Getting 'Legolas' in Ireland's first Lord of the Rings themed pub

‘The Shire’, a Lord of the Rings themed pub, has just opened its doors in Killarney offering punters the chance to get ‘Merry’ on ‘Bilbo’s Beer’.

Publican Ollie Favier, who owns The Bailey in Cork City, is the man behind the venue which has areas named after ‘Middle Earth’, ‘Mordor’ and ‘the Prancing Pony’.

From the taps, visitors can inspect Tolkien-inspired tankards full of Gandalf’s Ale, Bilbo’s Beer, Frodo’s Lager or Orc Draught.

Lifelong LOTR fan Ollie said that his latest venture could be traced back to the release of the second and third movies, when his brothers became known locally as the Hobbits, due to their small stature, and their signature cocktail was coined ‘Hobbit-juice’.

"I'm vertically challenged and was dubbed The Hobbit by my mates," he explained.

"I thought why not roll with it and now I'm having the last laugh.”

He added that the response so far has been “phenomenal”

“It’s fun and it’s quirky and it’s putting the fun back into going out,” he added. “I’ve always had an interest in the Lord of the Rings. It’s one of those things, like Star Wars, that will stand the test of time.”

“Even if you’re not into the books or the movies you should still come down. It a nice cosy, comfy little bar and we’ll welcome everyone.”

“Everyone’s very excited. I’m trying to create something fun, something different, and get people back into the bars.

The new watering hole celebrated its opening over the weekend, with Kerry GAA stars James O’Donoghue and Brian Kelly popping in with the Sam MaGuire cup.

An official launch will take place in the coming weeks at The Shire, Michael Collins Place, Killarney, Co Kerry.