Rocky’s pub in Castlebar will leave you floored with knockout pints at just €5.50

​WE haven’t been to Castlebar since 2018, so our Commandos were particularly looking forward to our latest outing. The six-hour round trip isn’t ideal, but the plan was to have enough porter so we could sleep all the way home.

We accomplished that mission, thankfully.

We’ve never done a proper count but there must be more than 20 pubs in this ever-expanding town and we’ve yet to find a bad one — a nice claim to fame for the area.

Our designated driver found a parking spot on New Antrim Street and a very short stroll later we found ourselves at the front door of Rocky’s pub on Linenhall Street.

The bouncer opened the door for us and welcomed us in, and as we stepped inside we realised the pub was thriving. There was a mixed clientele of all ages and at least four staff behind the counter at all times.

Our Commandos stood at one of the high tables about two metres from the counter as we tried to place our order, but it did take some time as it was extremely busy.

“You wouldn’t get this in Temple Bar,” the Young Commando joked with one of the locals. “And you’d be served much quicker too,” he said with a grin.

“You probably would but you’d pay €10 for a pint of slop,” the local bar-fly replied.

When we finally did get served, the creamy pints of stout set us back €5.50, an increase from the €4.20 we paid in Castlebar seven years ago, while pints of Carlsberg were €5.80.

They serve food in this pub between Friday and Sunday from 1pm while they also host live music from Thursday to Sunday.

The wine-coloured leather barstools were in good condition and the timber flooring was spotlessly clean despite it being extremely busy during our visit.

The green and red coloured glass windows didn’t surprise us as the Mayo folks are some of the most loyal sports fans in the country.

However, it wasn’t a great weekend from a sporting point of view, with the senior footballers losing to Kerry in Croke Park and Castlebar hosting the Munster victory over Connacht in front of 25,000 fans in McHale Park.

“A poor result but it was great to see 25,000 people pour into Castlebar to watch the game,” one local told us.

“They should tour the province while they’re waiting on the stadium to be redeveloped, a great way to promote the game,” he continued

Elsewhere, a Mayo jersey hangs just inside the front door and a photo of the Mayo ladies team that won the 2023 Connacht championship hangs behind the counter.

As our team of Commandos took in the atmosphere around the place, they also came across a second Mayo jersey worn by Paddy Durcan in 2023, and an Ireland soccer jersey signed by Katie Taylor, Usain Bolt and former Ireland manager Giovanni Trappatoni.

“I’d trade all that for the All-Star jersey worn by Willie Joe Padden,” the Old Commando said. “One of the all time greats,” he informed us.

There was a brilliant atmosphere throughout our stay and the stone interior walls are a lovely feature too.

Another local, who was bending the Old Commando’s ear, told him that this was “an old man’s pub” and “very small” at one point but had been completely revamped in recent years.

As expected, the toilets passed the test. We loved Rocky’s pub and we’d definitely recommend a visit if you’re heading down that direction anytime in the future.

Rating: Four pints out of Five

One for the road:

The Rendezvous – Balla, Co Mayo

It’s been nine years since Pub Spy last stopped off in Balla for a pint but we had a wonderful time on our recent trip to The Rendezvous and we’re already looking forward to our next visit already.

The pub was packed when we arrived but we managed to get seats and huddled around the large stove.

The red-leather bench seating was very comfy and there was a brilliant atmosphere among the mixed clientele, which ranged from young to elderly.

There are at least five TVs and a large projection screen, a dart board and a pool table.

The barman was friendly and pulled a nice pint of stout, but they also have Heineken Zero, Orchard Thieves, Birra Moretti and Rockshore cider available on draught.

The toilets contained two cubicles and a stainless steel urinal and the Young Commando said they were very clean. We’ll be sure to call again.

Rating: Three pints out of Five