The Quiz Master General

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ejiggers, you think you know what’s going on in this town – the fundraisers, the gigs, the specials, the swingers parties – but there’s always another part of the jigsaw that you never even knew existed.

Pieces such as the Wednesday night Quiz & Bingo Night in The Beach House.

This little hotspot of handsome hustlers and happy hussies will be celebrating its seventh birthday down at the popular harbour drinking emporium next Wednesday, July 12th, but its history in the town goes much further back. Thirty years, to be precise, when the first battle-cries of “Winnie The Pooh! 42!“, “Two Fat Ladies! 88!” and “Down On Your Knees! 43!” first rang out into the Greystones night.

And the man doing the shouting back then in The La Touche Hotel bar was Mike Morrissey – and he’s still shouting the odds and evens today. With more than a little help from his friends, regular sidekick Aaron, and holiday stand-in Mossy.

With a show business career that all began when the 16-year-old, Singapore-born, London-raised Irish lad moved to his father’s native country and starting playing the blues, his dues and any damn gig that he could get, Mike has been sending ’em home sweatin’ for far more years than he’s willing to admit in public.

Oh, and if you meet Mike out and about in Greystones, give the man a great big hug. As a budding pop star in London, he turned downTelstar, which went on to be a worldwide smash for The Tornados. And then he turned down (Is This The Way To) Amarillo, which, hey, went on to be a worldwide smash for his mate, Tony Christie. D’oh!

We caught up with Mike down at his second home to find out just how he got into the numbers game, how the prize for their Christmas night has now hitting the €1,000 mark, and how Mosney was the Sod ‘Em & Begorrah of its day… 

You can catch Mike shouting the numbers at The Beach House every Wednesday from 9pm and at Max & Harvey in Bray every Thursday from 9.30pm.