The bar first opened way back in 1698!
Old Bear, the newest pub in Cork City, has just opened its doors over the weekend on Barrack Street.
The bar celebrated their grand opening last Friday, with the new pub taking over the site where BarBarella used to be before it closed back in 2023.
The pub, now known as Old Bear, is steeped in local history having first opened its doors over 300 years ago, and they couldn’t have picked a better opening weekend as the city was buzzing with life due to the fine weather and the Cork City Marathon in full swing.
It’s believed that the pub, which first opened back in 1698, was originally called Old Bear (before later changing to ‘The Gateway’ and ‘BarBarella’), and the team have decided to stick with the original name and have added some nostalgic nods to its ancient past inside.
To celebrate the new opening of the pub, the team supplied free food on Friday and Saturday, as well as a barbeque on Sunday evening.
Old Bear will supply 23 types of beer, a selection of wines, and alcohol spritzers. All of this inside a cosy and inviting interior – sure what more could you ask for? We won’t blame you if your entire summer consists of Alchemy’s iced coffees in the morning and Old Bear’s pints in the evening!