Prepare to change your plans and swiftly divert to the Coach House and Olde Bar in Glaslough, Co Monaghan.
Set at the heart of what must be one of the prettiest villages in Ireland, the clocks are stopped and the dust has settled in this beautiful traditional bar.
The stone-cut architecture and its wood-panelled interior is currency enough but what makes this place extra special is the good humour and history that is balanced so carefully inside.
Landlady Diane Wright-Kendrick, who runs the bar with her husband Ron, shows me around. Laughing and chatting through the story of her family’s trade, entire lifetimes are revealed as we enjoy the women’s snug with its open fire and the larger backroom parlour where days could easily be lost to cold beer and talking.
Tales of the first singing lounge in the county (opened by her father and uncle), blend effortlessly with the rhythm of the funeral home (still a thriving business) and the vital connection the pub has with its grand old neighbour, Castle Leslie, and its frequently famous guests.
Wedding planners love to knit a chapter of their day into the Olde Bar and convoys of bikers have been known to roar into town for a cold beer at the bar. Something about the magic of this place blends wedding silk and biker leather perfectly with the shadows and bright green and dark wood of the bar.
There’s room for every kind of person to find their place here and my seat feels like home almost at once. I’m poured a pint of Brehon Blonde, a great local beer that’s sizing up its future alongside the giants of brewing, and dwell on the ebb and flow of fortune in Glaslough. As village crossroads go, it’s seen more drama than most and through it all the Olde Bar held court.
