Anthony Duignan is the new head barman at the Lough Ree Inn, the pretty, full-of-potential, out-of-the-way establishment at Coosan Point, overlooking Lough Ree.
Having recently changed ownership, the pub is now run by Gustavo Gaetani who also oversees the Opus Café Pizza Pasta and Sandwich Bar in Athlone. As Duignan acknowledges: “We’re blessed in this location so close to the water and the moorings and, not surprisingly, we get an array of people coming in here in the evening off the boats. Germans, Dutch, Spaniards, and English, we’ve had the lot. What is particularly surprising is that, of late, we’ve had an inordinate number of Argentinians, which is a little hard to explain. And that’s not including the locals who come in for a few pints each night or to watch the matches and the like.
“Also because round here is also a great spot for fishermen, and as we have a weighing scales on the premises, we get a lot of fishermen who come in to have their fish officially weighed. Typical size of a catch? Well, we’ve had fish weighed in here that have tipped the scales from 10 to 23 pounds.”
Setting itself out as a gastropub and making use of the fabulous surrounding, a new bar menu has just been launched serving everything from mussels marinara and seafood chowder to Irish Angus rib-eye and fish and chips, hoping to entice fishermen, lake users, and locals who might be looking for something a little different after a long day on land or on the water.
The Lough Ree Inn is open Tuesday until Saturday from 5pm until late, from noon until late on Sunday, and closed Mondays.
