Ruin Bar: Tara St

Does anybody out there happen to remember MacTurcail’s? It was a large pub on the corner of Townsend and Tara St and in the interest of full disclosure, we should declare our prior bias and state for the record that we loved the MacTurcail’s. It was perfect – a nice traditional-style bar, an expansive lounge and dirt-cheap pints. The stuff of dreams.

But morning dawns on all dreams and this one was no different, the pub was fated to disappear in a haze of mystery and tax avoidance rumours a few years back.

Following a lengthy spell of dereliction, a glimmer of hope shone when renovation work finally commenced on the pub, we started to get excited – we shouldn’t have. The pub we were so very fond of was to be gutted. All distinguishing features (except the ceiling) were to be removed and a cooler, hipper refit was to be put in place.

We made our maiden voyage to the re-opened pub of a Saturday evening over the summer. The vast open-plan expanse was peppered with small groups making the pub a very quiet affair. We found the interior to overload the sense of sight somewhat.

We agreed that this was most the hipster establishment any of us had ever set foot in. This is due in no small part due to the repurposed bicycle lamp fittings, the large mural of a gorilla donning a zebra-coloured pelt (?), alongside all of the gratuitous indoor street art and tags sprayed upon all available walls. As we called for a few pints we fondly remembered the days when street art was reserved exclusively for the streets.

The barman was a friendly and agreeable sort, and the pint he poured was ok, certainly drinkable but there are far superior pints at cheaper prices within the immediate locality. The section of craft brews was quite notable though but we weren’t of that persuasion at the time. Having cursed the individual that ruined our beloved MacTurcail’s and sadistically and aptly titled the new premises ‘Ruin Bar’ we opted not to have a second pint and headed for pastures anew.

Ruin Bar is a hipster’s paradise, which is not exactly our scene. If you’re into that craic you’ll love it. We’re just glad it’s still a pub and not another poxy Starbucks.