Cosgroves

Disappointed with our first drinking venue in Tullamore (see my review for The Bridge House), we wandered along the main street, looking for an old man pub in which to have a quiet couple of pints before bed, as it had been a very taxing day. However, as we walked along the main street, there seemed to be loads of people in glad rags walking around the place.
Intrigued, we headed into a pub named Cosgroves, which seemed to promise a quiet evening in pleasant surroundings.
Now, Cosgroves looks very much the old man pub from outside. I don’t intend the above statement as any sort of pejorative; I for one feel that old man pubs occupy an important niche in Ireland’s pub scene. But Cosgroves didn’t really fit into this categorisation.
Inside, in the sedate old man-​esque surroundings, were loads of young people. There was only one group of people over twenty-​five (and they were only about thirty). We sat down with our inexpensive pints (€ 4) and considered what an unusual place Tullamore is. While giving every appearance of a small market town, Tullamore seemed to actually be the midlands equivalent of Ibiza, with masses of revellers thronging every licenced establishment in the town. And this was a Thursday!
So after two rounds of very pleasant pints, we revised our plans. We decided to find whatever nightclub was drawing all these debauchees and to have a wild one. Sure we were on our holidays after all.
So, Cosgroves: pleasant little pub, unexpectedly happening clientele.