Delicious cocktail of drinks & bites on menu for new owner Fetton
POPULAR Ennis businessman Dermot Fetton has reopened the iconic Considine’s Pub on Parnell Street, bringing with him a passion and ambition to reinvigorate the historic public house.
Dermot’s reimagination of the traditional Irish pub sees the Waterford native bringing a European flair to the Parnell Street pub which is fondly known as Faffas, after its one-time publican and still owner Frank Considine.
Fetton has had a number of successful ventures including Henry’s Bistro, which still successfully operates today in the Market in Ennis, however he is possibly best-known for his time in charge of The Cloister Restaurant on Abbey Street. Dermot also had two stints with the world-famous Dromoland Castle and most recently spent a year at the five-star Ashford Manor where he worked as director of Food and Beverage.
Dermot tells The Clare Echo that after worked in hotels & restaurants for decades, he’s excited to tackle something “a little more casual”.
“I want it to be a really nice pub experience for people with a few other items; cheese, charcuterie, good wines, good cocktails, really good Guiness and for it to be welcoming,” Dermot explains.
“Ennis has supported me greatly in my previous businesses; I was away for the last year and I missed the place terribly, actually, and I missed the people. I know there’s a lot going on with all the works around the town and businesses are suffering. I’m sorry to see that. I suppose the long-term gain and long-term goal is that Ennis will look more beautiful than it ever did before and I think it’s looking very well already in certain parts.”
Reflecting on ‘opening weekend’ after the doors opened at 7pm on Friday, August 1 of the Bank Holiday weekend, Dermot says the reaction from customers has been “fantastic”.
Dermot recruited his team at Considine’s from a post he put up on social media. “I went for a bit of experience but more for the person and the personalities so I have some wonderful people here now and I can see them interacting really well with people who come in the door.
“We did four days and the response has been fantastic. So many people called in to see us, to wish us well, to have a drink or a bite to eat. We’ve started off strongly but it’s going to get better and will develop, and will become more interesting.”
His research in developing the offering in Considine’s took him from Galway to Cork and even to London. Speaking about the inspiration for his new pub, Dermot explains, “I love to go to Paris and seek out these places that do really good cheeses and charcuterie and breads, that is something we’re doing.”
While it’s a European twist, the produce is very much local. The terrines and pork roulades on offer are from Castlegregory in Kerry, the salami is a Gubbine salami from Fingal Ferguson in West Cork while one very good Coppa is being imported from Italy. Also on offer is the St Tola Ash Log goats cheese from Inagh, Cashel Blue cheese, a Cooleney camembert and Durras cheese from West Cork. “These are all high quality products and I feel I’m pricing them very fairly because I want people to come in and enjoy them…This is first and foremost a pub with those offerings so we’ll develop it, this is a perfect start.”
Dermot reserves praise for his son Sam, a Transition Year student, who has played a vital role in establishing this now family business.
“I’m very lucky that my son Sam, who is 15, is heavily involved in it with me; he helped in the preparation, in the not-nice work leading up to it, he really worked hard. For the opening weekend, he hit the ground running. To see him meet people, greet ex-customers of mine, see how he deals with them and how easy he goes about it, he’s quite good at it. That’s a big part of it on a personal level and one of the reasons I wanted to do this and I really feel the time is right for something like this in Ennis.”
On the drinks front, Considine’s offers all the standards. A perfect pint of Guinness was top of the agenda for Dermot and he admits he put pressure on Diageo to ensure this was done to the highest standard. Dermot’s wine supplier has given Considine’s access to wines “you won’t find them anywhere else in Clare” while his team of bar staff have been trained up on cocktail making. “We have eight whites, eight reds, four of each by the glass, very good prosecco, Rosé, then a full spirits offering.
Dermot adds, “Considines was always a very traditional pub and I want that to remain.
“It’s very welcoming, there’s no formality. I’ve had 30+ years of formality and now I want something more casual.
“I think the experience people will have and the connection people will have to the team members, that’s what is going to make us stand out here. The aim of anything I’ve ever done is to do the simple things exceptionally well and that’s what I want to do here as well. I think we’re not reinventing the wheel but when people come in they will get a vibe, you can feel it when you come in the door. The atmosphere is good, the music is good, the offering is good. After that it’s just the follow through on our part and I believe we do that very well.”
