AN Irish group in Hackney are pooling together to build a beer garden for their favourite pub – in an effort to pump money back into the pub.
The Hackney Irish Social Club meets at the Prince Edward pub regularly – and decided to take on a new project by renovating the disused beer garden to the rear of the pub.
“We wanted to get a working café and bar for the club,” explains Josh Clarke, of the Hackney Irish Social Club (HISC). “We want it to make a few bob to put back into the pub.”
What began as a dilapidated space has been transformed into a workable beer garden in just three weeks.
HISC founding members Mr Clarke and his friend Cormac Watters found the pub by chance and it was a case of love at first sight.
“We fell in love with the pub,” Mr Clarke said. “We were just two Irish blow-ins but we loved the artsy vibe and the fact that the pub is traditional.”
“The Prince Edward is competing with bigger bars and people are paying a fortune to make these new places look old and vintage, whereas this place is already those things.”
The HISC almost lost their favourite meeting point last year, when the pub was due to be demolished to make way for an apartment development – but the local community rallied around to stop the plans from going ahead.
“It’s a historic pub,” Mr Clarke said. “It was built in 1866 and it’s a proper traditional pub.”
The group decided to pool their skills together to get the new beer garden up and running – with the entire project costing no more than £350.
“There’s very little money it in,” said Mr Clarke. “It’s been a couple of our pay cheques but it’s a homemade effort. We have used salvaged wood, we’re all sourcing the things we need ourselves.”
“Time and effort is all we need,” he added.
26-year-old Mr Clarke, from Tuam, and 25-year-old Mr Watters, from Dundalk, set up the social club when they moved to London, in an effort to reach out to the local Irish community in Hackney.
The group has grown since their first meeting, with the Prince Edward pub the familiar setting for members new and old.
The project has been going for just three weeks and is nearing completion – with the group hoping to pump money back into their much-loved meeting place, as well as being able to enjoy the sunny weather for their weekly catch ups.
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