Florrie McGreal's Irish Pub
Located in the heart of the infamous Hurstmere Road entertainment precinct, Florrie McGreal‘s Irish Pub is the best place in Takapuna to have a beer, meet some old friends or make some new ones. The atmosphere is informal and the music is a mix of Irish mingled with 70’s, 80’s and 90’s classics. The décor is typically Irish with a generous outside alcove area with its own fireplace and gas heaters for the cold winter nights.
Named after the owner’s grandmother, Florrie McGreal’s Irish Pub was first established in the Poenamo Hotel, Takapuna in 1993 but was disassembled in 1996 when Kevin Schwass moved his business to Hurstmere Road to open the iconic R’toto Pub & Café - now the site of the “Macs†Hurstmere Road Brew Bar - and the Rangitoto Brewing Co, now the site of the Blankenberge Belgian Beer Café. The “new†Florries was opened in its current location in August 2009.
Florence “Florrie†(nee Blakeney) was born in 1888, in Enniskillen, a small town in Northern Irelands Co Fermanagh, close to the border. Florrie married Simon Patrick McGreal, (whose parents came from Co Tipperary in Republic of Ireland), in Melbourne, Australia on Christmas Eve, 1909 and later emigrated to the Taranaki province of New Zealand.
Florrie from Northern Ireland was Protestant and a teetotaller, Simon from the south was a Catholic and enjoyed more than his share of the demon drink. To say they had an interesting marriage would be an understatement…
Florrie passed away in 1955 and Simon followed her in 1962.
The bar has eleven different beers on tap including Guinness, Murphy’s Stout and Murphy’s Red.
Florrie’s has a typical menu you would expect in an Irish pub, featuring dishes such as an Irish open toastie; wedges served with a warm fondue of Swiss cheese, hot mustard and Murphy’s Stout; a choice of chicken, beef or fish burgers; a Cork Man fry-up; Irish stew; Steak & Murphy’s Pot Pie; Chicken, bacon mushroom Pot Pie; fish ‘n’ chips; bangers and mash to name but a few all served with fries or colcannon or mushy peas.
It has a 50†plasma screen for the showing of sport and the Grain Room lounge featuring 18 gaming machines.
Florrie McGreal’s Irish Pub is managed by Colm McNeill-O’Keeffe, a Cork man and the assistant manager is Kristie Brinsley, who has no Irish heritage all, but looks good.
So if it’s traditional Irish beer or some of New Zealand best beers and wine that you’re after, or maybe it’s to savour our typical Irish pub fare, or maybe just to enjoy some good music and craic, come and visit Florrie McGreal’s, our own “Pot of Gold†in Takapuna, the best little Irish pub this side of the rainbow.
