As Tom Sheridan’s Bar & Restaurant in Galway gets ready to celebrate an impressive 21st birthday, we caught up with their much-loved manager, Joe, to find out what makes the place so special. Read all about it here...
What is rare is wonderful, and it’s not very often that we see a local business celebrating its 21st birthday. There is something about Tom Sheridan’s Bar & Restaurant that has seen it stand the test of time - but what makes it so special? Perhaps one of the things that makes Tom Sheridan’s stand out is Manager Joseph O’Callaghan, who was last year nominated as Bar Manager of the Year at the Bar of the Year Awards. Joe is a bubbly character who is full of chat, which makes him ideally placed to attempt to distill down the magic of this particular spot.
“We’re blessed with a dream clientele, with a lot of locals who visit regularly. We always say Tom Sheridan’s is like a Country Pub in the City. It’s a real hub of the community and we’ve experienced the full range of emotions with our customers, from the highs of local sporting wins all the way down to the lows of local funerals.”
Over the last two decades, Tom Sheridan’s has been at the epicentre of all of those moments, and there’s never a dull moment in this popular Knocknacarra Bar & Restaurant.
“Just this week, we had a 34 table Pub Quiz which sold out. We filled a Supporters Bus to go to the Connacht Rugby game, where our sponsored player Hugh Gavin is likely to play. Then we have Mother’s Day over the weekend. So there’s something for everyone! It’s not just your traditional bar and restaurant. It’s a real hub of the community and it’s always in flux, responding to the needs of our customers. They have so much ownership of the place and they’re a real driving force behind it.”
This two-way relationship between Tom Sheridan’s and the local people it supports was highlighted last year when they were on the hunt for a signed Connacht Rugby jersey. Give Hugh Gavin a call and, next thing you know, he pops in on Christmas Eve to deliver the gift.
Joe himself has been working at Tom Sheridan’s for over 10 years, but he’s far from the longest-serving. Head Chef Danny and Seán & Alan behind the bar have been there even longer, welcoming their regular customers with a friendly, familiar face.
“We offer a good flexibility of shifts and a variety of work periods. We serve breakfast, lunch, dinner in the restaurant, we have bar staff, we host events, so we can give people flexibility to see what works best for them. A lot of people talk about the Leadership Triangle and staff structures like this, but for us it’s more like a circle. Everybody helps each other out and moves in unison, and I’m on the outside of the circle protecting them.”
So after 21 years, what’s on the horizon for the next 21? Joe says; “After 21 years, we just want to keep building and not stagnate. There was a driving force before me, Martin Meehan, who put in a lot of the founding steps, so we all want to continue that.”
It’s the perfect time to visit Tom Sheridan’s Bar & Restaurant in Knocknacarra, Galway, to help them celebrate their 21st birthday and toast to what is an incredible milestone for any local business.
Find out more about Tom Sheridan's via their website and follow them on social media to keep updated on all the craic.
