A Cork pub that once barred Irish Oscar nominee Colin Farrell for his alleged ‘outrageous behaviour’ is now happily letting him visit again.
The Hollywood actor was banned from MacCarthy’s Bar back in 1997, but publican Adrienne MacCarthy has spoken about their special friendship that’s since developed, helped in part by his recent return to Castletownbere, Co Cork.
Speaking to PJ Coogan on Cork's 96FM on The Opinion Line talk show, Adrienne revealed she had initially booted the then 19-year-old out of MacCarthy’s Bar in the 1990s having ‘grown sick’ of his antics over a three-month period.
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The pair are now good friends, with the actor recently visiting during a road trip along the Wild Atlantic Way in September with his son Henry, 13, who he had with actress Alicja Bachleda-Curuś.
Adrienne told PJ: "It was 26 years ago, he was only 19, and he was new out of acting school, he had finished Ballykissangel, he had three months [here].
"He had wild times and at 19 we’re all wild and misbehave. But really after three months of it I just got a bit sick of it.
"He was outrageous, so I had enough and said, 'Right, that’s it, you’re out!'
"All was fine until 12 years later we heard when he was very famous and well-known, that he was coming back to make another film, so I was in a bit of a state about that."
When the star then came back to film Ondine, over a decade later, he revisited the pub.
After Colin popped his head in the door, Adrienne recalled that he had "wanted to see if the bar was the same and if the pugs are still here".
She added: "Colin said he couldn’t quite remember being barred, but we had a laugh about it.
"We understand each other now and have come to an agreement. He’s just normal and down to earth."
Although she recalled him having been a wild child back then, she said that "nowadays he’s more interested in pilates, yoga and healthy living."
She confirmed that they were "proud of him no matter what."
The actor, who has been sober for almost 17 years after checking into rehab in 2006 for an addiction to alcohol and drugs, has previously revealed what a toll his hardcore partying took on him.
Colin told The Mirror in 2019: "The line was, 'I’m sure you’ve all grasped the fundamental paradoxical pre-crime methodology.'
He added: "I only know it now, still, 16 years later because it caused so much panic and anxiety. It should be on my tombstone.
"My sister was on the set that day and she had to leave the set after 56 takes. I was a disaster."
The Irish actor, who has starred in films such as In Bruges and The Batman, is up for Best Actor at next month’s Oscars for his performance in The Banshees of Inisherin, alongside fellow Irish actor Paul Mescal for his turn as a young single dad in Aftersun.
Colin’s Irish co-stars from Banshees are also all up for Oscars, with Brendan Gleeson, 67, and Barry Keoghan, 30, up for Best Supporting Actor, and Kerry Condon, 40, in the Best Supporting Actress race.
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