Alcohol? Sorry there's 'nun'. Country’s first bar with no booze opens in Limerick town

THE late US president John F Kennedy ensured Bruff made the headlines last week, and, this week, the County Limerick town is back in the news - for having Ireland’s first booze free bar!

 Following on from the unveiling of the JFK statue, The Nuns Room, the brainchild of John Fitzgerald has been unveiled and will “cater for the needs of the non-drinker or anyone who wants to have a social evening and drive home without the usual stresses that are involved with going to a pub in a rural area”.

“I think there is a massive market there for people who want to get out of the house, want to go for a drive, want to go for a drink and want to eat something pleasant and nice that doesn’t fill them up,” commented John who will run the premises with Rebecca May. They have been operating The Kennedy Rooms and business centre (formerly the FCJ convent) for the past year and a half.

“By coincidence, the bar was the very room that the nuns in the convent used to chill out in after a hard day’s work,” said John who leases the facility from Pat O’Sullivan, chairman of Limerick FC.

The change in the drinking culture in Ireland and social isolation were two of the big factors which prompted John, originally from Crecora, to venture into the business of non-alcohol drinks. The bar will be open to the public, can be booked for functions, and children are welcome.

Speaking at the unveiling of the premises last Friday, John explained that he grew up in a culture whereby “people would drink six or seven pints and then drive home and it wasn’t thought of as abnormal, whereas now, for a millennial, it wouldn’t even cross their mind to think of doing that”.

“My belief is this type of stuff will be the way of the future with this type of food - fresh, clean and healthy.”

John is convinced that this concept will become more and more popular across the country over the coming years.

“There is one in Dublin preparing to open this week. Dublin isn’t the best barometer because it’s a massive city and a lot of what you do in Dublin will work because the numbers are there.

“From the research we are doing, we found out that all the big drinks companies are now spending a fortune researching low alcohol and zero alcohol drinks - they are not doing that for nothing so they know it’s coming, they know it’s down the tracks.”

He said both he and Rebecca “weren’t keen on running a normal pub but we have to have a pub for corporate clients”.

A range of beverages including Heineken O, Guinness Pure Brew, Seed Lip Gin as well as a full range of cocktails and smoothie hits will be available in the bar.

“We are researching and finding the best non-alcoholic beers, wines, spirits, cocktails etc but it is not all about the non-alcoholic offerings as we intend to also have really high quality fruit based drinks, juices, protein shakes, health and wellness drinks, low sugar, and some of the more popular health refreshments on the market. We are going to have good coffee and a selection of fine teas, so it is not just a dry pub, as the secret, we believe, will be in the total offering to include a light bite food menu that is fresh, clean and healthy.”

John says that price-wise the drinks are “more or less the same” as alcohol drinks.

Maurice Hehir of The Bake House in Bruff will be providing the food with the menu offering beef nachos, salad, Irish cheese board, antipasti board and falafels.

Initially the plan is to open The Nuns Room on Friday afternoons as a tester “and then hopefully grow from there based on interest and demand”.

The bar will cater for its first function this Sunday while the official opening taking place on May 31. The Nuns Room will then will be open every Friday from 5pm onwards.

Local woman Eileen Irwin who doesn’t drink said she was “overwhelmed” by the bar.

“I don’t drink at all so it’s ideal. I’m from the city originally and I’m in Bruff 36 years and I love it,” smiled Eileen who is sacristan in the local church.