Tom Neville's Pub, Fethard on Sea

Just what New Ross needed - another Irish pub claiming to be the genuine article. Tom Neville's Pub in Fethard on Sea had me rolling my eyes before I even crossed the threshold. The countryside around New Ross is practically drowning in "authentic" watering holes, each one supposedly more legitimate than the last. But sometimes, just sometimes, you stumble across a place that makes you eat your words. Along with some surprisingly decent pub grub.

I'll admit it - I walked in ready to write a scathing review about tourist-trap mediocrity. The recent refurbishment had me particularly suspicious. Usually when these old places get a facelift, they lose whatever charm they had left. But Tom Neville's has somehow managed to thread that impossible needle between modern comfort and genuine character. The wood-paneled walls still hold decades of stories, even if they're sporting a fresh coat of varnish.

The craft beer selection nearly made me drop my professional cynicism on the spot. Who expects to find actually interesting brews in a rural Irish pub? Yet there they were, local IPAs rubbing shoulders with traditional stouts, each one properly stored and served at the right temperature. The barkeep actually knows what he's talking about too, which is refreshingly dangerous for your sobriety.

Let's talk about the food because that's where most pub kitchens go horribly wrong. You know the drill - frozen chips, mysteriously springy chicken, and gravy that tastes like it came from a packet that expired during the Celtic Tiger. But the kitchen at Tom Neville's seems determined to make me look foolish for my presumptions.

The portions are almost offensively generous. I mean, who needs that much perfectly cooked fish with their chips? Apparently, I do. The batter was crispy enough to make a satisfying crack when broken, revealing steaming white flesh that hadn't been murdered twice by overcooking. Even the mushy peas (a dish I usually regard with the same enthusiasm as a tax audit) had actual flavor beyond just "green."

Their Sunday roast (available during their surprisingly good brunch service) is the kind of meal that makes you understand why people still bother with traditional British Isles cuisine. The beef is proper pink in the middle, the Yorkshire puddings have that crucial combination of crisp exterior and soft center, and the roast potatoes actually taste like potatoes rather than whatever oil they were drowned in.

The place is dog-friendly, which usually means putting up with other people's poorly behaved pets while trying to enjoy your meal. But somehow they've managed to create an atmosphere where both humans and canines maintain their dignity. I'm still trying to figure out how they've achieved this minor miracle.

Live music features regularly, and unlike most pub performances that make you wish for sudden hearing loss, the acts here are generally worth staying for. The management seems to have actual taste in their bookings, which is suspiciously competent of them.

The staff maintain that delicate balance between friendly and professional that's so rare in rural pubs. They're happy to chat but won't tell you their life story while you're trying to order a pint. The prices are what you'd expect for a place that's clearly putting effort into its offering - not cheap enough to make you suspicious, not expensive enough to make you resentful.

For families (God help us), they've managed to create a genuinely child-friendly environment without turning the place into a creche. There's a proper children's menu that isn't just chicken nuggets and chips, though those are available for particularly stubborn young critics.

Look, I didn't want to like Tom Neville's Pub. I really didn't. But here I am, recommending a place in Fethard on Sea that actually deserves your time and money. Whether you're a local looking for a reliable spot for Sunday lunch, or a tourist hoping to find that elusive "authentic Irish pub experience" in New Ross, you could do far, far worse. And yes, that's as close to effusive praise as you're getting from me. Book ahead for weekend evenings - apparently I'm not the only one who's been reluctantly won over by this irritatingly competent establishment.