YOU MOOSE BE JOKING!

IT’S NOT EVERY DAY you get a moose turning up on your doorstep but for Paul O’Toole Senior, a celebrity encounter led to just that.

As former owner of the Harbour Bar, Paul got to know many of his regular customers, including the late actor Peter O’Toole.

‘He would come in with his minder to have a pint when he was filming in Ardmore. Some people knew him to be a hell raiser but he was never like this in the Harbour Bar,’ explained Paul. ‘People always left him alone to have a quiet pint.’

Paul recalls the day when a truck arrived outside the pub door, containing a large box addressed to him. After being lifted off a crane and into the beer garden, the mysterious box was cracked open by Paul and some others. ‘Inside was a big moose head from Peter. It was a bit of a shock,’ said Paul. ‘We hung up the moose head in the pub and I put a sign on it saying that it was given to us by Peter O’Toole. Later on, Peter sent his minder in to take the plaque down. He didn’t want any fuss made around him.’

According to Paul, the gift was typical of Peter, who he always found to be kind-natured.

‘He was full of generosity. I always found him to be quite amiable in the harbour bar,’ he said.

‘I think he found his comfort zone in the Harbour Bar,’ he continued. ‘Locals never bothered him here.’

Although Paul no longer runs the bar, the moose head is still to be found on the wall.

The bar has also welcomed many other actors through its doors. In fact, the lounge was converted into a club for Neil Jordan’s ‘Breakfast on Pluto’, in which Paul himself played as an extra.

‘ They asked me to be the barman. I only had one line which was something like “hey John Joe. Cut that crap out or you’re out of here”’ he laughed. ‘It took a lot of shots as I’m not an actor. But it was great fun and there was a great atmosphere.’

The bar has also been used for series ‘Roses from Dublin’ and several advertisements, while actors including Cillian Murphy are known to visit for a pint.