This Irish Pub on Wheels is the Caravan of Your Dreams
Irish Central, 15 Oct 2017.
The Hidden Naggin, an Irish pub on wheels, is the most charming thing.
Why Go to the Pub When You Could Have the Pub Come to you! This is the very Considerate Line of Thinking Behind The Hidden Naggin, a Pint-Sized Irish Pub on Wheels.
Irish pubs are renowned the world over as community gathering places, where the bartenders remember you and you're always guaranteed a good time and a fine pint. There's a reason why they're colloquially referred to as "the local."
But the Hidden Naggin is a new kind of Irish pub - it has no regulars, nor a fixed address or location. That's because The Hidden Naggin is a converted caravan, designed to bring an Irish pub atmosphere wherever it is needed.
The Hidden Naggin
This mobile Irish pub is the brainchild of Fermanagh man Jonny McGeough. After spending two years living in Melbourne, Australia, he gained an even deeper appreciation for how special Ireland and its traditions like the pub really are.
He'd been mulling around the idea of a pubmobile for a while, and ran it by Denis Nolan, a publican in Roscarberry, West Cork, who immediately asked McGeough if he could have it ready in six months do debut at his (stationary) pub's 40th anniversary.
The caravan that would become the Hidden Naggin
McGeough told IrishCentral it was very much a family affair, with him figuring out the logistics, his dad carrying out the manual labor, and his mother lending her expert eye to the interior design.
"It’s a great wee pub, it was stripped to the axel up build with fiberglass and finished in sandtex white to give that old cottage appearance. The net curtains on the sash windows and John Deere half door give that true Irish look," he said.
The Hidden Naggin after its transformation
"As for the inside have you ever seen the inside of your granny's house? Well The Hidden Naggin resembles this, from the dresser, to turf by the open hearth fire and finished with vanishing Ireland pictures of the good old bygone days!"
The Hidden Naggin launched as promised in Roscarberry in July, and since then it's been traveling all over Ireland to weddings, birthday parties, family gatherings and more.
Photo: The Hidden Naggin
McGeough said he's been overwhelmed by the interest in it and delighted by the people it has welcomed.
"I have had many characters through the door telling yarns and singing songs, something that I believe is slowly vanishing here. I love hearing stories from back in the day and hearing old songs that I've never heard before sung with true emotion," he said.
There's even a turf fire-scented candle to complete the atmosphere
The Hidden Naggin will continue its journey around Ireland, but McGeough is not opposed to sending it further afield - particularly if he can get it to the US for St. Patrick's Day.
He invites any interested parties to get in touch via Facebook and is open to hearing all proposals provided shipping will be covered. (And he would probably tag along, too.)
There's a full bar and holy water to absolve you.
"I'm sure if any US folk stepped inside The Hidden Nagin they would feel just like they're in an old Irish cottage in the middle of County Kerry. All the detail inside is Irish-made and has everything you'd expect to be in an Irish cottage.
There's something unique about it that gives it that Irish welcome homely feel, and on the plus side its a bar."
Sounds good to us!
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