Pint on wheels caravan takes Irish pubs onto the road
What started out as a hobby has now turned into a full time business for Galway resident John Walsh. He’s the brains behind Shebeen, the traditional Irish pub that’s been given a modern twist on wheels. This up-for-hire bar is housed in a carefully constructed caravan with an offbeat design, and has become a runaway hit with all those who venture inside.
Shebeen first started out as a project at John’s company Clinical Cabinets, and took six months to be transformed into a traditional Irish pub, complete with pub memorabilia and patterned wallpapers. John told the Irish Post how the project began to grow, commenting: “It started out as a team building exercise. There was an old caravan I bought about two years ago and I came up with a design to turn it into a traditional Irish pub.” He added: “Most of the design work I did myself but my colleague, Claire Finnegan, had a good bit of input. She came up with a lot of the interior design; where the bar would go in the caravan and the memorabilia and that so we worked hand in hand on it.”
For those of you who are wondering where that catchy name comes from, Shebeen is taken from the Gaelic word síbín, which refers to a small mug measure of ale in Ireland in the 18th century. Alcohol was often sold in secret bars in Ireland to avoid English taxes, but Shebeen is far from a secret now. John has already received design orders from the US, where a Boston based company has requested plans in time for Saint Patrick’s Day. He shared his thoughts on expanding the business, commenting: “There would be people calling all the time for our business and the Shebeen generated an awful lot of interest. So about three quarters of the way through we began to think it could become something more.”
The original pub is still available for hire around Ireland, but John has had to produce more design plans as the demand for his business grows. He plans to ship to Britain, Europe and America, and we would love a Shebeen parked permanently outside CaravanTimes HQ! Cheers to the most wonderfully quirky caravans that can lift our spirits no matter what the day brings!
