30 Years at Guinness, Rural Ireland, and Publican Stories with Des Roche

Description:

In this episode of the Pubs and Pints podcast, I sit down with my good friend Des Roche. Des is a true gentleman from County Galway, Ireland, with an incredible wealth of stories. He spent 30 years working for Guinness, starting as a merchandiser and moving into sales, giving him a front-row seat to the characters and culture of Irish pubs.

A few years after retiring from Guinness, Des began driving tour buses around Ireland, meeting people from all over the world, but mostly from the US. That is actually how we met—Des has been the driver for the group I travel with for our annual Ireland Pub Crawl for the past three years, and he’s become a great friend.

We crack open a cold one (tea for Des, Guinness for me!) and discuss everything from growing up in rural 1970s Ireland without running water to the specific science behind the "widget" in a can of Guinness. Des shares hilarious stories about eccentric publicans, a gripping family story involving the Black and Tans, and gives us some insider travel tips for the best chowder and scenic drives in Ireland.

In this episode, we cover:

• 0:00 - Intro & catching up.
• 06:30 - Growing up in East Galway in the 1970s & 80s.
• 15:40 - The science of Guinness: Gas mixes, clean glasses, and the perfect pour.
• 31:00 - Des’s 30-year career at Guinness & the launch of the "Widget" can.
• 37:00 - Hurling: Injuries, passion, and the pride of the club.
• 46:00 - Travel Tips: Dingle, The Healey Pass, and finding the best Seafood Chowder.
• 55:00 - Funny stories about Irish Publicans.
• 1:14:00 - A brush with history: The Black and Tans raid.
• 1:20:00 - Music memories: The Wolf Tones, Luke Kelly, and a Christy Moore anecdote.

Question of the day: I’m trying to learn the rules of Hurling so I can follow the matches better from the US. If you have any resources or tips for a beginner watching the sport, let me know in the comments!

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#PubsAndPints #Guinness #IrelandTravel #Galway #IrishHistory #Podcast

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Join us for a powerful episode of Pubs & Pints as we welcome Matt Long—FDNY firefighter, 9/11 responder, and ultimate survivor. Matt shares the incredible story of his near-fatal accident and his miraculous journey from a 1% survival rate to running marathons. This is an episode about grit, the power of the human spirit, and finding hope in the darkest of times. 🍻🚒 #PubsAndPints #MattLong #Resilience #FDNY #Inspiration

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Tommy Feighery was born in Long Beach, New York to Tom and Nancy Feighery. In 1971, his parents moved the family to his mother’s native Country Offaly, where they spent the next eight years raising him and his eight siblings. They moved back to the United States in 1979 and settled in Carmel, New York.

For more than 30 years, Tommy owned and operated Fiddler’s Green Pub in Carmel, a gathering place for many, particularly those of Irish descent who regularly stopped in the share a story or pint with friends and watch some Gaelic games. Fidds will always hold a special place in his heart and if those four walls could talk….

This episode features a lively conversation with Tom Feighery, covering his deep Irish roots and life in New York. Tom shares stories about:

Irish Heritage: Born in America, but living in Ireland until he was 13 years old played an important part in Tommy's love of sports as well as his connections and life-long friends in both America and Ireland.

Gaelic Sports & FDNY: His time playing Irish football for the West Putnam Gaels (including their minor championship win in '84), his impressive kicking ability, and his family's connection to the FDNY.

Iconic Pubs and History: Hilarious and heartwarming tales from growing up around the family bar, Fiddler's Green in Carmel, NY. He recounts generational bar stories, from the best pints of Guinness in Ireland (including a mention of Beirns in Roscommon) to the legendary story of his father stealing the "Blue Ball"... and it's return back to town.

The Irish-American Experience: The chat also touches on the importance of pubs as community centers in rural Ireland, the impact of the smoking ban and cell phones on the pub industry, and memorable experiences seeing the Wolf Tones.

It’s a great mix of family history, pub culture, and Irish-American life.

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