Is there a checklist that anyone opening a new Irish pub has to adhere to?

(1) Van Morrison singing Moondance? Check
(2) Framed Irish rugby (or hurling or Gaelic football) jersey? Check
(3) Cheeky chappie behind the bar with thick Irish brogue? Check

Apparently the barman at Takapuna’s newly opened Florrie McGreal’s is actually from north east England, but I never was good at accents. Sorry mate.

Despite my confusion at playing ‘Name that Dialect’, Florrie McGreal’s is a good addition to the mini-United Nations of welcoming boozers along Hurstmere Rd. There’s the North Shore vibe of R’Toto, the faux-Belgian Blankenbrge Beer Cafe, and the Central Otago Arrowtown ambience of The Copper Room. Come along on a Friday night, and they probably all morph into one big party, but after work on an almost too humid Wednesday night, a few details do stand out.

In addition to the recorded focus on Van the Man, Florries also delivers live music on Thursday and Friday nights. This week is showcasing former NZ Idol contestant Eddie Gaiger, so expect well-known tunes you can sup your Murphy’s along to. Tonight’s too hot and humid for stout though, so must punters are quenching their thirsts with lagers including Tiger or Amstel, or pints of zingy Erdinger wheat beer. It’s a sure sign we’re living in a globalised world when our leisure options include drinking Singaporean, Dutch or German beer in a South Pacific Irish bar.

Outside the geographic dislocation continues with a few palm trees and the beachy squawk of some local Takapuna seagulls. It’s a telling reminder that most Irish bars are better suited to a cold and windy August evening. That would certainly be the best time to dive into the menu including Irish goodies like warm soda bread and lambs fry with colcannon (fried cabbage and potato), onions and gravy.

I’m pretty sure Auckland doesn’t really need another Irish pub, but if the ongoing Gaelic invasion is going to continue, then Florrie McGreal’s is a perfectly acceptable example of Ireland’s biggest export after Guinness, U2 and Irish backpackers.

At the very least it provides employment for cheeky chappies from Sunderland.

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