{"id":374518,"date":"2026-03-31T10:51:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T10:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/374518\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T10:51:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T10:51:10","slug":"we-felt-it-was-worth-re-investing-in-because-it-is-so-popular","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/374518\/","title":{"rendered":"‘We felt it was worth re-investing in because it is so popular’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Boasting the perfect cocktail of sea views, atmosphere, and a homely feel, the newly-revamped Lighthouse Bar & Bistro has the ideal mix.<\/p>\n

It is contained within the Garryvoe Hotel in East Cork, and hotel Managing Director Stephen Belton knows all about the homely atmosphere.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am in the hospitality business for 40 years and living in Ladysbridge now for 30 years. I am one of the locals!\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

As I mixed with the locals at the unveiling of the revamped bar on a beautiful, bright March evening, I thought how that homely feel had been present ever since the O\u2019Brien family purchased the premises in 1963, turning it into a renowned hospitality business and later expanding in the 1980s and the 2000s.<\/p>\n

Stephen, who worked with Francis Brennan in the Park Hotel Kenmare, says he wants the Lighthouse to continue to be a neighbourhood bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had members of nearly every local family come to work here at some time or another,\u201d says Stephen, whose own three daughters are former employees. \u201cWe have a tradition of holding onto staff!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BarBar manager Josh Kidney and long-time staff member Lu\u00eds Crist\u00f3v\u00e3o at the launch of the revamped new bar & bistro Pictures: Noel Sweeney<\/p>\n

The family-owned hotel beside the sea likes to keep it country. \u201cThe local families through generations, have always enjoyed making memories here for those special occasions,\u201d says Stephen.<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI want the bar to be a neighbourhood bar where everyone is welcome, where everyone is comfortable and where they feel at home.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

Former employee Mary Walsh always felt at home when she worked here from 1976 to 2002.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were the best days of my life,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Garryvoe was Mary\u2019s piece of heaven.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I moved across the road to the shop!\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

In its early days, this venue overlooking Ballycotton Lighthouse and five miles of beach was home to tea-rooms and then a boarding house. The Lighthouse has moved with the tides.<\/p>\n

But some things never change.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still have scampi and chips on the menu and the favourite chocolate log! That goes without saying!\u201d laughs Stephen.<\/p>\n

And the iconic lighthouse still stands proudly, commanding the centre stage in the Lighthouse Bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is always a staple. It\u2019s set in stone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Longevity of staff is a trait here.<\/p>\n

\"ManagerManager of the Lighthouse Bar & Bistro, Farrah Bourke, and managing director Stephen Belton at the launch of the revamped premises earlier this month. Picture: Noel Sweeney<\/p>\n

\u201cOur chef Kevin O\u2019Sullivan is with us 20 years. He is very proud of the new surroundings here in the bar and the beautiful restaurant setting.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bar is popular with locals, day-trippers, walkers, seafarers, fishermen, holidaymakers and sea-swimmers. Why the revamp?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are always re-developing and moving with the times,\u201d says Stephen.<\/p>\n

Michael O\u2019Brien, the owner of the hotel, and Stephen, felt the same way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were itchy!\u201d says Stephen. \u201cOne evening in January we sat down and had a chat about further investment in the Lighthouse Bar. We felt it was worth re-investing in because it is so popular. Local support has always been phenomenal. We wouldn\u2019t be here without it. Everyone knows us and that\u2019s what makes it special.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guys and gals working here make it special.\u201d<\/p>\n

One gal came all the way from New York to manage the Lighthouse Bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI worked in New York as a bistro\/bar manager,\u201d says Farrah Burke. \u201cI am in my third year working here now. I love it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Is she bringing a taste of the Big Apple to Garryvoe?<\/p>\n

\u201cYes! We are bringing cocktails to the seaside!\u201d says Farrah.<\/p>\n

Is the famous Manhattan cocktail on the menu?<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course it is!\u201d says Farrah. \u201cYou can sample one of our amazing cocktails later on!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sounds good.<\/p>\n

People are beginning to arrive to view the new-look Lighthouse Bar and to sample the delights it has on offer. They are very impressed with the d\u00e9cor and plush seating.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to say \u2018thank you\u2019 for all the support over the years,\u201d says Stephen at the launch.<\/p>\n

The bar area is not as large as before.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrinking trends have changed and we felt a big bar area wasn\u2019t necessary,\u201d says Stephen.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we have the Cave Bar out the back.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur bar menu relies on consistency and quality. Maintaining those two things is the hardest. That\u2019s what we are always after. We are not after Michelin stars.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s after the custom of the young people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey like to hang out, enjoy a bite of food and a few drinks at the weekend,\u201d says Stephen. \u201cThey won\u2019t have to travel far or worry about taxis staying local to have a great night out in the comfort of these surroundings. I think the Lighthouse Bar will appeal to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

From my home nearby, I saw lights on late into the night in recent months when the tradesmen were at work, beavering away to get the Lighthouse Bar picture perfect.<\/p>\n

\"StaffStaff of the newly-revamped Lighthouse Bar & Bistro, from left, Jack Lawton, Carrie Creamer, \u00c1ine McGuckian, Kevin Cotter, and Jude Buckley. \t Picture: Noel Sweeney<\/p>\n

The tradesmen are all local,\u201d says Stephen. \u201cThey worked very hard and very late over the last few months to get us over the line.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing went wrong, thank goodness. We had a great team behind us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jude Buckley, from Ballymacoda, is waiting patiently with his tray of welcome drinks for the delighted patrons coming here this evening. What does he like about working here?<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw the bar develop, coming a long way,\u201d says Jude, a student at SETU Waterford.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy co-workers are mostly around my own age and from the same area. So, we are all part of the same gang and we relate to one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Does he mind being on his feet a lot in the hospitality business?<\/p>\n

\u201cI come to work early and I leave work early. So, I am happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael O\u2019Brien is another happy man.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter working very hard to get the Lighthouse Bar open before his holiday in Switzerland, Michael says that he is extremely happy,\u201d says Stephen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was talking to him yesterday and he is delighted with the positive feedback. I know his late dad, John O\u2019Brien, would be very proud of him and of his achievements.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mingling among the smiling faces who are thrilled with their neighbourhood bar, Stephen is on the crest of a wave.<\/p>\n

\u201cHard work and staying power. That\u2019s what we have,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Boasting the perfect cocktail of sea views, atmosphere, and a homely feel, the newly-revamped Lighthouse Bar & Bistro…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":374519,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[93,61,60,10414],"class_list":{"0":"post-374518","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-ie","10":"tag-ireland","11":"tag-pub"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=374518"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374518\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/374519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=374518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=374518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=374518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}