There are exciting changes afoot at The Muskerry Arms in Blarney with a super new website and extensive new menu to be launched soon, along with ongoing weekly promotions and competitions. The family-owned pub and B&B, located in the heart of the village, aims to become Blarney’s No 1 live sports, music and function venue. Brothers Jerome and Gary O’Connor have launched an active social media campaign which involves regular competitions and the chance to win great prizes. Like their Facebook page www.facebook.com/TheMuskerryArmsBlarney to find out what’s going on, and be in with a chance to win. “We have started running weekly promotions which are proving very popular with our customers, and are attracting new customers in. They include Monday Madness, which is a main course, pint or glass of wine for €15; Burger Tuesday which offers our famous Muskerry steak burger, fries and salad, and a pint or glass of wine for €15, and Thirsty Thursday where customers can get a bucket of beer (five bottles of your choice) for only €20. We want our customers to feel they are getting real value for their money,” says Jerome. The extensive new menu, which will be launched in November, will focus on the best of fresh, local ingredients including beef, fish and produce, and will include a wider range of healthy options including homemade guacamole, as well as gluten-free and vegetarian options. The bar offers live music every Friday and Saturday night throughout the winter (and every night during the summer), and bingo every Wednesday night. “We show all live sports on the big screen from soccer, rugby and GAA to golf and horse racing. For the big games, we put on a special Burger and Pint deal for €10, and we also give a free pint to everyone in the bar if the first goal is predicted correctly by the bar which goes down very well,” explains Gary. The Muskerry Arms is the ideal venue for Christmas parties and all kinds of functions including birthdays, anniversaries, christenings and funerals, with top class service from friendly, experienced staff, guaranteed at very affordable prices. Book now for your Christmas party as dates are filling fast. The Muskerry Arms, which was established in 1838, combines the warm hospitality of a traditional Irish pub, with modern, spacious en-suite bedrooms, perfect for friends or family visiting Blarney. When Derry O’Connor bought the Muskerry Arms in 1984, his aim was to provide jobs for each of his seven children. A native of the village who was reared in a cottage across from the pub (where Lantern House Chinese Restaurant is today), Derry’s entrepreneurial spirit saw him set up a number of businesses over the years — including a paint shop in Boston, a car hire business in Blarney, a petrol station, a car repair workshop, an aluminium window company and a table top business, before he bought the pub. His wife, Nell, a Galway woman, was heavily involved in running the bar, and very popular with their customers. An entrepreneur in her own right, Nell set up a little shop in the petrol station which she ran in the mornings while her children were at school, using the proceeds to run the household. Gary, Jerome and MaryBeth (who also works in The Muskerry Arms) still live locally with their own families, while Bobby, Sean, Glen and Caroline are all based in New York. Bobby and Sean run their own chain of bars in New York, while Jerome, Gary and Glen also own two bars in Mount Kisco, New York, which Glen runs. For further information or to book a function at The Muskerry Arms in Blarney, please call Jerome or Gary at 021 4385200, check out their website www.muskerryarms.com and keep an eye on their page at facebook.com/themuskerryarmsblarney/ to find out what’s happening.
