Mons O’Shea Is Fremantle’s New Irish Pub Bringing History, Heart & A Little Chaos

If Fremantle has been missing anything, it’s a proper Irish pub, the kind where you step inside and are welcomed by a nostalgic mix of aromas of malt liquor, tobacco and whiskey. A place where the lights are soft, the bar is buzzing, and the energy is equal parts cosy and electric.

Enter Mons O’Shea, the family-run Irish pub turning a quiet slice of Fremantle into a little slice of Ireland.

Opened in August 2025 by husband-and-wife duo Simon and Jo Carthy, Mons O’Shea isn’t themed, manufactured, or modelled after stereotypes, it’s the real deal. Warm, yellow lights hang over the timber bar, lined with bar stools, brass hooks and scattered coasters. Behind the bar, the shelves are filled with whiskeys, wines, and countless knick knacks. The kind of place built on salvaged antiques, Irish humour, organised chaos, and three generations’ worth of pub-keeping experience.

What really sets Mons O’Shea apart is its charm and genuine hospitality, the kind that feels personal, welcoming and wonderfully old-fashioned. With the family working together behind the bar, the whole place buzzes with warmth, humour and that rare, genuine care and service that makes you want to come back.

“It’s a labour of love,” Simon says. And it shows.

Mons O’Shea is an Irish pub, not an Irish-themed pub and the difference is clear the moment you step inside, you can feel it in every detail.

And if Mons O’Shea feels a little rowdy and crowded at times, that’s intentional. “It’s meant to be a bit chaotic, that’s what Irish bars are,” Simon explains. People sit wherever they like, on stools, at the bar, on kegs, in the shop. Strangers chat. Staff weave through groups with plates and pints. Someone apologises for being “in the way” and Simon just laughs, “You’re not in the way, that’s an Irish bar.”

Between the fireplace, the antiques, the music and the family-run warmth, Mons O’Shea is quickly becoming one of Fremantle’s most charming new local gems. “We just want to be one of the pubs that when people come to Freo, it’s a must-call,” Simon says. And from the atmosphere to the service to the Guinness, they’re well on their way.

If your chasing something a little quieter than the main bar you can find the tiny semi-private booth known as the Snug. A traditional feature in Irish pubs where historically women, businessmen, or anyone wanting privacy would drink. Inside, you’ll even find a bell to ring for service, bar staff will open the hatch and deliver your drink straight through, just like the old days.

When you wander back out of the snug you'll be welcomed into the colourful, chaotic pub shop. A throwback to the temperance era, when pubs doubled as grocery stores, Mons O’Shea’s shop is stocked with Irish staples, funny t-shirts, newspapers, Guinness brown bread baked in-house, and loaves from O’Connell’s Bakery in Osborne Park.

Let’s be honest, you’re here for the Guinness. They pour it well and it comes with a side of original Irish Crisps, but you’ll also find a selection of tap beers, a small, curated wine list and a short but sweet cocktail offering.

Foodwise, it’s comfort food the way only the Irish can do: 12-hour slow cooked ham hock toasties, spice bags piled high with seasoned fries and curry sauce, salmon scotch eggs with beetroot ketchup and a perfectly crisp crumb. There’s also a tempura zucchini flower stuffed with basil feta and finished with truffled maple, the kind of snack that lands somewhere between pub bite and bistro starter.

Come Sunday, it’s all about the traditional roast with all the classic trimmings and Irish condiments, plated up each week until it sells out.

Regardless the day or night, once you’ve worked your way through a hearty feed, there’s Guinness sticky toffee pudding to round it all out.