If you want to build a bar, you come to this man.

Ian Mitchell has been involved with the construction or renovation of 26 pubs over the past six years. Working on behalf of Irish pubs, he's helped set up establishments all over the world - including Spain, Germany, France and Japan.

He arrived in Bulgaria last July to oversee the building of Flannagans. "It was hot," said Ian, recalling his first impressions of the country. "The roads from the airport looked a little like the surface of the moon.

"And it's full of beautiful architecture, but the condition - everything's run down. It's a shame."

Ian managed to settle in quickly, however, something attributable to the amount of time he's spent travelling the globe. "Countries are the same the world over," he said. "We all have our problems - our governmental problems, employment problems, money problems - and everyone likes to go out and enjoy themselves all the same."

After his work on Flannagans, Ian left to work on another project in Japan. He returned last November and helped set up the Irish Harp. He's since moved back to Flannagans, where he is presently assisting the bar as it looks to expand.

"The idea now is to locate a site, then create another pub," said Ian, adding they were presently looking at several major cities as possible locations. "I've worked on the design with Bulgarian architects to let them know what we want, and how we want it laid out." A large part of the work is making sure the bars are just right. "The nice thing about Irish pubs is that they have a certain atmosphere," he said. "The décor is part of it, so is the music and the staff. You have to blend the cultures."

Ian admits that his Bulgarian needs work - he knows many words, but sentences are problematic. "I'm typically English, in that we're lazy with languages," he said. "The nice thing is, the majority of the people I'm in contact with speak English - or sign language will do." Things were considerably different when Ian was working in Japan. "The job went well, but no one spoke any English. I had to buy a dictionary and point to words."

Although Ian's been living outside of England for 20 years, he doesn't find himself missing much about home. "You make your home wherever you are," he said. "Life moves on. I've returned home, but there's nothing there I remember. "In Sofia, you find places that take over what you've left behind."

Ian admits he hasn't seen as much of the country as he would like to, although he's driven across the country several times during golf excursions to Turkey. But from what he's seen, the country's inhabitants are a rare people. "There's an instant friendliness when you meet Bulgarians," he said. "Certainly within Europe, Bulgarians make you feel more at home then anywhere else."

Although he's liked most of what he's seen, Ian said he was disappointed by the last Bulgarian winter. "It didn't have the normal winter. I've never experienced a severe winter. I was looking forward to the snow, so I can learn how to ski."

He's not sure where the future will take him, but he's happy where he is right now. "That's one of the reasons for Flannagans," he said. "I want to stay in Bulgaria, I have no immediate plans to move on. I like the place, and the pace of life."

According to Ian, he's here at just the right time too. "I can't comprehend what people here went through before the change, but I think it's the right time to be in Bulgaria. It will develop very rapidly."

As far as the long-term future goes, Ian has always thought about retiring in Spain, but he admits now that things can change. "If I'm not successful work wise, I'll have to consider moving on," he said, adding it wouldn't be easy to leave.

"What I'd miss is a part of me. As you move, you miss some elements, some parts of your life."