Comerford’s Bar

Comerford’s Bar is a family-run establishment that was founded in 1848.

The Bar

Comerford’s Bar is a family-run establishment that was founded in 1848. In its inception, it was a single story thatched premises selling a variety of household groceries and, of course, alcohol. In 1933, a new two storey building was constructed on a site adjacent to the bar and this is the building in which it can be found today. The interior was completely renovated in 2002 and is, and always has been, a place where people come to have a drink, sing a song, tell a story or just indulge in the time honoured art of conversation. There is an old Irish saying “Dá fhaid é an lá, tagann an oíche” which translates to “however long the day, the evening will come”; make sure if you’re in Doonbeg to spend an evening with us in Comerford’s.

Live music most weekends – follow us on social media for information & updates.

Our Story

The Comerford Family — A Tradition Since 1848

For more than 175 years, Comerford’s Bar has been part of the life of Doonbeg, passed down through generations of the Comerford family. The story begins in 1839, when George Comerford, who originally came from the neighbouring parish of Spanish Point, married Lucy Burns, whose family owned the public house in Doonbeg. Together they had 11 children. Their son, George Comerford, remained in the family home and married Minnie O’Gorman, continuing the family’s connection with the bar and the land. From Mackerel to the Bar Trade. In the 1920s, George developed an export trade in mackerel to France. The business provided employment for local men and women, who cleaned and prepared the fish for export. The mackerel business eventually came to an end in the 1940s, when the family decided to concentrate on two businesses that would remain central to the Comerford family for generations: farming and the bar trade.

George and Minnie had three children:

George, Isaac and May. Their son Isaac Comerford remained in the family home and married Teresa Madigan. Isaac and Teresa had 11 children, eight of whom survived. Among their children were Ita, Tommy and George. Ita, Tommy and George As the next generation grew up, the Comerford family continued to make their living from both the farm and the bar. Ita and Tommy took over the running of Comerford’s Bar and became the familiar faces behind the counter for generations of locals and visitors. Their brother George continued the family’s farming tradition, working the land while remaining very much part of the life of the bar. George was also a keen traditional musician. When a traditional Irish music session got underway in Comerford’s, he could regularly be found with his banjo in hand, joining the musicians and adding to the atmosphere that made the bar such a special part of the community. For the Comerford family, the bar was never simply a business. It was a place where family, farming, music and community came together.

The Comerford’s We Know Today

The original Comerford premises dates back to 1848. In its earliest days, it was a single-storey thatched premises, serving the local community as a grocery shop and public house.

In 1933, the family built a new two-storey premises on the adjoining site. This is the building that remains home to Comerford’s Bar today.

Over the decades, the bar became much more than a place to have a drink. It became a meeting place for the people of Doonbeg — a place where generations of local families came together, stories were shared, traditional music was played and visitors were made to feel at home.

Ita and Tommy continued to run the bar until 2022, carrying forward a tradition that had already been in the family for generations.

A New Generation

In 2022, the Comerford tradition passed to the next generation when their nephew, Seoirse (George) Comerford, took up the helm of the family business.

The name George Comerford has been part of the family story for generations, and Seoirse now continues that tradition in his own way.

Today, Comerford’s Bar remains proudly family-run, with the same values that have defined it since 1848: family, community, good company and a genuine welcome.

From the original thatched public house, through the mackerel trade to France, generations of farming, music and more than a century of serving the people of Doonbeg, the Comerford story continues.

The building may have changed. The generations may have changed. But the Comerford welcome remains the same.

Comerford’s Bar

Established 1848 — A Doonbeg Family Tradition

Our Drinks Menu

We carry a large selection of Irish whiskeys, craft beers on top and bubblies to make your evening special.

On the Top

Guinness, Smithwicks, Carlsberg, Heineken

Whisky

Jameson, Bushmills, Powers, Redbreast

Non Alcoholic

Guinness 00, Heineken 00

Wine

Large selection of Red and White Wines.

Bottled

Coors, Moretti

Minerals

Coke, 7-UP, Sparkling & Still Water... etc.

Bookings

Thinking of booking a birthday or anniversary party? Contact us to discuss your upcoming event and let us help make it a celebration to remember!

Accommodation

Need a place to stay while visiting Doonbeg? Talk to us about our self-catering accommodation and make Doonbeg your perfect base for exploring West Clare and the stunning Wild Atlantic Way.