Asador

Asador
1 Victoria House, Haddington Road, Dublin 4
asador.ie


A warm welcome to Dublin 4's first review here on Legless and the honour rightfully goes to Asador. They take pride in the heat method that cooks their meat and fish and, boy, it shows. Their chicken wings are divine and almost certainly give Tribeca's wings a run for their money. I had their wings and Asador burger (jerk mayo fans take note) from their pre-theatre menu and there are plenty of other menu options for lunch, groups and for rugby days. Their basil gin deserves a special shout out. It was genuinely like a pool of heaven in a glass.


What has it got?

Seating: All of the tables have moveable chairs and they fit a wheelchair nicely. The moveable chairs have armrests but the fixed couches at some of the tables do not.  

Doors: The doors are slightly heavy to push open but they are wide. 

Ground: Wooden floors, which could be a nuisance on wet days. 

Stairs: Everything is on the ground level. 

Bathrooms: They have a fully kitted out wheelchair bathroom here that is decked out rather nicely as opposed to the usual sterile vibe that wheelchair bathrooms possess. 

Spaciousness: When I was leaving, I had to ask a few people to pull in their chairs so I could make my way out.

Helpfulness of Staff: The staff were very helpful here. 

Parking: Parking might be a little bit tricky here. There is plenty of onstreet parking but it is a busy spot so you may have to park further afield especially if it's a match day. 

Rating: 9.5/10

Why did it lose points? The only main issue with Asador is the lack of suitable parking but, other than that, you will get a top quality meal here all the while knowing that it is good for your chair, making it an even better experience. 

Foam Cafe

Foam Cafe
24 Great Strand Street, Dublin 1
facebook.com/foamcafe

Foam Cafe is perhaps one of Dublin's quirkiest cafes. Every wall is adorned with something different, be it pink flamingoes, topless photos of Maroon 5's Adam Levine or portraits of the Virgin Mary. While it may not be to everyone's taste, it's a grand spot to whittle away an afternoon.



What has it got?

Seating: Other than the chaise longue under the stairs, all of the tables have moveable chairs. 

Doors: The front door can be a little heavy to push open but it swings both ways (heh) so if you're coming or going, you have enough space. 

Ground: It's a mix of lino and carpet. 

Stairs: The entrance is flat and there is extra seating upstairs but everything you need is on the ground level. 

Bathrooms: The ladies and gents are downstairs but they have a wheelchair bathroom/babychanging bathroom on the ground level. The wheelchair bathroom hosts the Adam Levine photo which is a major plus but the babychanging table - an actual desk table - takes up a lot of room which makes it quite tough for a wheelchair to fit. 

Spaciousness: They have a number of tables that are easy to access but some might be tucked away, making it difficult to get to. 

Helpfulness of Staff: The staff were good at clearing the way for my chair but if they made extra space in the wheelchair bathroom - that would be superb. 

Parking: There is a wheelchair parking spot across the way from it as well as a few more further down the road and other onstreet parking spot. 

Rating: 9/10

Why did it lose points? Foam Cafe lost one point simply because they made a perfectly spacious wheelchair bathroom cluttered with the babychanging table. If they found a way to neaten that up, it would be a perfect 10. 

P Mac's

P Mac's
Lower Stephen Street, Dublin 2
twitter.com/Pmacspub

P Mac's is a great spot. Free Banshee Bones, lollipops, all the craft beers going and a completely unpredictable music selection from Snoop Dogg to Queens of the Stone Age. It's an incredibly busy pub for a very good reason but this means that it can often be uncomfortably packed.


What has it got?

Seating: A lot of the tables have moveable chairs of different shapes and sizes with some fixed couches. 

Doors: The front doors are double doors which can sometimes be difficult to push open but they fit a wheelchair. 

Ground: Wooden flooring. 

Stairs: The entrance is flat in but there are a few steep steps up to the toilets.

Bathrooms: They have no wheelchair bathroom here BUT the Drury Court Hotel next door has a wheelchair bathroom that you can use. To the right of the bar, there is a snug which has doors that open directly into the hotel. Ask at the desk for the bathroom and pee freely, my friend. 

Spaciousness: This is a very, very tight spot because it is always rammed with people. If you use a wheelchair, I recommend that you sit in the snug to the right of the bar so that you can get to the bathroom easily without skinning the ankles off of everyone in there. 

Helpfulness of Staff: They are top notch. And if you are nice to them, you will get extra crisps. 

Parking: There are two wheelchair parking spots down the road. They are opposite Break for the Border. 

Rating: 5/10

Why did it lose points? P Mac's lost points because it is really tough to get around when it is busy. The lack of wheelchair bathroom is also a massive pain because you have to leave the pub, through the sea of people, to get to the nearest wheelchair toilet. The path outside is also quite tight because their smoking area blocks off a lot of room. 

I really like this pub but I wouldn't go unless I know that it's not too busy or if the table in the snug is free. 

Legless in Cork: Hayfield Manor

Hayfield Manor
Perrott Avenue, College Road, Cork
hayfieldmanor.ie


I visited Hayfield Manor yesterday for a light lunch in the lush library but with its decadent surroundings, including an aviary,  I knew I'd have to visit again when I had something to celebrate. It's a five star hotel so it's top quality all round. I only went for food there so I cannot comment on their bedrooms but Hayfield I'm willing to test them out - call me.


What has it got?

Seating: The chairs are all moveable but they also come in plenty of different heights. Some of the tables might be a little low but there are many options of tables. 

Doors: The front doors are double doors but there is a doorman there to open them. The rest of the doorways were wide and easy to push open. 

Ground: Carpet and tiles. Outside, there is a mixture of cobbles and gravel which might be a little bit tough but you can get dropped right to the door. 

Stairs: On the ground floor, everything is level but there is a lift up to the rest of the floors. 

Bathrooms: Their wheelchair bathroom was just a delight. Proper mirrors, nice soap, mouthwash, towels and ear buds. Yup, the full hog. Most wheelchair bathrooms are very basic so this was a treat. It was a little bit tight but it certainly does the trick. 

Spaciousness: There is plenty of room to maneuver here. 

Helpfulness of Staff: Incredibly helpful. Five star service really. 

Parking: They have their own car park with wheelchair spots. 

Rating: 10/10

Why did it lose points? It's quite difficult for older buildings to accommodate for wheelchair users while retaining the correct periodic style but Hayfield achieved this and they deserve a round of applause for that. 

Legless in Cork: Crane Lane Theatre

Crane Lane Theatre
Phoenix Street, Cork
cranelanetheatre.ie


I have only been to Crane Lane once and that was after The National in the Marquee in the summer of 2013. It was the height of our Irish heatwave and spirits were high. The place was absolutely rammed with the post-gig crowd and it certainly rammed a way into my heart. This is probably because the DJ played 'Fill Me In' by Craig David.


What has it got?

Seating: Plenty of moveable chairs here and low tables. 

Doors: Most of the venue is open plan but all of the doors are wide and easy to open. 

Ground: Grated wooden flooring. 

Stairs: There are a couple of steps in the front entrance but the bouncers will bring any wheelchair users around to the side entrance. You also get to skip the queue this way. Win. 

Bathrooms: They have a large wheelchair bathroom near the side entrance. 

Spaciousness: Enough room for hundreds of punters to throw shapes to Craig David, that's for sure. 

Helpfulness of Staff: The bouncers were great here and showed me to the accessible entrance before the thought even crossed my mind. 

Parking: You're out drinking. Leave the car at home please. But if any Cork folk could tell me where parking is, please do. 

Rating: 9/10

Why did it lose points? Now, I have a lot of grá for this place but they don't seem to promote their access enough so a lot of people are not aware of what they have to offer, even Yelp says it's not wheelchair friendly when it is. So, Crane Lane, if you're listening, promote the JAYSUS out of your access. 

Legless in Cork: Liberty Grill

Liberty Grill
32 Washington Street, Cork
libertygrill.ie


I have been lucky enough to visit Liberty Grill twice. Once for a hangover brunch (pancakes with bacon and maple syrup - hommana hommana!) and once for dinner with an old buddy (Friend: Martin, Dinner: a hearty chicken burger). According to my Corkonian friends, it is one of the top spots to visit for food, especially for a weekend brunch. Now that I've sampled two of their menus, I can confirm that it tops the list of places I must visit in Cork, along with Crane Lane.


What has it got?

Seating: All of the tables have moveable chairs and the tables are a good height. 

Doors: The front doors are double doors so you might need a hand hooshing them open. 

Ground: Tiled floor .

Stairs: Not a step or stair in sight. 

Bathrooms: They have a large enough wheelchair bathroom but it might be a little tight for bigger wheelchairs. 

Spaciousness: The tables are a bit close to each other so you will have to ask people to pull in their chairs when you're moving through. 

Helpfulness of Staff: The staff here are very sound and helpful. You could do a lot worse for yourself.

Parking: There is plenty of onstreet parking in the area but there is a wheelchair spot on Hanover Street. 

Rating: 9.5/10

Why did it lose points? Liberty Grill is a fantastic spot and I'll always visit here when I go to Cork but the layout of the place may be a little tricky for larger, electric wheelchairs. It's worth testing out just for their Lemon Lime Bitters. 

From Sticks to Wheels

Crutches are not just for walking.

I had initially written this piece five months ago for another website but they never published it so here we are. 

I was born with a walking disability so when I first learnt how to walk, it was with a Zimmer frame. My mother tells me that I first went into motion by chasing ducks in Stephen's Green. I like to think that that's how we should all live our lives...

At the age of four, I started to use crutches and they remained as an extension to my arms for the next 20 years. I was good with the crutches - especially when it came to showing off at the long jump in school as my sticks added an extra boost as I leapt. They were also nifty for beating the Jaysus out of somebody in a testy game of Red Rover. 

I attempted everything. When line-dancing was all the strange and nationwide rage in Ireland circa '94, I was in the front row. When Wimbledon fever hit us every summer, I'd be out in my garden hitting a ball against a wall and, even though I was no Steffi Graf, I was happy to be doing what I was doing. I did all the dances at the ceilí in the Gaeltacht and I even tried to look like Britney Spears in her 'Slave 4 U' era at Wesley disco. Thankfully every other teenage girl at the time made that hazardous error. 

All through my teen years, I was known as the girl with the crutches but I made sure that they weren't my defining feature. I made sure I was known as the girl who was loud.  I liked to sing, I liked to dance and I liked to have a damn good time. My college years were no different. Whenever someone thought that I had broken my ankle, I was pleased. If they didn't realise that I had a walking disability, then I was fooling them and, on another level, I was fooling myself.

Front row at a Boys Noize gig. This photo screams 2008.

Things didn't stay this way. When I was 23, I noticed that things became difficult. I was always told by my doctors that I would inevitably end up in a wheelchair but I was stubborn and ignored them. As time went on, my energy levels were fighting with my desire to be everywhere and do everything. I couldn't walk at the pace I wanted to anymore and I was putting so much strain on my body that I soon became afraid to leave the house. I didn't want people to see me struggling or working up a sweat. I was putting my life on hold.

I felt like a hindrance to everyone. I was slowing people down and I could hear whispers of my friends. "Is she ok," they'd ask each other. "Maybe we should just stay in again tonight," they'd say unwillingly.


I had to announce through an email to my closest friends that I was struggling and I could not keep up with life. At this stage, I couldn't walk the length of Grafton Street without stopping two or three times for a breather.

One day, I decided to make my life and everyone else's so much easier. I started using a wheelchair. At first, it was to cover long distances, like big music festivals, or just as a back-up plan if my legs were having a bad day and wouldn't cooperate.

Eventually, the wheelchair became a full-time accessory and my crutches were cast aside - I now use them to open up windows that are too high for me, a trick I had learnt when I was younger/shorter and couldn't reach a light switch. 

This wasn't an easy decision to make. Many tears were shed and I had built up a lot of anger. Anger at myself for being in this tricky situation and, because I couldn't express how I felt, anger at others for not understanding. 

As the months and years went on, I've managed to accomplish so much more. 

My body had restricted me for so long and by admitting to my decreasing mobility, I had given my life a new freedom. My mind is at ease now and, more importantly, my body doesn't hate me anymore.

The benefits of using my wheelchair over the struggle of crutches are huge. I don't have to worry about slipping on wet surfaces when it rains or worry about someone accidentally kicking my crutch over.  One big difference is that now I don't sweat when getting from A to B. Crutches work every muscle in your body, carry your entire weight and burn up more energy than you have to offer. It seems minor but now that I am no longer a Sweaty Betty, my make-up remains intact and I can wear any clothes that I want to. My hair doesn't get in my way and I can wear it in any style. I can actually put effort in my appearance - something that would have been a waste of time before - and it is so bloody liberating.

The biggest and most important thing I've realised since using the chair is that I, as a person, am unstoppable. I had placed boundaries before because I didn't want people to see my at my weakest. This wheelchair has given me strength to push myself further and the only barriers are poorly constructed buildings or a pesky flight of stairs. For the first time in my life, it's not my fault that I can't do something - it's the bad designs of an architect or engineer. For the first time in my life, I am excelling and I can finally focus on me instead of worrying about every little detail of every day.