Famed for its rustic charm, the Derragarra Inn has always had a good reputation - and it was never better than in the current ownership of chef Fergus Murphy and his wife Susan, who established the popular Murph's Bistro nearby at Cootehill in 2006, and later moved it to this much-loved venue just off the N3 near Cavan Town.
Hard as it is to believe looking at this characterful property now, it was almost destroyed by fire soon after the Murphys opened here - yet, in a remarkably short time, they had re-built it even better than before and re-opened to well-deserved acclaim.
The famous old front bar with its time-honoured collection of visitors' bank notes and business cards pinned to the ceiling may have been lost, but the reconstruction remained faithful to the original in many ways while also introducing a refreshingly contemporary tone.
Natural materials and an open fire make the bar a warm and welcoming spot to enjoy a drink or a casual bite to eat, while the appealingly furnished restaurant adds a sense of occasion for those times when a little more formality is called for. Even better, in fine weather, is the handsome riverside terrace, which is an especially relaxing venue for summer dining.
Menus are a good match for the setting, offering a balance of traditional crowd pleasers (Murph's Caesar Salad, Murph's Garlic Mushrooms, Murph's Famous Chicken Wings, Slow Cooked Silverhill Half Duck, Prime Sirloin Steaks...) and less usual dishes. Alongside steaks and specials highlighted daily on blackboards, the house speciality, when available, is whole Dover sole on the bone, which is a big treat by any standards and hardly something that many Irish pubs would aspire to.
Fergus is known for his support of local and Irish produce - all beef, poultry and pork are stated as 100% Irish and a dish such as Velvet Pork Cutlet features delicious pork from the happy pigs of Andarl Farm in Co Galway, together with O'Doherty's of Enniskillen Black Pudding Croquette and local Scott's Cider Sauce. Prices are fair, special diets are catered for (although it would be wise to check) and there's a full bar that's well stocked with local drinks as well as all the big brands, and a well priced wine list.
All this and warmly efficient service from the mainly local staff - plenty of good reasons to plan a meal at Murph's.
