Football on the big screen

Were you watching the football on Saturday? Wasn't exactly the best game I've ever seen. But suppose 3 points is 3 points. I never really agreed with the FAI appointing Steve Staunton, but yet I still cannot agree with the level of abuse he's getting.

If anything it just seems like sour grapes from all sections of the media, because he won't give them the time of day. Don't get me wrong I ain't defending his tactics (what tactics?). I just don't think it's right the treatment Staunton, and his family are receiving. Anyway, if your around on Wednesday Buskers will be showing the match. Talk about make or break!

City Centre Bar - a first

When we were at the design stage for the new bar I was sitting at home one quiet Friday night (sad I know), I saw that guy who makes all the Dyson stuff. Mr Dyson I think his name is. Anyway he was showing his new Airblade. It's amazing how such a simple thing as a hand dryer can get peoples attention so much!

Although I will admit it's well worth a go!!!

Calm after the storm

Buskers has survived the hectic St Patrick's Festival. It was a mad busy weekend in Dublin City Centre. I was reading in the paper today that there was trouble in Dublin and in particular in Temple Bar. Well I didn't see any. Although I suppose we're on the edge of Temple Bar, so our crowd will be different anyway.

We had loads of people in to watch the Rugby. It was tough to take losing the way we did. The atmosphere was so tense as we all watched the French match. Waiting for the TV official to say whether it was a try or not. I'd say you could here a large groan from every pub in Ireland!

Later that night we put on the Cricket. As anyone will tell you, cricket isn't the most popular sport in Ireland. I had caught the highlights of our game against Zimbabwe, the first match I have ever watched. Damn it was exciting. So I put the Pakistan game on on St. Patrick's Day. What a result for Ireland. Roll on Windies and then the Super 8's. (Amazing how quick we pick up the lingo)

Tis the night before Paddies Day, and all was still..... Yea right. Buskers is heaving at the moment. The craic is great. We've changed the bar so much, It's not the usual Temple Bar experience anymore. As one of our customers said to me last week, Buskers has grown up!

We're starting to see alot of faces that used to come here back when it was the original bar. People that haven't been here in 7 or 8 years. The age group has increased, I'd say the average age now is somewhere in the late 20's rather than the early 20's.

The music is more alternative rock etc. No more thumping music. Believe you me my ears are testament to the improvement. Although we've changed the music and reduced the volume, the atmosphere is brilliant. At least now you can have a chat and enjoy the music. Think we've all come to the stage of going to pubs in Dublin City Centre and being blasted out of it. For one, I was sick of it. So I decided to change it!!


Thought I'd show a few more pics of the bar as it is now.

Above is a shot of the new bar. As you can see it's a bit different form the old Buskers that we all loved! Getting ready for St. Patrick's Day now. What do you think??? Will it be busy???? It's just one of those days that is fantastic. The crowds in town, everyone in great form. Before I moved to Dublin I used to hear all the crap stories about Dublin on a Paddies Day. I think the media just try their best to wind things up.

Yea everyone gets drunk, but I sure didn't see any trouble last year. And I'll bet there won't be any this year either.

Of course aswell as St Pat's Day, there's also a small matter of the deciders of the RBS Six Nations. Come on Ireland. I reckon they'll do it. Of course their history in Rome isn't the best, but I think we have enough in the squad to show what we're made of!

New Bar, Wow

Welcome to our new blog!

Seeing as everyone is getting in on the act, I thought I'd put together a blog for Buskers Bar, Fleet Street.

We've spent the last couple of months consulting, coming up with concepts, designing and finally building a new Buskers. It all started way back before last summer. Twas a hard job but someone had to do it. We started with some market research. Sure we had to go out and about and see what going on out there. Course I wasn't driving so it was great for me. The faded memory of standing round lots of different bars discussing the merits or otherwise of the particular bars we were in. Think I knocked about 10 years off my life and did some savage damage to my liver!

Once we had an idea what we were looking for we got a few designers/contractors together, gave them their brief and away they went. This was my first time involved in such a big project, budget inexcess of €1million and I couldn't wait to see what they would come back with.....

Jesus, some people don't listen to what you've told them. Some of these guys are off the wall, seriously, cracked. One of them came back with a design that looked like something out of Star Treck. Now, we did say modern, not flamin space age!

Anyhow, we agreed on a design by a crowd called Janus they seemed to get just what we were looking for. This was in August. Little did I realise that the fun was just about to begin! Even though we had agreed on the "concept" we had to get down to the nitty gritty of the detail.

So after months of talking (arguing) over furniture, colours etc. it came to the 1st of January. Buskers as it was closed, all say ahhh! To be honest, I was delighted to see the back of it. I was sick of the weird colours and crap furniture. i wasn't popular for saying it, but I reckon it was crap! Problem was the place was flying. Hard to argue with that.

Sure the place was closed, happy days. The builders went in and ripped the place apart. They were class, no hassle, no problems with them.

We also started to have a look at the website to change it and update it. It went live at the same time as the bar opened. Buskers website looks the business. You should check it out.

We had set the refurb to take 6 weeks. Believe me, that ain't a whole lot of time to get massive amount of work done. At one stage the building contractors were working 24 hours round the clock.

Low and behold the bar opened late!!! One hour late. Instead of opening at midday on 14th February it opened at 1pm. You can't beat that.

At leave it at that for the moment, I'm waiting for pictures to come through of the opening night...worth waiting for