{"id":661136,"date":"2026-10-21T06:18:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T06:18:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/661136\/"},"modified":"2026-10-21T06:18:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T06:18:26","slug":"the-pubs-of-cork-the-pub-was-always-run-by-women-it-has-a-female-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/661136\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pubs of Cork: \u2018The pub was always run by women… it has a female energy\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Joanne O\u2019Donovan was a student at UCC, she often called into The Olde Fiddle pub in her home town of Mallow to write her essays on the table near the warm stove at the back of the bar.<\/p>\n

Her sister, Evelyn, was managing the bar then, and now Joanne has taken up the reins.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was a student back in the day, I enjoyed meeting the people in the pub in the evenings,\u201d says Joanne. \u201cIt was home from home. The conversations and the sense of connection here was always great. The Olde Fiddle has a special vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evelyn agrees. \u201cWe may not know you when you come in the door, but we sure know you when you go back out the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sisters are doing it for themselves. Now, Evelyn is concentrating on her interior design business as well as running her own independent off-licence. Joanne is the new governor of The Olde Fiddle, located on Spa Square in Mallow.<\/p>\n

I tell the girls I can imagine on a snowy day in winter calling into The Olde Fiddle where the stove is bellowing out a welcome, where candles on the old-fashioned wooden tables create a lovely, intimate atmosphere, and where the hatch servicing the bar, with its nooks and crannies, delivers seasonal hot port or hot whiskeys far away from the madding crowd.<\/p>\n

\"JoanneJoanne O\u2019Donovan has been running The Olde Fiddle bar in Mallow for three years, taking it on after her sister, Evelyn, ran it. Picture: Noel Sweeney<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny,\u201d Joanne says. \u201cAll our customers feel like that when they come here. Like they are entering a different world, away from the real world into an \u2018olde worlde\u2019 friendly atmosphere that\u2019s so real.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bar offers a safe meeting place. It\u2019s not all about the alcohol. It\u2019s about the friendliness and the camaraderie created between the staff and the customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why did Joanne want to change worlds from her career with social services to that of a publican?<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, sometimes changing career paths can be a good thing,\u201d she says. \u201cTrying something new challenges oneself and I decided to give it a go.<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI love working in my home town, and hopefully being a big part of the community, and being a friendly face to meet behind the counter when customers stop in. I felt blessed to get the opportunity to change careers. It is a way of moving forward in life.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

Joanne knew she was a good fit behind the counter. \u201cIt was a simple decision. The Olde Fiddle has always been home to me. I feel lucky because I know all the crowd who are long-time customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her sister is never far away. \u201cEvelyn is always at hand for advice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Customers come here from near and far.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople from abroad visiting family will meet up here for a reunion,\u201d says Joanne. \u201cIt is lovely to see people catching up with each other year after year.\u201d<\/p>\n

What about the bikers?<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yes, the bikers are from all walks of life,\u201d says Joanne. \u201cThey come in every Sunday evening and enjoy sitting at the back table, they are always ready to crack a joke.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beverages are on tap as well as a variety of beers and stout at The Olde Fiddle. \u201cWe serve free tea and coffee to our patrons,\u201d says Joanne.<\/p>\n

All are welcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are regular canine visitors, such as Timmy, who is a rescue pointer dog,\u201d says Joanne. \u201cHe visits most weekends and is very well known among the locals. He was keeping a very close eye on the swallows out the back before they departed for warmer climes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Visitors to the North Cork town are plentiful.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe castle is just around the corner from The Olde Fiddle,\u201d says Joanne. \u201cIt offers a beautiful walkway next to the River Blackwater.<\/p>\n

\u201cLots of visitors comment on the beauty and tranquillity of the area.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ned Murphy is part of the furniture in the pub, which dates back to 1840.<\/p>\n

\u201cNed has been coming into the pub for 50-odd years,\u201d says Joanne. \u201cHe likes to stand at the hatch and enjoy a chat about life in general.<\/p>\n

\"SistersSisters Evelyn and Joanne O\u2019Donovan, who have been associated with The Olde Fiddle in Mallow for 17 years. Joanne has run the bar for three years, while Evelyn ran it for 14 years previous.\tPicture: Noel Sweeney<\/p>\n

\u201cNed looks after the white deer in the castle, and he is a very knowledgeable character who likes to tell stories. He has an exceptional turn of phrase that keeps us all laughing. Ned looks after all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

What else will I find if I drop in again when passing?<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall, if you find yourself sitting at the bar counter in The Olde Fiddle, there is a possibility and opportunity for debate, diversity, and discussion about what\u2019s going on in the world around us,\u201d says Joanne.<\/p>\n

Random music sessions often strike up.<\/p>\n

\u201cSing-songs start at random,\u201d says Joanne.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou find that everyone joins in. Young and old alike.<\/p>\n

\n \u201cJust as quick, you will find yourself knee deep in humour and laughter, and what is often described as like being at home in your own sitting room with an exceptional pint of Guinness.\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThe Guinness is good here as the kegs are under the counter and the stout has no distance to travel,\u201d adds Joanne.<\/p>\n

Maybe I\u2019d like to sit at the table near the stove with a good book, where Joanne once wrote her essays when she was a student, and forget all about what is going on in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yes, you can do that too,\u201d says Joanne. \u201cThe Olde Fiddle is an easy place to be yourself, and more importantly to forget about ourselves, and take a break from the outside world. Here, people can unwind and relax. It\u2019s like existing in a different era.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sounds like my cup of tea.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like a cup of tea? Joanne kindly offers.<\/p>\n

One for the road.<\/p>\n

Did Joanne, during her tenure here, ever get any surprises?<\/p>\n

\u201cOne morning, doing a freshen up before opening, I found a set of false teeth on the counter!\u201d<\/p>\n

Were they ever claimed?<\/p>\n

\u201cNever, would you believe!\u201d<\/p>\n

I would believe. It\u2019s hard to imagine an embarrassed customer asking if he left his teeth behind after a good night in the pub.<\/p>\n

There can be other surprises<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the electricity goes out, I tell people hold on to their glasses for a refill!\u201d says Joanne, full of good humour.<\/p>\n

She had good tidings from the previous tenant of The Olde Fiddle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know Evelyn had wonderful years here in the bar, and she has great memories.<\/p>\n

\n \u201cOur landlord, who is a businessman in the town, is a wonderful man, and so supportive. He is responsible for all the artwork, the paintings and original drawings on the walls as well as individual and collage of photos.\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThe collection is always a big talking point when people come into The Olde Fiddle.\u201d<\/p>\n

No wonder.<\/p>\n

Photos of Elvis, Dolly Parton, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Mohammad Ali and George Best sit alongside art works by James O\u2019Halloran, Ken O\u2019Neill, Geraldine O\u2019Brien, and George Picard, and make for lively conversation.<\/p>\n

Joanne enjoys the chats.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was always women who ran The Olde Fiddle,\u201d says Joanne, \u201cfrom the Walsh\u2019s, to the Keegans and the Foleys.<\/p>\n

\u201cMrs Keegan was a well-known figure in the town. Often, a glass might fall from the shelf behind the counter, and someone might say, \u2018that\u2019s Mrs Keegan!\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThe female energy in the pub is alive and well.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople congregated around the stove and socialised in what was Mrs Keegan\u2019s kitchen. They are still doing the same thing today.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Olde Fiddle is a great little pub,\u201d says Joanne. \u201cOur locals are just great. \u201cI love it here.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019s at home here.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just slotted in.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Joanne O\u2019Donovan was a student at UCC, she often called into The Olde Fiddle pub in her…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":661137,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[72,61,60,78692],"class_list":["post-661136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-mallow"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661136","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=661136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661136\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/661137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=661136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=661136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=661136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}