1895

Arena/Stadium: Tolka Park, Dublin

Location: 70-74 Richmond Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 3

Capacity: 9681

Manager: Ian Morris

Leagues: League of Ireland First Division

Honours
League of Ireland/Premier Division: 13 (Last 2006)
 FAI Cup: 7 (Last 2000)

Club home page 

club@shelbournefc.ie

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Nicknames: Shels, The Reds

Shelbourne F.C

Shelbourne Football Club, founded in 1895 and based in Drumcondra, play at Tolka Park in the League of Ireland First Division. Set up by a group of men looking to start a football team led by a Mr James Rowan. The club took its name from the nearby Shelbourne Road and Shelbourne House hotel where a collection was had to enable the club to buy its first set of football gear and to pay its affiliation fee.

A founding member of the League of Ireland in 1921, having previously played in the Irish Football League, since 1904, which incorporated teams from the north of Ireland as well as those from the south. Their home colours are red and white, and are lovingly known amongst fans as “The Reds”

Shelbourne F.CThe club have played out of Tolka Park, in the heart of Drumcondra, since the 1950’s but only as official tenants since 1989. Tolka Park is a famous ground steeped in Irish sporting folklore but it has seen better days. Now the ground is pretty derelict looking and not all the stands are open to the public owing to safety concerns, and unkept terraces. Of course it must be said that Shels were not the first team to play here, that honour goes to Drumcondra F.C. who played here from 1928-1972 along the way winning 5 championships, but now sadly are not involved in LOI top tier football.

They are one of the country’s most successful football teams, having won the national league on 13 occasions and the FAI Cup 7 times. Dermot Keely was appointed Manager at the start of the 1998/99 season and led the club to the “Double” in the season 1999/2000 for the first time in the clubs 105 year history. Another league title for Keely in 2002, who then handed the reigns to Pat Fenlon who signed striker Jason Byrne and the rest they say is history……..becoming one of the most prolific goal scorers in the league shooting Shels to three championship titles. 

Shelbourne F.CUnder the direction of the club’s majority shareholder and Chief Executive, the fairly flamboyant Oliver Byrne, the club ran up a huge debt pile chasing European glory, attempting to reach the Champions League but not quite getting there, all leading to a near break up of the club, resulting in the derelict ground and loss of a decent team. In the 2004/5 season they were one game off the Champions League proper, after knocking out KR Reykjavík of Iceland and then Croatian League Champions HNK Hajduk Split in a very memorable 2-0 home victory, they then proceeded to play a very good Deportivo La Coruna team from Spain, going out a very respectable 3-0 on aggregate. In 2006 the club got into serious debt, so Ollie Byrne sold the ground to property developer Ossie Kilkenny to help repay the club’s debts. Pat Fenlon resigned as their manager, and most of the team left. All this leaving them with demotion to the second division by the FAI where they have languished for the last few seasons, with the one exception of a brief appearance back in the top division in 2011 after promotion, but relegation two years after! (They also made the Cup final in 2011, losing to Sligo on penos!).

Since the sale of Tolka Park in 2006, Shelbourne have been trying to relocate to a new ground. Step forward the FAI and neighbours Bohemians with a proposed ground share in a new redeveloped Dalymount, the spiritual home of Irish football. Dublin City Council helped Shels clear their debt, and are providing support in this new Dalymount Park, which will be owned by the council. Things at the moment seemed to have stalled a bit, but it looks like all parties have agreed to it, albeit some Shels supporters are not happy with the whole idea. I can get this as ground shares dont tend to work in Ireland. Dublin City’s ground sharing days with Bohs, Pats and anyone else that would have them, didn’t work out at all, and I think Dublin is too small a city for this to happen. I also see it as another land grand by the property men. Rather than do up a half decent ground, they let it decay, and would rather sell the land than have a football team. But let’s see, I could be wrong………….

Shelbourne F.C

In terms of supporters groups and rivalries, ‘Briogáid Dearg’ (Red Brigade) is the clubs “ultra” group. Formed in 2003, they bring a lot of noise and colour to the stands, or stand as it is now! The big rival must be Bohemians, who are not too far away, about a mile away in fact, in Phibsboro.  

To the game

Shelbourne 1-1 Cabinteely 

Shelbourne F.C

12.07.2019 Tolka Park, Dublin 

79’ Karl Moore

93’ Shane Barnes  

Attendance: 1,159

Got to the game in good enough time to have a pint or two from the club bar.  

Atmosphere was building on the lovely summer’s day that was in it, with a decent enough crowd at the game…….took my place behind the goals, standing room only, and near the chippie! 

Shelbourne F.CRight from the off Shelbourne were all guns ablazing, nearly scoring with a header from one of their defenders. But Cabinteely were also livewires, getting a shot off the crossbar, unlucky not to score first. 

Shels front two, James English and Ciaran Kilduff, both went close, perhaps one of them should have scored a goal. 

Shelbourne F.CMcGuinness, the Cabinteely netminder, was alert to everything, saving well from a Shels break, a one on one, he did well to keep out.

The ball was in the net just before half time, as Kilduff did eventually score, but it was disallowed, for pushing, I think. I say I think but I wasn’t sure myself. I was a little pissed truth be told!

The early second half saw more of the same, both teams having decent chances to score, but with no luck.

Shelbourne F.CConan Byrne, ex Pats legend, was introduced just after the hour mark and made a huge difference to the team, bringing more impetus to the attack, nearly scoring as well making McGuinness pull off another one of his saves. 

The goal finally came when Karl Moore got onto a shot to guide the ball in for Shels to take the lead. The pressure was building and it was what the home team deserved. 

So it was a great surprise when Cabinteely equalised when Shane Barnes cut in from the right to blast home the unexpected equaliser, in injury time. 

Time was nearly up but yet there was still more drama to follow, a handball in the box resulted in a penalty to Shelbourne. Conan Byrne took the penalty but wouldn’t you know it, McGuinness again saving it to round off a top rate performance in goals for Cabinteely, saving the point for the Blackrock team.  

Shelbourne F.CThe result meant that Shels are still out front at the top of the First Division while Cabinteely further strengthened their chances of getting a play off position. Both teams played some good football at times and it was refreshing to see the ball played around the park a sight not too often seen in this division!

Have to say Tolka was in bad enough shape. I was surprised to see the Drumcondra Stand behind the goals closed off. This is where the Shels ultras and diehards congregate. For this game they were situated far off at the edge of the main (and only) stand, the Richmond Road Stand, which was full for the game. Still though a good atmosphere in the old ground. 

Interview

Had the pleasure of having a short chat with long time Shels fan, Aidan Geraghty (@Aido1895)
  

So, my name is Aidan Geraghty and I have been a Shelbourne fan since 1999, first game I came to was the 9th of August 99 against Manchester United, Greg Costello scored and we won 1-0 and I have been coming home and away ever since. 

Who brought you to that first game? 

My da and my uncle brought me down. At the time I was coming to watch United. As there is Shelbourne history in my family but been a kid at the time I didn’t know that. I came down because I wanted to see Man United, they just won the Treble and little did I know at the time my dad was bringing me down because he wanted to get me into supporting Shels. And I came down, sitting in the Riverside Stand over there, dont know what it was but from the first time I was here, something about the kit just caught my eye and I was hooked. The whole place like, the kind of atmosphere, the ground, the kit…just….I dont know, I can’t really put my finger on what it was but something just kind of caught my eye as a kid at the time and I was hooked, and I have come ever since.

Shelbourne F.C

Excellent. So there is something in those pre season friendlies then, yeah? 

Ah yeah there is, I suppose it depends on the opposition we play, we played Hearts (Scotland) last week, you probably won’t get too many young fellas from Dublin coming down to watch Hearts and getting hooked but if you get the right opposition, like I know that Shower down in Phibsboro (Bohemiens) played Chelsea the other night, unfortunately they might get a few fans out of that, you never know. 

So generally, is it hard to get people out to Tolka Park then?

I think it depends on how the team is doing to be honest. I think Irish people in general when it comes to sport are very fickle, I think as a nation we find it hard  to support a team week in week out over the course of a 25/35 game season but as you will see tonight, the place is heaving tonight, there is about 1,200 people here and that’s because it’s coming towards the business end of the season, the team is doing well, there is something to play for, so I think with a bg club like this, a historic club like this, when things are going well on the pitch people will come

And all that time you were following them what was the highlights for you?

The obvious answer is Deportivo (D La Coruna from Spain) in 2004, or that and that whole European run,  that was unbelievable, it was a moment you were proud to be a Shels fan, we played Reykjavík, Hajduk Split (Croatia), Deportivo and Lille in the Champions League and the Uefa Cup.

But to be honest with you my proudest moment was the very first game in the 2007 season. We were champions in 2006 and then we were demoted at the end of the season to the First Division. We were Premier Division Champions but playing in the First Division in 2007, and a week before the season the club hadn’t got two pennies to rub together, and a week before the season it looked like we weren’t able to field a team.

Dermot Kiely, fair play to him, came in and brought a bunch of young lads in. I remember being at a meeting down at the bar there and I was only a teenager at the time and my dad brought me down to this meeting and I remember Olly Byrne (Chairman at the time), God rest him, saying if we do field a team this season it could be just a load of lads wearing red jerseys with Shels on them and we could be getting hammered every week. And at that time we were afraid we wouldn’t have a club so we said “yeah that’s fine”, as long as there is a team out on that pitch and they are wearing red jerseys, fine, and credit to Dermot Keely, he came in, brought in a bunch of young fellas, and a weeks notice before the start of the season.

And we played Kildare County here, we went 2-0 down, and then Darren McKenna scored a last minute equaliser to draw two all.  And our previous game was like here against Bohs, and there was about 7,000 here to win the League, and then we played Kildare County and probably about 3,000 here, it was probably the biggest crowd Kildare County had ever played in front off, and they were so close to beating a bunch of kids that had Shels on their jerseys. And to see a team like that, a bunch of young fellas who were playing for the shirt, they weren’t playing for money or whatever, and to see a club rally together, to keep the club, at that time the club was a 112 years old, and was very, very close to dying, a lot of other clubs like Cork City, Derry, Limerick, Galway….they all let their clubs die and reformed in difficult circumstances, that didn’t happen here……….. so that was my proudest moment supporting Shelbourne.  

So rivals then, Bohemians it must be, they are not that far off……

Yeah, maybe a mile, mile and a half…………the three biggest rivals are Bohs, Rovers and Pats. For me that’s the order. Bohs first, Rovers second, Pats third. For some people that would vary I think, some older fans and some fans from Ringsend might have Rovers first…some people who started coming round the mid 90’s might have Pats first but I’d say for the majority of fans I’d say Bohs are probably the main rival. 

Ok, the club had about 7 or 8 million debt (correction closer to 6 million or less) and then you have Olly Byrne (Ex Chairman)…………….lol……..how do you want to answer that or will we skip that one, lol

I will do my best to answer it. Olly wasn’t perfect and he is probably the main reason we are in the First Division now. But I have to say, in fairness to him, any mistakes he made he wasn’t doing it for personal gain, he was doing it because he was trying to make Shelbourne Football Club be the best that they could be, because he loved Shelbourne Football Club as much as anyone here, if not more. So, did he make mistakes, absolutely yes, he made mistakes that almost killed the club, and I have no problem saying that. But the reason he did it was because he had such ambition for this football club, he wanted this football club to be at the top table of European football.

Shelbourne F.C

And I am sure I will find fans that will have an opposite viewpoint.

Yes, absolutely, yeah without a doubt. You wouldn’t even have to ask that many people, he definitely is a controversial figure around here. There is some people that won’t have a bad word said about him and there are some people who will only say bad words about him. The reality is somewhere in the middle, I think he definitely did things that could have killed this football club but he was doing it for the right reasons. 

And that leads onto going into the new groundshare with Bohemians Football Club. I mean from me looking in from the outside, I like Shelbourne, I love the set up you have here, I always enjoy myself coming here, people are buzzing all the time here,  I dunno I just think if you go to Dalymount, it’s just like two clubs in Dublin, Friday and Saturday night, I dunno, I honestly dont think its going to work……

I agree with you, as far as I am concerned if we do go to Dalymount the club will most likely be out of senior football within 50 years and that’s probably being optimistic. The reason that Dalymount is being developed and not Tolka is because Bohs spent the last ten years lobbying Dublin City Council, the FAI and all the relevant bodies, Bohs got their house in order a long time before we did, and they were lobbying to get their ground and their history preserved. 

Meanwhile we were kind of scrambling about, going from year to year with no real long term plan. And I still think if we had have bothered to look for alternatives they would have been there. I dont want to dwell on it too long as it’s a subject that gets me angry! 

But could it work?

No, the concept of ground sharing I am not completely opposed to, but it’s the location that is the problem. Bohs have been in that area for over a hundred years. Shelbourne are never going to attract fans in Phibsboro, Cabra, Stoneybatter, and that area, its just not going to happen.

 So where do you think that Shels could go? 

I dont know to be honest.

There is nothing wrong with here (Tolka Park) if they developed it, maybe?

Yeah, Dublin City Council own this ground now, that was the deal, you mentioned the debt earlier, Dublin City Council took over this ground and cleared our debt in the process. I think Dublin City Council could be open to redeveloping this on a smaller scale and maybe knocking down a house or two for housing, I dont know but I think until you explore those options I dont think it does justice to this football club to just say well Dalymount is the only option and that’s the end of that. I think we owe it to the 125 years of this club to explore other options. 

Shelbourne F.C

And anyone coming to see Shelbourne play for the first time, just coming up the road and just walking into this club, what should they expect, what’s it like here?

Well for me it just gets in on you, it’s just an addiction, no matter what’s going on in your life, you could be after losing your job, you could have a bereavement, you could be after breaking up with your missus or whatever and when you come down here and The Reds score a goal, for 10 seconds that doesn’t matter, nothing else in your life matters for that 10 seconds after a goal goes in and that’s just it, there is no way to describe it other than its a drug and you have to keep coming back for more and it’s an addiction.

So are you positive for the future then?

I dont know to be honest, if the move down the road happens then there is no future but if something can be arranged in the meantime whether it is to stay here or to move to a greenfield site or whatever then this football club has massive potential. The only club in this country that has won more trophies is Rovers (Shamrock Rovers) so there is absolutely massive potential in this football club but the people who are running the football club now have a duty, not just a responsibility, a duty to make sure this football club stays alive and thrives and if we move to Dalymount that won’t happen. 

And just before we finish if anyone wants to follow, is there a supporters club that is for Shelbourne or anything we can follow online? 

There is no kind of official supporters club, there is the official club twitter page is @shelsfc, the official facebook page is Shelbourne Football Club, the instagram page is @shelsfc as well, and there are some other unofficial pages as well, there is a Shels fans group on facebook, We’re Not Barcelona page, there are a lot of channels online that they can follow the club, yeah. 

Ok, Thanks very much Aiden, I know the game is on now

Your grand, alright………

Overall

Shelbourne F.C

Good fun on another day out in Dublin, the pints were aflowing, the craic was to be had and the bars and pubs all interesting in their own unique and splendid ways. The game was good fun, decent atmosphere, another great time had in Tolka, will miss the old place when, and if, they do move up the road to Dalymount…………..

 Video of the day out

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Moz, Manchester and United

Moz, Manchester and United

One day I stumbled across an interesting article in the Guardian (as you do!). The DJ Dave Haslam was writing about the time he went to Manchester to check out another DJ, who had built up a bit of a local reputation doing Morrissey and Smiths nights. Dave Cotrill has done his disco nights since 1994 in The Star and Garter, just behind the Piccadilly train station.
Reading the article set the imagination running. Sure why not? So I decided to book the flights, arrange the accommodation and just check out Manchester for myself (and mate).

The article that set it all off is here: “A tale of two disc jockeys”

Moz, Manchester and UnitedJust passed through Manchester before so wasn’t sure what to expect, but boy the accommodation was a classic. Once again I didn’t disappoint!

Here follows some of what we got up to
I can’t remember all the bars and clubs we went into since the days and nights of drinking were long and hard. Nor can I remember a lot of what I was drinking either.
I did enjoy the weekend though. Manchester is a rough and ready city, people are mostly friendly, and it’s a town I would like to visit again. All in all it is a decent place. And yes, they do walk around with a “Manchester swagger”

Here is it in video form

                                    

The Star and Garter
18-20 Fairfield Street
Manchester
Piccadilly
http://www.starandgarter.co.uk

Moz, Manchester and UnitedThe Star and Garter is a pub in Manchester, but not any ordinary pub. It is a bit of an institution as it hosts alternative music events. The SnG puts on rock, punk and indie nights, they showcase new and upcoming bands, and more established crews (The Ting Tings, Badly Drawn Boy, Status Quo, UK Subs, and more…, have all played here), and on the first Friday of every month they host a Smiths disco dedicated to all things Morrissey. The nights are such a hit that the venue has become synonymous with the Smiths, attracting Morrissey fans from all over the world. Liverpool got the Beatles and the Cavern Club, Manchester has Moz disco nights at the Star and Garter!

The SnG is situated slap bang in the middle of nowhere really. Behind Piccadilly railway station, down a side street under an iron bridge, and on the very edge of the city border. Pass the pub and you wander into what looks like a less than salubrious part of town. Apparently this is near Manchester’s red light district. God only knows where they do business, perhaps the bushes and side streets? Didn’t see much life around here. In all this wonderful isolation stands tall the Star and Garter, a Grade II listed building here (or here abouts, was moved brick by brick a 100 yards) since 1803. It looks the part, at any moment you expect the building to come crashing down on top of you. Go early, as we did, and you will find that the pub doesn’t do business in the day time, it was closed.

Moz, Manchester and UnitedGetting there before the disco gave us a chance to have a few beers, shoot some pool, and have a good chat with some of the Morrissey fans.
The interior looks like your old style traditional British pub, no frills. The carpets were sticky, the chairs and tables were timeworn, the alcohol came in cheap cans, and the atmosphere was all relaxed.

Moz, Manchester and UnitedTalking to Craig and Deb, a nice couple who travelled up from somewhere out of town for the Moz night. They have been here a few times, so I guess you could call them regulars. They first came here “because it’s funny, not the biggest fans in the world but, this sounded hilarious”. Before going out with Deb, Craig didn’t really know who Morrissey was, but now he loves the music, and has now pretty much got every album, “Before, I knew who they (the Smiths) were, but could only name about 2 or 3 of their songs, but now can’t I get enough of them!” Deb, on the other hand is a long-time fan. “Basically when I was 11 someone gave me a bunch of tapes, most of them were rubbish, but the Smiths were interesting, there was something there really”, and so that started a love for the quiffed one.

Moz, Manchester and UnitedMet Tim, from Leeds but now lives nearby, who certainly looked the part, who has been coming to the Moz nights for ten months or so.
On what we can expect tonight, Tim told us we were in for a good night, “What can you expect from tonight, a lot of Morrissey fans and some news ones as well. It’s absolutely amazing. You kind of spend the whole month listening to Morrissey mostly on your own, then you come tonight and you’re listening with a load of people.”
On why he likes Morrissey, “He just gets its, he just gets life, he just gets it. I have tried and have tried to explain why Morrissey resonates. No one quite hits it like Morrissey, and Johnny Marr as well, is just an amazing guitarist. Life isn’t a bunch of gladiola and he (Moz) takes that and he makes it beautiful, he acknowledges it and he makes it beautiful with his words. I have liked the Smiths for a long, long time, I don’t think you can describe it with words”
On what Morrissey would make of all this hero worship, “I think he secretly likes it” Indeed, I would think he does too!

Moz, Manchester and UnitedWilliam, who travelled up from West Yorkshire, about two hours away, told us that he was born in 1994, the year that these Moz Disco nights started, showing that Morrissey also appeals to a younger crowd, and not just to us old softies. William has been coming to these nights for the last year, and loves Moz, “I like the sound of the music, and that’s a very superficial way to read the Smiths. I started thinking about Morrissey like he is some kind of poet, but you know, I love Morrissey with all my heart and soul and honestly he is quite an inspiration to me”

And after a few more pints, we eventually decided to take the stairs and follow the music. The disco had started!
Upstairs is the dance floor, a decent sized room, dark with bright lights.

Moz, Manchester and UnitedA small crowd at the start, but by the time things got going into full swing, the floor was packed with happy punters, all dancing and singing along to all the songs. I did dance, I admit that. Not a great mover, but it was one of those nights that no one cared, the atmosphere was fun and friendly, everyone united in their love and appreciation of the Moz.
A good night, and one that I would love to repeat again in the future.

 

Manchester United Football Club
Sir Matt Busby Way
Old Trafford
Greater Manchester
http://www.manutd.com/

Moz, Manchester and UnitedSo since we were staying in the area we decided we might as well toddle off down to Old Trafford and see what all the hype is about. Apparently Man united are meant to be one of the biggest teams in the world.

Nicknamed the “Red Devils”, even though I like to refer to them as Manure united, they have legions of fans from all over the world. From Asia to America they all know of Manchester United, the brand. And we could see this. Outside the ground were busloads of Asian fans, taking photos like crazy.

Moz, Manchester and UnitedThey have won a record 20 English league titles, and have 3 European cups in the bag, so I guess they deserve some begrudging respect.

Looking at it from the outside, Old Trafford certainly looks like a decent stadium. The “Theatre of Dreams”, was opened way back in 1910, and has a capacity just under 76,000. Bombing in the Second World War destroyed much of the stadium; which meant that during the reconstruction Man Utd had to play its “home” games at their rivals Manchester City’s Maine Road ground; Interesting.

Moz, Manchester and UnitedMoz, Manchester and UnitedA nice statue of Matt Busby stands at the entrance to the ground
Busby won the League in 1952, a first league title for 41 years, and of course won back to back titles in 56 and 57 with a squad of young ones, “The Busby Babes” (average age of 22)

Also there is a clock showing time standing still. The time when Manchester united suffered its greatest tragedy, the Munich air disaster, when 23 people lost their lives (8 players) returning from a European cup tie in Belgrade.

Moz, Manchester and UnitedThe plaque nearby is in memory of those who died in the Munich air disaster, including the eight players’ names.Moz, Manchester and United

Busby rebuilt the team, and we can see this in the statue of the trilogy, Best, Law and Charlton, the trio that helped Man Utd win its first European Cup in 1968, the first English football club to do so.

Moz, Manchester and UnitedSeen the Alex Ferguson Stand, which looked good
Alex Ferguson was some manager, good old red nose. Did the business though, 13 league titles and 2 Euro Cups. Can’t argue with that, even if he was a grumpy bastard. Grew up looking at this team win all around them, and to be fair they always played great football, and played right up to the death of a game. God only knows how many goals they nicked in the last minute/second minute/third minute/forth/fifth/sixth minute of injury time……….

Moz, Manchester and UnitedWe were thinking of doing the stadium tour, but at £18.00 a pop for the full tour, and £14 quid for a quick walkthrough and gander at the pitch, we decided against it. For fecks sake that’s the price of a ticket for a non-league team, or a team here on the continent. Just so we can say we saw the pitch, or were near the dugout. Feck off!

Moz, Manchester and UnitedThe Red Café was decent though, had a beer there and they show re runs of classic games on a screen, which was good.

We did have a good chat with John though. John sells scarfs outside the ground for about 7 quid. He was good fun, and told us about the new hotel, “Hotel Football”, that ex-players Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville own nearby, that had a plastic pitch on the roof. So naturally we had to have a look, and yes, there really is a pitch on the roof. How cool is that!

Salford Lads’ Club
Ordsall, Salford,
Greater Manchester.
http://salfordladsclub.org.uk/

Moz, Manchester and UnitedMoz, Manchester and UnitedAfter checking out one famous Manchester institution we decided to head onto another icon of the city, Salford Lads Club. The club is famously associated with a 1986 Smiths image on the “Queen is Dead” album cover, showing the band looking moody hanging around just outside the club. The band also included the club in a few of their music videos. At the time the boys clubs were not too happy about it at all, but over time they eventually saw sense.

Moz, Manchester and UnitedSo famous is the image that Smiths fans from all over the world visit the club to copy the famous iconic picture.

With all the fans, the club eventually decided to tap into this demand and in 2004 a special Smiths room was opened showing messages from fans and a lot of memorabilia of the band. There is also a small store room that sells Smiths t-shirts, badges, postcards, and even chocolate!

Moz, Manchester and UnitedThe actual boys club was established in 1903 as a recreational club to help out local working class boys, and get them off the street and up to no good. Now open to girls as well, the club still continues the fine tradition of helping out local youth through sport, exercise, and various other activities, with people volunteering their help and time to keep the club running along.
Moz, Manchester and UnitedThe building is listed and remains virtually unchanged since its foundation.
I am not sure how many fans actual venture into the building but it was good that we did as we met Amber , a volunteer at the club, and who does all the designs for the Smiths memorabilia they sell. Amber gave us a brief potted history of the club, showed us around the building, and was very helpful. Amber was so chatty and fun that it put us in a good mood for the rest of the day. Perhaps she could try some of her charm on the moody Morrissey, but then I guess that’s why we like him so much, the thick bastard!

Moz, Manchester and UnitedI bought a tee which I found out later is one of the limited editions that is only on sale for one year only. Made me up knowing that! The tee-shirt features the famous picture of the group outside the club, and Stephen Wright the photographer has allowed it to be reproduced from November 2014 to November 2015 only, to help raise vital funds for the club. A generous gesture that is going a long way to helping the club meet its many upcoming charitable commitments in the next year and beyond.

 

Charlie Veitch
All over Manchester,
https://www.youtube.com/user/cveitch

Moz, Manchester and UnitedSo for the Saturday we were to meet Charlie Veitch and have a friendly chat with him, and a few beers, nothing too mad. No lizards or Mossad drills.

Without going into the ins and outs of it all, basically Charlie is one, or at least was one, of the leading internet conspiracy theorists. I say “was” as he had an epiphany on a BBC TV show (“9/11 Conspiracy Road Trip”) and turned his back on the 9/11 “truth movement”.

Once a friend of the mad David Icke and the bad Alex Jones, this u turn caused a shit storm in the movement, and resulted in Charlie getting a lot of online hassle, and been branded a “traitor” to the cause. Whatever the feck that is.

I respect Charlie for this. It takes big balls to hold your hand up and say that you think you might be wrong about something you were once so passionate about.

I have followed Charlie for a long time on YouTube, from the old days of the Love Police, and even seen him in action with the shenanigans he got up to in London (kettling the police was gas craic!).  I don’t always agree with what he says, or sometimes how he goes about making his points, nevertheless I do watch his videos, for better or for worse, but always engaging, always entertaining, and sometimes quite bold.

Anyway after all the beers and the chat, Charlie seemed like a decent skin to me, top bloke and good fun (And his two friends). So suck it haters.

Watch the video anyway, and remember I don’t work for the BBC, and had a good few pints, so go easy on the hating, it’s not good for you!

 

The Lost Dene
Deansgate
Manchester
http://www.thelostdene.co.uk/

Moz, Manchester and UnitedWe decided to jump into this pub to have a look at the CL final. From the outside and the décor it looks like a Wetherspoons’. Certainly has a similar sort of clientele.
Had a pint of Korev, a Cornish lager that I acquired a taste of over the few days. A good crowd in for the game, with many TVs and chances to watch the game.
Was a nice reasonably priced pint, in good company with everyone enjoying the game.
The kind of bar that is a must if you want to see some football, with a beer and some atmosphere.

 

The Sawyers Arms
Deansgate
Manchester
http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/thesawyersarmsmanchester/

Another drop in bar, and again for football. Wanted to have a look at the Ireland V England game so we saw that they had it on in this pub, so why not.
A nice traditional looking pub, which is apparently a grade 11 listed building, and is said to be Manchester’s oldest pub having first gained its licence way back in 1730!

Moz, Manchester and UnitedHad a decent pint of Korev, and a packet of Tyrrell’s English style crisps (that’s considered lunch) which were delicious. And I thought the English didn’t know how to make decent crisps!
Anyway a nice pub, a lot of history on the walls, good service, and friendly staff. Got very comfortable, so we decided to have a few pints here, and why not, the pints were perfect. Not a big crowd in, perhaps due to the early kick off time, and the TV had no sound on which I kind of appreciated. Rather not listen to the inane chat that passes for commentary these days.
Nice place for a good chat in the middle of the day, a good place to while away a few hours.

  Bulls Head
84 London Road
Manchester
http://thebullsheadpiccadillymanchester.co.uk/

Moz, Manchester and UnitedAs we were a bit early for the Smiths night and the Star and Garter wasn’t open we needed to booze up. It looked like the SnG was on the edge of nowhere and nothing to be found beyond so we walked back and came across the Bull’s Head, right across from the train station.
Looked decent so we ventured in. Nice cosy atmosphere. We went straight to the bar, and immediately mingled in with the chat. Met the landlords, Brendan and Paula, who were both good fun, and very friendly. In fact all the staff were chatty and good fun. Of course my mate was instantly attracted to the retro arcade games, and it took a lot of effort to get him off the damn things. Children shouldn’t be allowed into bars!

We were starving for some good food (real food, not pub grub), and decided to leave, but promised Brendan and Paula we would be back the next night. With great regret we didn’t make it back as we ran out of time, but it’s definitely a bar I will check out again if I am ever in the vicinity. Beer was very good, and the company excellent.
Also it’s worth noting that this is another of Manchester’s oldest bars, a bar on this site dating back from the late 1800’s.

The Wharf
6 Slate Wharf
Castlefield
Manchester
http://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/thewharf/homepage/

Moz, Manchester and UnitedWalking in from Salford, we were a bit tired and thirsty. My mate pointed out this pub out to me as we walked by, I wasn’t so sure, looked a bit too posh for me, but we sat down outside and ordered some beer and a bit of food to boot.

And you know it wasn’t that bad, with the sun making a brief appearance and beside the canal and its locks, it was very enjoyable just shooting the breeze in wonderful surroundings. Inside, the bar has some old style wooden décor, very spacious, and has a lot of cool antique pictures pottered around the place showing all manner of history and old alcohol advertisements.

Moz, Manchester and UnitedStaff were extremely friendly, very efficient service, and the beers and food were top quality. I had a Lowenbrau. I know I really should have tried some British beer, but…..

Location makes this bar. A really great place to be on a pleasant hot day. Nice relaxed crowd too, with no music or TV blaring out, no wonder we stayed for more than the one beer. Very relaxing! Of course since this is North England, time to go and move on was when the dark clouds appeared, with the rain starting the terrace emptied out and that was the end of the Wharf!Moz, Manchester and United

Oh before I forget, the rug. The rug inside is amazing! Yeah, the fecking rug!

The Knott,
374 Deansgate,
Manchester
http://knottbar.co.uk/

Moz, Manchester and UnitedFrom the Wharf, walking back into the town, we passed “The Knott”, which was recommended by some beer bloggers I Know.

We went up to the balcony which was pleasant enough, doing some people watching and all. But if truth be told the place was filthy! I am not one generally to complain and maybe it was cause we just came from the immaculate Wharf, but Jesus it was the middle of the day, not nearing 12 after a busy night. When I say filthy, I mean puke in the toilet bowl, empties all over the place, stale and uneaten food on tables. Perhaps we arrived when the cleaning staff were on a break?Moz, Manchester and United

The décor is pretty cool, music prints and beer posters and it had a chilled vibe going on. Was quite busy.
I ordered some Shameless Pale Ale. It was very bitter, very hoppy, and quite hard to stomach to be honest, even if it looks magnificent in the pic.
Drank it down quick and decided to move on!

 

Brewdog
35 Peter Street,
Deansgate,
Manchester
https://www.brewdog.com/bars/uk/manchester

Moz, Manchester and UnitedBrewdog, another recommendation from some of my contacts, those Scottish chappies and their extra strong beers.

When you walk into a bar first impressions matter. This looked like a fecking darkly lit supermarket, we were very close to just doing a quick turnaround out the door, not that the bar man gave a shite. The atmosphere wasn’t much better, a lot of wankers around the place, and what is with all the high stools.Moz, Manchester and United

Anyway stayed and ordered beers, their own brew, which wasn’t too bad at all. Decided to leave the drunken fools, and sat down outside. Good decision, much better company, and at least could have a decent chat(A big hello to Michael and Siobhan).

Moz, Manchester and UnitedToilet was banjaxed, had to use the disabled. What is it with Manchester and toilets?
Pretty sad when the best part of the décor is the toilet area, and who the feck plays board games in a pub?

Regret not having a burger here though, from what I have read subsequently, it’s meant to be top class. Ah never mind, at least the beer was good.

Mr Thomas’s Chop House,
52 Cross Street,
Manchester
http://tomschophouse.com/

Wanting to have a good talk with Charlie V. we decided to pop into the nearest pub which just so happened to be a Mr Thomas’s Chop House.

A grade 11 listed pub, Mr Thomas’s Chop House first opened way back in 1870. It shows, the interior is all Victorian with tiled walls and a dark wooded bar, and pictures of historical Manchester dotted all over. Old fashioned surroundings and tradition, all adding to the atmosphere of the place.
Moz, Manchester and UnitedIn the middle of the day the pub was heaving with customers, and after quite a long time we eventually got served and brought our drinks to the outdoor area out at the back.
When the weather turned we decided to have a pint inside. The place is so small that no cats would be swung in this pub. Standing room only, belly in, this is a great advantage as in close quarters you have no choice but to meet and chat with strangers, they are literally in your face! We ended up meeting loads of people, all great fun.
A Mr Liam Donnelly from Warrington who got a bit upset with me when I told him he looked like Jimmy Summerville and not, as he had thought, Jimmy Saville! It took me a while to figure why he was talking about Michael Jackson!
Great craic, place was buzzing, I don’t mind admitting I had a good time at this bar.

Moz, Manchester and UnitedDon’t know what was going on with the drinks, but I was drinking Heineken, which again wasn’t probably the best choice what with all the great British beers available (probably, I couldn’t see the bar!), but hell, I didn’t have time to discuss options at the bar. With so many people crammed into such a small narrow bar, it was a case of order something, anything, fast! Had a few beers here.
Cosy and friendly boozer, full of character, the best bar on this short trip hands down, and as we were leaving also had a good chat with the bouncer at the door, full of chat and very friendly. Strongly recommended!

Vina Karaoke Bar
34 Charlotte Street
Manchester
Chinatown
https://plus.google.com/103868918018477381681/about?gl=ch&hl=en

Moz, Manchester and UnitedAnd as you would know it we ended up in Vina Karaoke bar, a place that has a bit of a “reputation”. Apparently it can get “hairy” at times, and I aint talking about some of the women. I am not surprised what with some of the clientele, the set-up of the place, and the bouncers on heat.

But otherwise it was good fun, enjoyed the music, some of the karaoke efforts were not bad, and beer was cheap enough. As long as you don’t forget to take off your cap, and don’t wear a bollard on your head, everything should be fine!

La Tasca Tapas Bar and Restaurant
76 Deansgate
Manchester
http://latasca.com/venue/manchester-deansgate/

La Tasca Manchester is an “authentic” Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurant. They say on their website that if you close your eyes you might just be in Spain. Yeah sure, but this is a place we ended up in twice over the weekend. A good central location, good pints, and a nice chilled place to have a quiet talk and unwind.

Moz, Manchester and UnitedHad the tapas here. They don’t sell tapas in the bad lands of Ireland, so never had it before. Was tasty and hit the spot.
Service very friendly, always smiling, chatty, and checked a few times to see if we were ok, which is a nice touch.

Even though the beers (Mahou) looked quite strange, with a head that mushroomed out, in fact they were damn tasty.
I liked this bar/restaurant, had a nice ambiance, all surrounded with a Spanish décor. It’s a shame we didn’t know at the time that they don’t close till 4 am on the weekend, playing Latin style music downstairs long into night. God dammit, that would have been fun!
A very nice relaxing place, with good beer. Recommended.

 

Moz, Manchester and UnitedOne final thing: Had some cider in an Italian restaurant that I cant remember, but by god it was lovely cider. Aspalls Suffolk Cider, very tasty.

 

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Battle of the crisps, Tayto or King crisps

Battle of the Crisps

Battle of the Crisps

Battle of the crisps, who wins, Tayto or King crisps

King V Tayto

Battle of the crisps, who wins? Tayto or King crisps?

When you are hungry after a few beers! Crisps, the be all and end all of great bar food! Crunch,

Drinking a lot of beer can work up a bit of an appetite, and what better way to handle that than have some crisps. Now there is really only two choices in my opinion – Tayto or King.

Tayto and King, both giants in the world of Crisps, at least in Ireland anyway. Tayto the best selling crisp brand with even its own theme park, in Asbourne, County Meath, and merchandise, was founded way back, by Joe Murphy, in May 1954 in Dublin city, Ireland. The first seasoned crisps produced were Cheese & Onion. While King is an old pub favourite and traditionally a Dublin brand, was founded in 1963 in Parnell Street, Dublin. 

Pork scratching’s are gorgeous but too expensive and bags are way to small for us hungry feckers. And Walkers are not bad, but after two handful’s you are finished. That and the terrible Gary Lineker ad’s gets a no vote there.

So Tayto or King, both great crisp brands, but we, here at Thisdrinkinglife will give it, just, to King, as they are just that tad bit tastier and crunchier! 

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