Gleesons is a south county Dublin institution, It is a family owned and run Pub with a very loyal and generationally longstanding clientele. Myself and my Mum went for lunch, partly for the great food and partly to people watch, there is always a good crowd in Gleesons and usually someone that you know. We had lunch in their big dining room, John Gleeson moved tables to make sure Mum in her wheelchair had a good view of all and sundry. The room was full of ladies who lunch – Foxrock Fannies, a local delight! Everything was as you’d expect, ladies chatting and surreptitiously glancing all around to see who’s wearing what and who needs their roots done etc. When one of the waitresses appeared brandishing a 99 the whole room clocked it, all eyes following it while pretending not to. After that the waitresses appeared at regular intervals like benevolent nannies delivering big soft creamy vanilla ice cream piled high in its cone with a flake jauntily jammed in the top. Each time they appeared it was like seeing old ladies become little girls again relishing a longed for treat. It was such a simple thing but made the whole experience fun, you may be refined and sophisticated but I bet you still love a 99.
On a side note, John recounted a story from his Mum while she was working in the bar in the 1960’s. She would roast chickens and sell them to customers to take home on a Friday or Saturday night; the chicken would be for that nights dinner or for Sunday lunch the next day. As the evening drew on, nobody was buying chickens, so the resourceful Mrs Gleeson sent one of the waitresses around the bar holding high a hot roast chicken – ‘ Chicken for Mr Smith, chicken for Mr Smith’ The tantalising smell of the bird was enough and soon she had sold every last one.
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