On the remote shores of Great Barrier Island sits The Currach Irish Pub – a welcoming haven that’s played host to, among many others. Kiwi pop sensation Lorde, Six60, Holly Smith and British TV presenter George Clarke, who memorably peeled off his shirt at the bar during a recent visit. But for proprietor Orla Cumisky, it’s not the celebrity drop-ins that make her establishment special.
“There’s an Irish welcome for everyone,” she enthuses.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re famous or a scallywag. We always say there are no strangers in Irish pubs – just friends who haven’t met yet.”
First impressions of paradise
Originally from Dublin, Orla first set foot on the island in 2000 after her then-boyfriend. A Kiwi boat builder, convinced her it was worth the voyage.
“He talked about this subtropical paradise 100 kilometres off Auckland’s coast – the most beautiful place he’d ever seen travelling the world for 18 years,” she recalls.
“When we came over the hill from Tryphena and saw the view, it was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I feel like I’ve been here before.’ I still get that feeling every time I pass the lookout.”
A decade of coming and going
Over the next decade, Orla came and went before settling on the island for good in 2010, then with two young children in tow – Elliott, now 18, and Jasmine, 16. Her youngest, Selina, 13, was born on the island.
“They grew up barefoot running around the beach – a lifestyle I’d describe as a bit of yesteryear,” she smiles.
When Elliott started school, he was just the 17th child on the roll. In those early years of motherhood, Orla took a part-time position at The Currach.
“As a young mum with three kids under five, I used to skip out the door to work at the pub at four o’clock,” she tells.
“I’d have adult conversation, someone would cook my dinner, hand me a glass of wine and I’d leave with money in my bank account. What could be better?”
Buying the pub in a pandemic
Then in February 2020, just as the Covid pandemic swept the globe, Orla and her then-business partner Mark Durling decided to buy the pub.
“There wasn’t another fool in the world doing something similar, but we were delighted,” she says.
“I had worked there a long time, so it was one staunch Irish lady and her husband selling the pub to another staunch Irish lady and her partner.”
Together, Orla and Mark navigated taking over a business amidst lockdowns – and romance followed for the pair.
Love on tap
“Love can definitely blossom at The Currach,” Orla laughs.
In fact, speaking to the Weekly from Ireland, where she’s visiting her parents, Orla shares that just days earlier, Mark surprised her by proposing at their favourite wine bar.
“You could have knocked me over with a feather! For an Irish woman to be stuck for words is quite unusual, but I didn’t see it coming.”
Now, five years on, the pub is still going strong.
“If you asked most Irish people, they’re not usually fans of Irish pubs outside of Ireland. But from the first time I walked into The Currach, I could see it was the real McCoy. You could pick it up, put it in a little village in Ireland and no one would notice it hadn’t been there last week.”
The worlds only solar-powered irish pub
It’s not just the atmosphere that makes The Currach unique – Orla believes it’s the only fully solar-powered Irish pub in the world. Great Barrier Island isn’t connected to the main power grid.
“It’s a remarkable achievement for the pub to run on solar,” she explains.
“Everyone harvests their own water and power, and deals with their own septic systems.”
Orla’s slice of Ireland is also set to appear in new TV series George Clarke: Homes in the Wild, exploring remote properties across New Zealand and Australia. The architect and host was instantly charmed.
A shirtless surprise at the bar
“George walked in and said, ‘Wow, I love this place,’” recalls Orla.
“Then he spotted our branded T-shirts and asked to try one on. “Next thing, he whips off his shirt right there at the bar – and he’s absolutely ripped! I said, ‘Oh, my God, if I’d known you were going to do that, I would have sold tickets!’ He just threw his head back and let out a big belly laugh.”
For a week, George and the crew returned nightly.
“The pub is the heart of a community – a non-judgemental space open to everyone,” smiles Orla.
“Whether it’s someone famous, or Jonny who’s just stepped off the digger, everyone’s better off for walking through the doors of The Currach.”
George Clark: Homes in the Wild screens Thursdays at 7.30pm on Sky Open or Neon and SkyGo from August 14.
Visit currachirishpub.co.nz
