Pub confuses priests for stag party

Staff at a Cardiff pub briefly evicted a group of Catholic priests who had stopped by for a drink thinking they were a stag party.

Father James with a pint of ‘Reverend James’. Photo: The City Arms

The seven priests (in fact seminarians) went to The City Arms last Saturday to celebrate the ordination of Father Peter McClaren but just as they were about to order they were asked to leave.

As reported by Wales Online, a member of staff was under the impression the seven men were actually a stag party and likely to get rowdy.

Assistant manager Matt Morgan told the newspaper that it was the pub’s policy to turn away parties in fancy dress because they tend to be louder and more boisterous than the regular clientele.

Thinking it was a joke at first the priests protested their clerical authenticity but resigned themselves to leave quietly and go somewhere else.

It was then that Morgan appeared and said he believed the group were indeed priests and offered them a round of drinks by way of apology.

There was further amusement when it was found that one of the priests was called Father James and the beer they’d been served was Brains Brewery’s ‘Reverend James’ – named after a 19^th century Methodist minister who was also a brewer.

Morgan said of the whole incident: “They were all great sports and saw the funny side of the situation.”

The Archdiocese of Cardiff also issued a statement, adding: “We’d like to thank the City Arms for being good sports through all of this and their kind gesture to our seminarians – and please note a number of our clergy, including the Archbishop of Cardiff, frequent your bar so don’t turf any more out please!”