Fairley’s in Coleraine was my final Northern Irish tick.
Like the aforementioned Hillside in Hillsborough, it had recently been booted out of the GBG in a “booting out ceremony” in Dundonald, due to the crime against nature of not serving real ale.
But what if it DID start serving cask again, hmm ? Like, a few days before the new Guide, ruining my efforts to complete the GBG before 27 October 2022.
I had to do it, and it was only 6 miles along the coast from our Guesthouse, and Donaghadee (pop. 6,869) is a pretty little seaside town with an actual moat (motte and bailey castle) where as a toddler Bear Grylls learnt to climb hills and wrestle craft beer delivery drivers.
We drove past the Moat Inn, its walls littered with adverts for salvation and sausages, which sounds like a Lone Justice track c.’85.
No, she didn’t really.
Here is your typical County Down beer range in 2022. Definitely no Bass, keg or real.
Nice Guinness clock; they still serve Guinness. It was pretty good, cool and creamy.
Only four other locals at what would be the Golden Hour, but nice enough.
Next door the Eurospar met all our culinary needs for the night.
Artisanal, I’m sure you’ll agree.
retiredmartin 