9 things you’ll know if Sundays were spent in the PUB as a kid

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Back in the day, hanging out in the pub with your parents and siblings was part and parcel of a Sunday afternoon.

After Mass had come to an end and the roast had been devoured, countless families in Ireland would retire to the local for the afternoon.

Looking back, it seems a little questionable, but at the time no one batted an eyelid, and you loved nothing more than getting your greasy mitts on a glass of coke and packet of peanuts,

And with that in mind, here are just 9 things you'll remember if you were on first-name basis with the middle-aged bartenders.

1. Pubs back in the 90s had a distinct smell which you just don't find anymore.

A mixture of secondhand smoke, Old Spice, and spilled Guinness was the scent of your childhood.

2. You and your siblings would drive your father demented trying to decide what 'mineral' and snack you'd like.

The packet of peanuts would be in your hand before you realised there were Bacon Fries to be had, and all hell broke loose.

3. After the second round, the pub was essentially yours for the taking. 

Your parents didn't mind where you wandered as long as you didn't make a holy show of them, so you spent much of the day sitting beneath wobbly tables in a makeshift fort.

4. Hanging out in the jacks was (inexplicably) something to get excited about.

Brushing your hair with the comb that came in your Lucky Bag felt like the height of sophistication for a nine-year-old.

5. The same went for the pay phone in the porch.

If you were on the hunt for Call Cards, you knew you'd be in luck, and if you had a spare 20p you might even give your mate a buzz to fill them in on the latest.

6. Depending on the pub, you might get your hands on a purple Snack bar or (if you were in serious luck) a yellow Snack bar might find its way to your table.

You tended to favour the pubs which stocked up on confectionary with the same enthusiasm they stocked up on Guinness.

7. Despite the craic to be had in the jacks and the porch, there came a time when your interest in the local started to wane.

You might have been bribed with another glass of coke, but you knew the jig was up.

8. It took a good 15 minutes for the entire clan to walk home, so you'd start rallying the troops in order to catch your favourite TV show.

The Simpsons would be starting at 6pm, and this wasn't the time to mess around.

9. Getting your parents out of the bar always took longer than expected as they did the rounds and said goodbye to every damn person in the lounge.

"Will you either whist, or say hello to Barbara from the front of the estate."

 

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