Award-winning bar ‘Caribou’ finally closed

by Zoé Larroque

“The coolest bar in Connacht” has closed its doors last weekend. After seven years of service, the Woodquay institution held a farewell party on Saturday 13 January to say a proper goodbye to its regulars.  

“I was crushed” said Janie Hurley, a waitress who worked at ‘Caribou’ for almost two years. 

The craft beer bar closed because the building is being sold. Mrs Hurley’s managers and the owners of the bar came to the staff to announce the news mid- November. Mrs Hurley said that everybody was shocked.

In fact, the decision seemed “surprising” for the crew since the pub won the award of the “Craft Bar of the Year” 2023. 

‘Caribou’ was not ready to shut its door before giving one more unforgettable memory to the Galway night owls. 

‘One for the road’ farewell party welcomed everyone last Saturday for a memorable night. The kitchen offered its best meals for the special occasion and four local DJs, Tripsdico, Mitch Presents, P Disconaut and Keith Marshall kicked off some craic until late in the night. 

‘Caribou’, a “life-changing” experience

Even if Galway city hosts over 500 bars and pubs, the loss of ‘Caribou’ will not leave people indifferent. 

This feeling of melancholy can be felt in the comments on the last publication of the pub’s Instagram account, but also by the staff. 

“That was wild to hear the news” said Janie Hurley. Studying marine sciences at University of Galway, she started to work in the pub in the summer of 2022. “I already got a good feeling before going there. I just popped up and they hired me without any experience, they gave me my chance”.

Mrs Hurley loved working there. “The thing I preferred there was people”. Along the years, they became her “family”. That is how she kept working on weekends during her last year of college. 

There were some rumors of a rapid relocation of the bar right after its closing, but it seems that it is not happening at the time being – “not immediately anyways”, according to Janie Hurley.