Cruises

Abbey Street , Ennis, Ireland

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Overall: NR    Food: NR    Drink: NR    Atmosphere: NR   

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You expect to find lots of traditional music in Ennis on a Saturday night in April. But it was surprisingly difficult as we wandered the streets at 11pm. Despite being in the heart of countryside famous for its traditional Irish music we found pubs that had music on other nights cancelled it on Saturday. The reason for this was not clear but eventually we found ourselves outside Cruises, feeling sure that this famous bastion of traditional music would not disappoint.

Cruises is a deceptively large bar. The small front area with a low roof and large ceiling beams extends through an archway into a little snug with an open fire. At the end of the bar the room extends back even further into a large modern bar. Despite this large size Cruises feels like a cozy traditional pub thanks primarily to the low ceilings and small size of the individual areas.

It was standing room only when we first entered and getting to the bar was a bit of a struggle, but once there service was quick and friendly. The crowd ebbed and flowed throughout the night, and while it was never empty there were periods when it was less packed…only to fill up again after 20 minutes or so. This worked to our advantage as, after fifteen minutes leaning against a corner, the table next to the fireplace became free. We rapidly settled in for the rest of the evening.

Despite these periodic reduction in the size of the crowd you only knew they had happened by looking around. There was no indication from a reduction in volume as the lively soundtrack of people enjoying themselves was never reduced. Throughout the evening multiple conversations washed against each other, eventually merging into one large hum.

We had come to Cruises looking for music and we did find it. But it wasn't the traditional music for which they are famous. Instead a solo guitar player held court beside the front door. The music he played was not traditional and neither was it a traditional bar sing-a-long. Instead of such standards as Simon & Garfunkel, The Pogues, or The Beatles we were treated to Jeff Buckley and Leonard Cohen. All good music and a welcome change but not a selection designed to get the crowd involved. And played at a volume that was only audible in the front of the bar. I got the feeling that Cruises is no longer interested in live music despite both its reputation and the numerous autographed pictures that adorn the walls. Personally I feel that this is a loss but given the crowd present on this night it would seem to be what the customers want. Perhaps some profound sign-of-the-times meaning can be read into this, though I’m not sure what that would be.

Cruises is a nice bar in a central location in Ennis.While my visitors were slightly disappointed at the music they still enjoyed their visit as did I. This is a comfortable and friendly bar in which to spend an evening and still worth a visit when in Ennis.




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