17/06/2026
Hanafins Bar Annascaul has been standing in Annascaul since 1830.
Yesterday, it was waiting for a jazz record from Listowel.
Michelle had contacted us because it was John’s birthday. She wanted a copy of Nubya Garcia's Odyssey after discovering her through Other Voices in Di**le.
We had one in the shop.
The birthday was close enough that the post had ceased to be a delivery option and become a gamble.
So I put the album on the motorcycle and headed west.
Odyssey is Nubya Garcia’s second studio album, released on Concord Jazz in September 2024. It is an ambitious record, moving between modern jazz, strings and something altogether seriously expansive.
It also survived the road to Annascaul without complaint.
Annascaul is often treated as somewhere passed through on the way to Di**le.
This is a fairly serious misunderstanding.
Tom Crean came from Annascaul. The sculptor Jerome Connor was born there. The Tralee and Di**le railway once passed through the village.
It is a small place carrying far more history than seems reasonable.
Hanafin’s belongs completely to that history.
The pub dates back to 1830 and has passed through six generations. It has not been restored into a tasteful imitation of an old Irish pub.
It has simply remained one.
John has spent years recording and sharing the history of Annascaul. A considerable amount of the village’s past appears to be stored in his head, with further evidence distributed across the walls of the bar.
A village loses something when every old room is polished, themed and explained.
Hanafin’s has avoided that fate.
Here, Annascaul’s history is still attached to actual people. It sits at the bar, interrupts conversations, corrects the official version and occasionally orders another pint.
John has helped ensure that the village’s past remains a living argument rather than a plaque beside a car park.
We had intended to deliver the album, wish him a happy birthday and continue on our way.
This plan deteriorated almost immediately.
It was a genuine pleasure to spend the afternoon with John and Michelle in their gorgeous pub, talking about music, Annascaul and the people who have passed through both.
Happy birthday, John.
The record arrived on time.
We left considerably later.
No complaint has been lodged.
