A Pint and a Prayer

Oran Mor, formerly Kelvinside Parish Church (1862)

What do you do with a surplus church in a city whose population has dropped by 40% since World War II? In Glasgow, the answer is to turn it into a place to worship whisky (and other spirits). Òran Mór, just a few blocks from us, subtly signals its new identity with a giant blue neon halo encircling its tall spire. Inside it’s teeming with revelers quaffing Guinness and/or eating pub grub, celebrating weddings or wakes, or attending live theatre and concerts. At lunchtime they offer “A Play, A Pie, and A Pint,” where for about $20 you can see an original play (changing weekly) while sipping beer or wine and eating a meat pie with the ubiquitous brown sauce. On the other side of the West End is Cottiers, a similar bar/restaurant/theatre and event venue. Young mums gravitate here in the early afternoon, their prams filling the old sanctuary. At these and other repurposed churches around the city, sláinte mhaith (the traditional Scottish Gaelic toast meaning good health) echoes as a fervent prayer.

Cottiers and Warren Street Theatre