First up – it’s St. Patrick’s Day today – Sunday 17th March 2013… so Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!!! It is an Irish Day of the year and is widely celebrated worldwide. I grew up in the town of Bangor, not too far away from where St. Patrick was buried in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland. Now…
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I always enjoyed being a barman and indeed it’s the only job that I’ve actually done regularly. I think I counted that I have worked on 40 different bars over the years, if you’re reading there’s the slimmest ever chance that I once served you a beer. One of the jobs I always forget was…
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As long as I live I will never forget the magic of working in PJ Gallaghers Irish Pub in Parramatta, Australia. It sparked a new lease of life for me and was also my first job while living in the land down under. Fate led me there and I highly recommend becoming a barman/waiter in…
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The district or area of Drummoyne sounds so Northern Irish I was convinced it would be some kind of Irish quarter of Sydney. In fact it’s basically just a picturesque inner suburb of Sydney, nestled nicely by the Parramatta River. I had known about it for a brave while, since arriving in Sydney in October…
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I have only lived in Australia for 6 weeks or so and already I have three qualifications to my name! (the two mentioned here, and a “publife” certificate) I didn’t expect that to happen! I thought my days of studying were well and truly behind me. Over the years I’ve spent too much time doing…
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The only time I’ve ever worked in any sort of “museum” or, actually “heritage centre” was back in September and October 2001. I was employed by McMillens Bar & Restaurant at the time and they also did special wine and beer nights at the local heritage centre in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Bangor doesn’t have its…
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It wasn’t until 2001 that I first worked in a bar (probably by then I had spent enough time on the other side of over 100 bars). I got the job through my good mate Darren Latimer. I was employed mainly as a barman on the downstairs bar at McMillen’s Bar, Bangor. The bar is…
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