Deirdre Reynolds: I’ll pass on ‘loo for two’ at new Dublin pub

Now you can after a new Dublin pub unveiled its “unique toilet experience”.

Based in Swords, the plush K Sixty Seven Bar and Grill has divided Irish Twitter with its spacious double toilet cubicle, enabling punters to pee, poop or puke in the company of a pal.

Installed in the ladies’ restroom of the €3m venue developed by the McDermott Group, the twin loo certainly prevents the age-old ‘pee-dicament’ of waiting patiently for your wing woman to drip-dry after piling into the last available cubicle together on a night out.

But, as a confirmed ‘closed door defecator’, it’s a hard no from me

And it seems our readers aren’t exactly sold on the idea of a tandem tinkle either.

“Absolutely disgusting,” commented one.

“Do you get a toilet roll each or (do you) have to share?” pondered another.

“That’s the only place you get peace,” argued a third, “don’t ruin it.”

And just when did powder room politics get so complicated?

Long before the debate over ‘gender neutral’ toilets ever began, most of us grew up in homes where not only did you use the same latrine as every other member of your family, you probably used the same brick of Imperial Leather and hand towel afterwards too.

Some older readers may even remember the pre-flush days when you had to venture to an outside toilet to ‘strain the spuds’.

Today, knickers appear to be in a permanent twist over who uses what jacks, when and where.

Yet, drive down the M6,7 or 8 any day of the week, and you’ll see women squatting and men with their spouts out - so let’s not pretend that we have any standards when caught short.

Ireland’s embarrassing dearth of public toilets was spotlit by Covid-19, when at one point during lockdown, there were only two in Dublin city centre, at Connolly and Heuston stations.

Three years on, not much has improved when it comes to the pandemic of ‘wild toileting’ in the capital and beyond, and a recent move from cash to contactless payment at one south Dublin facility isn’t going to help many of those dying to spend a penny while out and about.

Still, I fancy peeing in front of a friend about as much as I fancy side-by-side smear tests.

While men have the option of taking a slash in a flash at a wall of urinals, research shows how women spend an average of six minutes queuing for the toilets, and then go on to take twice as long (90 seconds) on the potty - just imagine how much longer that is going to take if dual ladies’ loos catch on.

In the meantime, I’ll be sticking to widdles for one, thanks.