You’ve seen us around the the Stables, but you might not know who we are. We’ll here’s your chance to find out more about the people that keep the Stables going.

Management

Declan – General Manager: Declan is the boss, though you mightn’t know it. You could find him behind the bar, the food counter or cleaning the floor. Declan is a fanatical Kerry and Arsenal supporter. We try not to hold it against him. Declan has been with the Stables since day one. That’s over twenty years, but yet he still claims to in his mid 30’s, or maybe that’s the number of All-Irelands that Kerry have won – we’re not entirely sure.

Brendan – Bar Manager: According to Brendan, he’s also been with the Stables since day one, though more reliable sources tell us that he actually missed the very first day and showed up on day two. Either way, Brendan has been part of the furniture at the Stables for longer than the the furniture has! Brendan is a Limerick hurling fan, and looks forward to Limerick’s next All-Ireland. That possibly makes him the most optimistic of the Stables staff.

Paul M – Assistant Manager: Paul is the first person that we meet that hasn’t been at the Stables since the beginning. It’s been over 10 years since Paul first started working at the Stables, but we’ve been asked not to reveal exactly how long Paul has been here. We’ve also been asked not to reveal his age, but we can tell you he’s older than he looks. Paul is the most dedicated Liverpool fan on the team. Thankfully he’s also a Munster Rugby fan so at least one of his teams has a chance at silverware this year.

Sinead – Pantry Manager: Sinead is a Chelsea supporter. It hasn’t held her back though. Most of her day is spent dealing with the ABCS – Anyone But Chelsea Supporters. How she manages this with good grace is a testament to her patience.

Aiden – Head Chef: Aiden is the guy responsible for the famous Stables Friday Chicken Curry. The exact recipe is a closely guarded secret. In fact, it’s so secret that Aiden himself is only allowed see part of it. Aiden is Manchester Utd. fan, a Leinster fan, and a Dublin GAA supporter. We’ve checked with the doctors, and there really is no hope for him.

Bar Staff

Paul Mac: Paul has been with the Stables for four years. From practically his first day, Paul has been recognised as the Geek on the team. Responsible for the Stables website, Facebook page, Twitter Profile and Bebo Page, Paul spends more time in front of his laptop than is probably healthy. Often mistaken for Paul M’s brother, he’s often described as the “that guy with glasses”. (Paul also wrote this in the third person which is not to be taken as proof, or otherwise, of his mental stability.)

Robert: Known as either “Rob”, “Robertus”, or “that really, really tall guy”. Rob has also been with the Stables for four years. The baby of the team, he’s had to put up with a lot – mostly being called “Robertus”. Behind the scenes, Robert is known to be an animal. Full beer kegs are like paper cups in his hands.

Dasha: Dasha is originally from the Czech Republic, so she’s travelled a long way to work with us. For the two years that she’s been with the Stables, we’ve tried to explain the Laws of Rugby to her, but to no avail. She does however take inordinate joy in the success of the Czech Football team.

Pantry Staff

Audrey: Audrey is “The Mammy”. Like everybody’s Mammy, she makes sure that you’re OK, that you have enough to eat and that you’re taking care of yourself. Audrey knows everybody, and we mean everybody. Without Audrey, we’d be lost.

Willie: Audrey knows everybody, and everybody knows Willie. He’s the life and soul of the Stables. He’s the first person that everyone misses – Willie can’t take a day off, but people are asking for him. You’ve heard the saying that no-one is irreplaceable? Willie is the exception that proves the rule. If you’d like to keep up with what Willie is up to, have a look at his Bebo Page.

Kitchen

Ann-Marie: Originally from a place so remote in County Limerick that even Google can’t find it, Ann-Marie is the most recent addition to the kitchen staff. She’s been with us for a couple of years, but still considered the “newbie” – but don’t tell her that. We’re not allowed to reveal her age, but lets just say that she handles the staff nights out better than the rest of us.

Jana: Also from the Czech Republic, Jana has worked at about every job there is to do in the Stables. She’s what the kind of person that the term “unflappable” was coined for. In the couple of years that she has been with us, she’s never shown even a modicum of stress. It’s gotten to the point where we’ve started to invent dishes to try and put her off her step, but to no avail.

Ashim: For reasons that have been lost in the mists of time, Ashim is known to everyone as “Johnny”. You won’t see too much of Johnny on the floor, because he spends his time making sure that the kitchen is kept in shape. Originally from Bangladesh, Johnny loves cricket and Arsenal. Just don’t mention the time Ireland beat his home team in the Cricket World Cup.

Administration

Our admin staff may not work on the front line, but they put in as much effort as anyone else to make sure that the Stables works. Thanks to their efforts, the rest of us have the time to do our jobs.

Noreen & Ger: Noreen and Ger look after the paperwork. A business like the Stables generates an unbelievable amount of paperwork, and they keeps track of it all. How they do it is a mystery, but the fact that we’re still going after 20+ years shows that they very good at it. As well as doing the difficult job of keeping track of all those pieces of paper, both Noreen and Ger are crossed-trained to work in the Pantry. You’ll occassionaly see them serving for our large functions.

Michael Fagan: Michael may be the last person on the list, but he’s far and away the most important. Without Michael’s vision, the Stables wouldn’t be here. It was over 20 years ago when he opened the Stables, and all he’s gotten in return is the “Santa Claus” nickname. Over the years, Michael has raised many hundreds of thousands of Euro’s for charity. So not only did he give the University of Limerick the Stables, he gave us a social conscience. Michael’s philosophy has proven itself over the years, and no-one can argue with the fact that he has made an over-whelming positive contribution to campus life.

Part-Time Staff

We’d love to do a write-up of our part-time staff, but there’s just been so many of them over the years, that we couldn’t possibly count them all. The vast majority of those that have worked part-time in the Stables are students., after all, we are a college bar.