The Smithy is currently owned by Murrough and Gráinne making it the only Irish-owned North Devon pub. Gráinne is Irish for “Grace” – there is no Anglicised version for Murrough – both names are derived from a cycle of ancient Irish stories involving the adventures of a band of heroic warriors called the Fianna.
About uS
Gráinne spent many years working in design in Ireland and Bristol. She started in designer knitwear, and weaving and gradually moved into interior design. More recently she worked for an architect and for commercial interior design companies concentrating in the catering and hospitality fields.
In his youth Murrough worked his way through school and college doing bar jobs before progressing on to a twenty year career in education the majority of which was concerned with young people with extreme emotional and social difficulties in inner city environments. Having had experience working in pubs in Ireland and England and a deep interest in food and music Murrough always wanted to run a place where original, high-quality entertainment and excellent food could be offered side by side. In 2018 he retrained as a chef in the award-winning White Pepper culinary academy near Poole.
Both Murrough and Grainne believe strongly in the importance of pubs as social spaces for local communities and to welcome and look after visitors who come to destress and enjoy the “craic” a good pub has to offer. The Smithy has a fine reputation for hosting live music events. Please see our ‘What’s On‘ section for upcoming events (please note a temporary lessening of entertainment events due to the effects of the coronavirus).
Opening hours – it is always best to check our website but as things stand the Smithy opens at 12pm and closes between 10pm and 11pm, though we do have a license for later opening for when required.
