Although it sounds like a pub you'd visit to catch live hip hop acts perform, the MC in the name stands for Mickey Coyle.The MC Bar was on the Scout to Tav route in Hawkhill, and so we passed it hundreds of times. However, it had been shut for quite a lengthy period by then. It did eventually reopen again in the mid 80's after restoration, this time under the name of The Blue Mountains.
Shortly after though, it changed back to Mickey Coyle's.
Pretty sure it's changed name again to Kokomo.
ReplyDeleteFrom the early eighties, The Blue Mountains and then Mickey Coyles (again) was known to me and my circle of friends as "Home". I can honestly say that for about 20 years this was my bar of choice and invariably could be found there every Friday and Saturday in life and occasionally on a Wednesday evening too.
ReplyDeleteMost Saturday lunchtimes were spent chowing-down on Chris's excellent ground beef chilli (Blue Mountains) and the (sadly departed) Trish's Chicken and Bacon Hoagies and Black Pepper Burgers.
Ian McCormick was the mine host of The Blue Mountains and it was Ally Hastie and Anne (not sure of her surname) who ran the definitive Mickey Coyles followed by the very capable Scott Clark. Classic staff included the lovely John Price, Stan (Simon), Lucy, Jo, Tricia, curley haired Paul etc etc.
The regulars were fiercely loyal and I am happy to say that I made lots of good friends there. Sadly the close-nit circle who frequented the place for those 20 or so years all drifted apart after the eventual departure of Stan and the change in management/ownership.
The Blue Mountains in the early 80's and Mickey's in the late 80s and throughout the 90s will always have a special place in my heart.
Sniff!
Oh and yes, it is called Kokomo now.
I used to frequent Blue Mountains / Mickeys regularly too! I got into a bit of bother with Nick Wright, barman in the Blue Mountains, after I had scratched the name of my band onto the back of the toilet door - this would have been about 1988...
ReplyDeleteOne of the last occasions I was in Mickeys, the urinal in the gents suffered a blow-back and all the piss, years old fag ash etc flooded the floor and seeped onto the carpet in the main bar area resulting in the bar stinking like a stagnant piss-pond!
I have to say that Mickeys was a bit of a shambles just before it shut down, lots of drug taking / dealing etc...
"lots of drug taking and dealing" What a load of shite. There was no more drug taking than takes place in any other pub these days, and there was never any dealing.
ReplyDeleteThe place went downhill and became a shambles because of a completely incompetent management, who decided to shut the pub on random days, ran out of draft lager on Saturday nights, stopped doing meals and generally did everything possible to avoid dealing with customers.
Great pub and an absolute tragedy to see it in its present incarnation.
It was Ann Taylor - I knew her daughter. Bridie from your post I think we must have been drinking there about the same time! My friends & I were there every weekend at least. And I still see John occasionally : )
ReplyDeletemc closed in 1966. was then used as a union by dental students. reopened in mid 1980s.
ReplyDeleteActually it was taken over as "Medical Clubrooms' Bar (MC) by medical students. We hired a bartender and painted all the decor and ran it
DeleteMy father used to drink there as a medical student in the 1940's
Ach I used to drink in there when I was a lad! Its changed to 'Coyle's Bar' now, went in the other day, they're serving good food and real ales again, nice inside, a good wee cosy place! They've got rid of all that granny furniture from when it was kokomos and its looking more like the old place again. Great to see it under better management
ReplyDeleteI used to play rugby occasionally for Mickey's in-house team "The Pot Bellies" in the late 90's/early 00's. Many's a big night in there with W.F.D. (Wee Fat Dek), Big Jim and all the boys. Good memories.
ReplyDeleteDid any of you know Iain McCormick well? He is my uncle, only met him a few times though, he has lost touch with the family. I used to live in Dundee & popped in there for a drink to see the place as my dad told me about it & that Iain used to run it :)
ReplyDeleteIn my time at Dundee, we used to frequent the MC. We knew it as the Medical Club (MC) but knew it was Mickey Coyle's. Perfect student pub!! Apparently as the MC it had the shortest pub name in Britain.
ReplyDeleteRound the corner was the Scout, I believe an orner had been a football scout for my club, Blackpool!!
My father's first job when he came home from the war,was as a barman in "Mickey's". The owner at that time(1945),was Andrew Coyle,son of Mickey.
ReplyDeleteMy wee brother,and my Mum and i would sometimes pass by,and if Dad was down in the cellar we would give him a shout,and maybe get a wee bottle of lemonade passed through that grilled window at the bottom of the building,in your photo.
PS this is a great site.many thanks.
This was my family's place, Mum used to pop in with me when I was a baby in the mid 60s, found some photos the other day of the inside.
DeleteI believe that the guys who run The West House (used to be The Ascot) have bought this place. Should be good. The West House is a great place and does the best Pizzas in Dundee so I have high hopes for their latest venture.
ReplyDeletelate 1980s- Blue Mountains. Seriously the best pub I ever loved. For me it was the perfect Art School bar; great company, laughs, good times. Was there most nights probably. Shortly after I left Art School and Dundee, I heard the owner did a runner with 2 suitcases of money- never to be seen again- He was tall blonde hip sort of guy pushing 40 who wore snap brim fedora or something- Heard the management tried to run it then, but messed it up- ran out of beer and things.
ReplyDeleteSo did I and yes good Memories. Did you know Wee Steve had passed
ReplyDelete