Hi-B Bar on Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork; late publican Brian O’Donnell
Early this morning.
Brian O’Donnell, of the Hi-B Bar on Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork city, passed away.
On the pub’s Facebook page, the family wrote:
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of my father Brian O’Donnell at 12.30am Friday morning in the Mercy Hospital after a short illness. On behalf of the family we would like to thank the wonderful staff of both St Luke’s Home and the Mercy Hospital for the wonderful care that he received over the last number of years. Arrangements to follow. May he Rest In Peace.
RIP.
Cork’s Echo reports:
Lord Mayor John Sheehan described Mr O’Donnell’s passing as a loss to the city.
“He was iconic in Cork. He almost became a tourist attraction in himself. I remember bringing visitors over from America and we went for a drink in the bar. They were shocked when one took out their phone to check a restaurant reservation and they were brought to book and told to put it away.
“That was part of the charm. It wasn’t like a regular bar. It was a place where conversation was encouraged and he encouraged it in his own unique manner. It’s a loss for the city.”
Owner of Cork’s iconic Hi-B bar passes away (Irish Examiner)
‘He was a tourist attraction in himself’: Tributes pour in for Hi-B owner (Evening Echo)
RIP. Loved that bar and oul cranky boots himself. He threw me out for having a cold!
Seen people put out for less in there!
Kept us on our toes sure!
Didn’t he get a scissors and cut some fella’s tie off for looking at him funny? That’s why I used to sit over at the window overlooking the street – the wrong look and ye were out.
He must have been a decent age
A divil for coming and going and opening and closing to suit himself as well
RIP Mr O’Donnell
His Bite was worse than his Bar, eh?
Gas man.
He’ll be a loss alright!
He hit me with an umbrella once cos I took too long to order. I think that was why anyway.
Made the mistake of having my phone on when in there. Didn’t answer it but, still…
Mobile phones weren’t invented when I drank there
Although Mr O’Donnell did tell my father I was smoking
and knocking around with fellas from de’ college
He sounds like the Maureen (Stoneybatter’s infamous shopkeeper) of the pub trade. It doesn’t take much in the way of technology to get you thrown out of McCloskeys in Donnybrook either.
He was a willy and his bar was crap