Pub Column: St Anthony of Egypt, Scotland Road - second annual beer festival

Sep 20 2008 by Mike Chapple, Liverpool Daily Post

WHO would have thought that so much pleasure could be gained from the land of the dead?

This crossed the mind without a hint of crass disrespect as we supped at the second annual beer festival held in the crypt of St Anthony of Egypt church, on Scottie Road.

Parish priest Graeme Dunne came up with the inspired idea to raise money for a memorial to those who fled the Irish potato famine, only to die in their thousands from disease and poverty in the slums which used to fester in the shadow of this imposing building.

After the word-of-mouth success of last year’s festival, this one was bound to be a sell-out – and so it’s proved, although a few tickets remain for today’s afternoon session.

All 40 ales were still intact when Yours Truly and occasional Pub Column companion The Tyke got there for early doors on a fine and crisp autumnal first night.

This was his introduction to the sombre but strangely peaceful atmosphere that permeates a place where Terry McGunigle’s memorial sculpture is taking shape standing sentinel over the sealed chambers which hold the bones of the unnamed dead re-interred there. It portrays a grieving mother placing a hand of solace on the shoulder of her husband holding the body of their dead child. Father Graeme hopes that the sculpture, together with its carved inscription, will be ready in time to celebrate the feast days of All Saints and All Souls at the beginning of November.

Meanwhile, he’s optimistic that the money raised from this year’s festival will not only finish off the payment for the sculpture, but also serve to fund essential repairs to the crypt: the light fittings need replacing and there is an increasing amount of water leakage.

The Tyke, being more architecturally minded than the Pub Column, was nevertheless very impressed by what he saw, most especially the impressive aisle of high arches reaching up into the gloom in between which lay other chambers of the long departed.

“They remind me of Antoni Gaudi’s parabolics,” he mused, while the pub column wondered whether Father Graeme would object to profane language being used in such a sacred place, before catching on to what exactly he was talking about.

The Tyke knows something about his ale, too, and after purchasing our £5 beer vouchers duly got stuck in. The good Father knows something about his ales, too, and all have been personally selected by him.

“I got a taste for real ale when I was working up in the North East, as all the beers seemed to be more flavour- some than the ones I had got used to drinking in Liverpool,” he said, as he fetched Yours Truly a bottle of the marvellously rich St Anthony’s Monastic ale, specially commissioned once again from John Aspinall’s Cambrinus brewery, in Prescot.

Also serving was the amiable John O’Dowd, from the Lion Tavern, and his wife, Marie, who had provided the quality pub grub, including the luscious pork pies.

“I couldn’t have done it without John’s help – I’m enthusiastic but have no practical skills,” confessed Father Graeme. “In fact, I’m tempted to say that this would have been the last one because the build-up to this has been horrendous. But, now that it’s done, it all seems worth it.”

It most certainly does.

Here’s to next year.