Stoney Kebabish in Lawcus

29/08/2026: Had a great time, hurling was fun, the band was great and had everyone involved.

11/08/2026: If you find yourself anywhere near Stoneyford (Co. Kilkenny), go to Malzards. If you are not particularly near Stoneyford, this remains my recommendation. We went to hurl. It rained. Ireland. (: So instead there were pints and rooms that kept leading to other rooms and people at the bar and fresh chips and Billy and Jim playing music, and somewhere along the way we stopped being people watching the evening happen and became people participating in it. We sang. We danced. Billy and Jim handed me a drum. I played the drum. Eventually, being a polite person who understands that one cannot simply move to Stoneyford and become the permanent third member of Billy and Jim, I tried to give the drum back. They declined. So. I was in the band now. There was a Guinness pouring contest. Several people competed. A particularly attractive young woman roughly the bartender’s age won. Was hers the superior pour? Perhaps. Was the judging conducted according to internationally recognized standards of Guinness-pouring impartiality? I have questions. No objections, mind you. Just questions. This is Malzards. It’s a wonderful, rambling pub with big rooms, small rooms, cozy corners, and seemingly a space for whatever kind of gathering might break out. But mostly, it’s full of really lovely people. The owners are genuinely welcoming. The patrons are warm. Nobody makes a production out of making you feel welcome. You just are. And before you know it, you’re talking to everyone, singing with the band, and apparently employed as a percussionist. Go. Have a pint. Talk to the people at the bar. Stay for Billy and Jim if they’re playing. Enter the Guinness pouring contest if you’re feeling confident, particularly confident if you happen to meet certain entirely unrelated demographic criteria. (: If someone hands you a drum, understand that you may have entered into a binding agreement. Thank you to everyone at Malzards for the hospitality, the music, the craic, and a ridiculously fun night in Stoneyford.