“It’s got to do with the socio-economics of around here”, Peter Curtin said to us back in 1989, as we were careening around the country in a £100 Renault 4, and had made a stopover in Lisdoonvarna at The Roadside Tavern. Almost 25 years later, and Mr Curtin is still wrapped up in the socio-economics of “around here”: how to make a living in a tourist town; how to re-invent yourself to stay relevant; how to avoid the tsunami of pub closures that is enveloping rural Ireland.
So, Mr Curtin has re-invented himself as a craft brewer, slipping on the skilful mantle of the most dynamic wave of food creativity in the country. (Pubs close whilst craft brewers prosper – the ironies make your eyes water). And Mr Curtin is a good brewer, having learnt the ropes from the legendary Brendan Dobbin, and his trio of beers are a vital addition to the uniqueness of The Roadside Tavern, one of County Clare’s finest pubs.
He serves good food, he organises good music, he creates a sociable space, he brews his own beer, and he has plans for the future. Others have hit a brick wall of public indifference, but the Roadside Tavern has what every Irish pub needs: it is a place where you want to be, a place where you want to meet up, a place to enjoy good beer, music, chat, culture. The socio-economics are back to where they were in 1989 – Ireland is broke – but Peter Curtin isn’t where he was in 1989. The socio-economics keep driving him on, and “around here” is all the better for it.
