Deveraux’s (The Grove Bar) today.

Devereaux’s pub, strategically located on the old Wexford road out of Dublin, became very popular as a stopping off point for bikers and other day-trippers. It was also the closest pub to the firing range at Kilpeddar and so was the first point of call after a range day. Of course if you were on weapons duty, and had to go back to barracks you missed the opportunity of cocktails in the afternoon.

Christy Shaughnessy, Rossa Lyons, Peter Campbell, Johnny Byrne, Deccy Phelan, Alan Kavanagh and Arthur Plunkett

The photos here were taken on what Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh once described as “the sort of sunny summer’s Sunday, that you will use in the future, to prove summers were sunnier, when you were a boy”!

Theres always one to do the bunny ears! John Curtis and Johnny Byrne

In the above photo Johnny Byrne is eating the remnants of that Irish culinary delight – the pub sandwich.  In his book “McCarthy’s Bar”, Pete McCarthy described how, back in the day, the height of Irish pub grub was the cheese sandwich, and in very sophisticated establishments you could get it toasted! Johnny is holding the remains of the plastic bag in which sandwiches were toasted in those far-off days.  The use of the bag ensured that the sandwich tasted of plastic, and you burnt your fingers on the contents. Myles na gCopaleen’s Dublin character from “The Brother” describes a pub where he recommended the food because “they have a nice clean woman to come in to make the sandwiches, as there is nothing worse, than thumb-prints in sandwiches!” The Grove’s (for that is its name now) entry on Discover Ireland’s web page states: “The Grove Bar’s food menu features such favourites as toasted sandwiches, homemade soup, lasagna, salads and a selection of delicious desserts”, plus ca change…except for the soup, lasagna, salads and dessert.