New Posts Archives | Egans Bar Parkbridge County Wicklow | Pub on the Wicklow Way

Egans Bar Parkbridge County Wicklow | Pub on the Wicklow Way

A Hidden Gem in Wicklow

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Events at Egans

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March 2020 – Egans is CLOSED due to COVID-19.

Hello to our very loyal customers. Egans Bar, Parkbridge, will be closed effective immediately. Following advice from HSE, we have considered the health and wellbeing of families, customers, staff and most especially the vulnerable people in our area due to the risks posed by Covid-19. Please be safe, stay indoors and hopefully we will be back sooner rather than later. Thank you.

More updates to follow on our Facebook page

See Our Latest FREE Events!

Gerry Carthy – From Santa Fé, New Mexico, USA!

Gerry Carthy at Egans Bar Parkbridge

Gerry Carthy at Egans Bar Parkbridge, June 2019

See Gerry playing live:

Let us know if you are interested on our Facebook event.

Paddy Tutty and Caoimhín Ó Fearghail. A Rare Wednesday Night Session

Paddy and Caoimhín are two very well known musicians on the Irish traditional music scene, see the videos below. This is a rare chance to get to meet them and hear their music, so come along mid-week to Egans on Wednesday May 1st 2019.

Watch Paddy Tutty playing with the band Caladh Nua:

See Caoimhín Ó Fearghail playing on Irish TV station TG4:

Check out their music, hear some more tunes, and read more information on these musicians over on Copperplate Music or buy their new CD on Paddy Tutty’s website.

As a result of their great music that they play together, they recorded their duet album in 2018. Here is what John Carty had to say about that: “Congrats Paddy and Caoimhín on such a fresh respectful approach to our traditional music.” – John Carty, July 2018.

Do you enjoy these events, or do you have some suggestions for other events at Egans? Watch more videos about our musical events and leave some feedback for us on our traditional Irish music page.

Archive: A Box Combo!! Big Night of Music, Song & Story – Sat. April 13th 2019

As a result of the great session nights in February and March, a few musicians will be making a return to Parkbridge for more revelry. On the 13th of April, there will be a night of Irish traditional music, song and story with two young champion, virtuoso accordion players – Bronwyn Castles and Hughie Kennedy. Certainly, Bronwyn is well known in Wicklow and has won many Fleadh Cheoil competitions. Hughie is a regular musician on the session scene in Cork city. Maybe you can come along and check out these excellent musicians’ music!

Hughie Kennedy

Hughie Kennedy

Bronwyn Castles

Bronwyn Castles

Bronwyn will be bringing some friends from Wicklow and Hughie will be bringing some friends all the way from Cork. There will be songs and stories from some local guests too! We are also looking forward to seeing some very special guests from the Wicklow / Wexford area! Come along, it promises to be a very special night!

More info. at https://www.facebook.com/events/368292603761864/

Events at Egans

Locals in Egans Bar Parkbridge

Locals in Egans Bar Parkbridge

Egans Bar, Parkbridge have hosted a wide variety of events over the years, from 21st birthdays to tea parties to wedding receptions. So whatever the event, the bar comes alive with the mood you are looking for. Hire a DJ, set up a barbecue or a charity fundraiser – Egans bar provides a service that is both straight forward and tailored to suit your preferences.

Have an engagement party at Egans Bar Parkbridge

Have an engagement party at Egans Bar Parkbridge

Come to an evening of "Pot Still Whiskey Tasting" at Egans Bar Parkbridge

Come to an evening of “Pot Still Whiskey Tasting” at Egans Bar Parkbridge

Check out the list of events that are celebrated at Egans:

  • Host Your Wedding Reception: Events at Egans have included wedding reception, stag & hen parties.
  • Celebrate Your Birthday: 21st, 40th, 50th, we’ve even done a 100th (all parties catered for).
  • Gather after Christenings and other more formal gatherings such as funeral afters.
  • Launch CD’s and music albums.
  • Host food and drink tasting nights (Egans previously held a curry night and also a pot-still whiskey tasting night).
  • Cook up a Barbecue (this is usually to accompany a birthday party celebration).
  • See the hunt gatherings (the local hunt makes a number of trips to Parkbridge every year).
  • Help charity events (Egans have hosted Alzheimer association tea parties and cancer research fundraisers).
  • Celebrate Christmas parties (every year a Christmas party is held at Egans. Bookings for other parties are available from October onward).
Steam Rally Events at Egans late 1990's

Steam Rally Events at Egans late 1990’s

Event Reservation Sizes

Reserve the full bar or for smaller events you can use the separate snug section. The snug has been used to accommodate a fundraiser for local sports and smaller traditional music sessions. Therefore, any crowd, from 10-250 can be catered for. A local marquee tent rental can be fitted for larger events, just let us know what you are looking for and we are here to help.

Book your event by getting in touch with Larry and Mary now on (05394) 29144 or info “at” egansbar.com. They will be on site to assist you. Egans provide friendly and experienced advice for your requirements.

Egans Bar, Parkbridge

Finally, you can view the gallery below which shows just some of the events that have taken place at Egans over the years.

Egans Bar Pot-Still Whiskey Tasting Evening

An evening of pure pot still whiskey tasting 
Throwback Thursdays - Patrick and Nicola's "See You Soon" Session! 15 Dec 2018
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Traditional Irish Music

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Egans – A Great Place to Hear Traditional Irish Music

Traditional Irish music has always been an important part of nights in Egans Bar. In Parkbridge, near Shillelagh there has been a long history of memorable events, which stretch down through the years. The mixture of acoustics from the oak floor and furnishings make for a great sound. Furthermore, the atmosphere always works well with this to make musical evenings flourish. Click on the video below to hear the great  Ritchie Timmons singing the song The Rocks of Bawn.

Well Known Peformers

Some of the most celebrated traditional music performers in the country have played shows in Egans. A variety of these have included artists on the national circuit. You might know some of these: Seán Tyrrell, Jimmy Crowley, Joe Burke (with Anne-Conroy Burke, Michael Cooney and Terry Corcoran). Others who have been to Egans include; Gay Woods, Mary McNamara, Mick Kinsella and Johnny Connolly. A great many more have also played there and Egans has become known as a hidden gem in Wicklow. See below the great piper Joey Abarta and his partner the great dancer and concertina player Jackie Reilly who were passing through on a trip from Boston, USA.

Informal Traditional Irish Music Sessions

Importantly, Egans have also been hosting informal traditional Irish music sessions for decades. These have become particularly prominent between the mid nineties up to recent times. Also, these sessions sometimes include musicians, singers, set dancers, seanchaí (story tellers). There have even been poetry recitals. As a result, performers have often travelled from far away places. It is not known beforehand what way these nights will turn out. However, the customer is guaranteed a good night when any performer turns up to play.

A session in Egans Circa 2003 with Seán and Mary O’Driscoll, Dennis Brooks, Patrick and Larry Egan, Terry and Sharon Corcoran.
A session in Egans Circa 2003 with Seán and Mary O’Driscoll, Dennis Brooks, Patrick and Larry Egan, Terry and Sharon Corcoran.

The Egan Brothers

Below is a YouTube video clip of the two Egan brothers playing in Kilkenny in the early 1990s. While they are not at home always, Patrick and Larry continue to play. They very often bring musicians back to Egans for a session.

Almost all of the traditional Irish music sessions occur spontaneously. Local musicians (and often local customers) taking part, usually on Saturday nights. If you are in the area, be sure to let us know. Contact Larry or Mary to find out if there is live music on the way this month! (087 2248420 or info “at” egansbar.com).

Below is a photo gallery of just some of the range of performers who have been coming to Egans over the years.

Egans Bar - Traditional Irish Music
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The Wicklow Way Map

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A Convenient Pub on the Wicklow Way Map

Check out these maps. Are you hiking the Wicklow Way and out of water? Out of food? Looking for somewhere to camp out, to get supplies or to have a creamy pint? Egans can help you out there, as on the map the Wicklow Way hike passes right beside Egans bar just at the last stage, or the first if you are coming from Clonegall. In fact, Egans Bar is actually the first and last pub in county Wicklow!

Let Wicklow’s Hidden Gem surprise you – with the stunning scenery, a warm welcome, great hospitality and great quality goods, Egans will give you an authentic Irish experience that you will remember for years to come! You could be lucky if you are around for some of their great music events too!

We have outlined some maps below to show you how to reach us just off the Wicklow Way.

The location of Egans Bar is most convenient on the map – where the Wicklow Way and the Wicklow hills are at their southernmost, as you travel between Shillelagh and the low lying valley of the Derry river which flows through Clonegall.

A Short Walk

The bar is a short walk from an intersection at the townsland of Aghowle. Imagine just a 5.7 kilometres to go, take a slight detour, relax and unwind with refreshments at the last pub that is on the Wicklow Way map before you finish the hike.

You can reach Egans walking south of Aghowle (next to Moylisha), descending through picturesque winding roads before straightening out at the bottom of the valley into Parkbridge. Below is a map which shows the route towards Egans from the intersection at Aghowle. If you are a good walker / hiker you will obviously beat the Google Maps estimate!

The map below shows the route that you would take to reach Egans from Aghowle:

Alternatively, if you are coming from Clonegall, Egans is quite easy to find. By taking the winding road up to Aghowle shown above, you can be assured a great start to the hill climbs! It is a quiet road from Egans to the Aghowle intersection, with plenty of wildness as you walk up along the valley. Larry and Mary have plenty of stories about this historic walk, as in the 1800s this road was used by fourteen families of the area one day to get to New Ross when emigrating to Canada. Find out more from Larry and Mary!

Here is a map of how to get to Egans from Clonegall before hiking up through the Wicklow hills:

Services on the Wicklow Way

Hikers / walkers have been calling to Parkbridge for decades, and so a number of amenities are now available to those who call in to the bar or shop. Larry and Mary have a variety of services available for when hikers or walkers need supplies. Here is a list of just some of those services for you:

  • Free and excellent spring well water available.
  • THE most friendly welcome you could imagine!
  • Toilet facilities.
  • A selection of soup, sandwiches, pizzas and other snacks that can be made available at short notice.
  • Tea, coffee, drink supplies and yes THE best Guinness, a creamy pint!
  • Free WiFi and phone charging facilities on site.
  • A local taxi service to pick you up or drop you off to buses, trains or towns after your hike.
  • If you’re feeling a bit “camped-out”, there are a variety of local accommodation options close by – from self-catering Air BnB to traditional B&B.
  • Let us know about hiking supplies that we missed which might be useful for others

Contacting Mary and Larry Egan

*Please contact Egans by sending a message on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/egansbarparkbridge or call on (087) 6527569. If there are any specific supplies that you might need, Egans will do their best to help, and Larry and Mary will help out wherever they can. It is also recommended to contact Egans on the Facebook page if you intend on visiting the bar early on in the day. Whatever your needs, we are there to help.

“Mary and Larry, Thank you for being there as our sanctuary when we got lost while walking the Wicklow Way. We will never forget your kindness. Thank you and may you enjoy health and happiness for years to come.”
~ Matthew and Kristina, California

For more information about the Wicklow Way map, check out this video blog of a Wicklow Way hike that finished in Clonegal:

We hope you enjoy your trip whichever way it starts or ends, and look forward to seeing you in the near future.

Larry and Mary

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Bord na Móna Hearth Sessions

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Egans of Parkbridge won a competition to host Bord na Móna’s Hearth Sessions! First of all, the bar was never before put into a competition. Certainly no record exists of it in the local lore. In November 2017 Egans was entered into its first competition as an established bar. The Hearth Sessions with Bord na Móna is a 26-county contest which was supported by the Vintners Association of Ireland. Consequently, Egans bar was selected by Bord na Móna Hearth Sessions group as one of the 10 cosiest bars in Ireland. They ranked ahead of over 70 amazing looking pubs and bars around the country.

Entered into The Journal Newspaper

In late November 2017, the national newspaper “The Journal” (cosiest fires on www.thejournal.ie) published an article that listed Egans bar in 3rd place. As a result of being selected by Bord na Móna and published in The Journal, the bar went into a competition to host three well known bands – Ye Vagabonds (Carlow), Stephanie Rainey (Cork) and Little Hours (Donegal) for a Hearth Session.

Bord na Móna Hearth Sessions Competition

In the Hearth Sessions, Egans came second in the country. Most importantly, this support was from members of the public. Therefore, a lot of great comments were written from locals and other customers who have been to Egans over the years. In addition to this, the bar attracted over 500 votes. As a result, the Bord na Móna Hearth Sessions was held at Parkbridge. This was on December 1st, 2017. Read more about the competition.

The section below shows the Hearth Sessions event as posted on Facebook.

Finally, Egans extend a heartfelt thanks all of those people who supported them in the Bord na Móna Hearth Sessions. In particular, we are grateful for all the lovely comments from our clientele. We appreciate all the votes which helped us to win.

Beir bua and thanks again,
The staff at Egans

 

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