Pub entertainment in Ireland
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Morrissey's
This half-pub, half-shop is one of those increasingly rare places that has withstood the onslaught of modernisation. Ancient biscuit tins, jars of sweets, boxes of tea and a hodgepodge of oddities line the shelves above the pew seats and pot-belly stove. It's a wonderful place to soak up the atmosphere while you cradle a pint at the sloping counter.
reviewed
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Eugene's
Not to be missed, Eugene's is a classic pub that defines craic. Intimate, cosy and has a trademark collection of visiting cards covering its walls, alongside photographs of famous writers and musicians. The inspiring collection of whiskey (Irish) and whisky (Scottish) will have you smoothly debating their relative merits.
reviewed
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Hughes’ Bar
Traditional purists love the nightly sessions at this pub, which by day caters to barristers, solicitors and their clients from the nearby Four Courts – all of whom probably need a pint, but for different reasons! Although the playing is very good, the atmosphere is a little lacking and the sessions can be a bit dead.
reviewed
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Jenny Watts
A traditional pub with a beer garden out back, Jenny's pulls in a mixed-age crowd, offering live music three nights a week, cool tunes (in the upstairs lounge) on Friday and Saturday, and jazz and blues Sunday lunchtime and evening. It also serves good pub grub, and kids are welcome at meal times.
reviewed
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Long Hall
Luxuriating in full Victorian splendour, this is one of the city's most beautiful and best-loved pubs. Check out the ornate carvings in the woodwork behind the bar and the elegant chandeliers. The bartenders are experts at their craft, an increasingly rare attribute in Dublin these days.
reviewed
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C Ní Cairbre
A national treasure, this tiny pub has been owned by the same family since 1880. Old newspaper clippings and long-faded artwork cover most surfaces and it's a great place to catch some traditional music. You might find a session going on any night of the week but especially Tuesday nights and Sunday afternoons.
reviewed
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Blake's of the Hollow
Ulster's best pint of Guinness awaits you in this traditional Victorian pub, almost unchanged since 1887, complete with marble-topped bar, four huge sherry casks, antique silver lamp holders and ancient wood panelling kippered by a century of cigarette smoke. There's traditional music from 9pm on Fridays.
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Crane Bar
An atmospheric old pub west of the Corrib, the Crane is the best spot in Galway to catch an informal céilidh most nights. Talented bands play its rowdy, good-natured upstairs bar; downstairs at times it seems right out of The Far Side.
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Franciscan Well Brewery
The copper vats gleaming behind the bar give the game away: the Franciscan Well brews its own beer. The best place to enjoy it is in the enormous beer garden at the back. The pub holds regular beer festivals with other small (and often underappreciated) Irish breweries – check the website for details.
reviewed
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Sin É
You could easily while away an entire day at this great old place, which is every thing a craic-filled pub should be. There are no frills or fuss here – just a comfy, sociable pub, long on atmosphere and short on pretension. There's music most nights, much of it traditional, but with the odd surprise.
reviewed
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Toner’s
With its stone floor and old grocer’s shelves and drawers, Toner’s feels like a country pub in the heart of the city. Though Victorian, it’s not elaborate and draws a crowd of mainly businessmen and hacks. It’s not touristy, but many visitors seek out its simple charms.
reviewed
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Kehoe's
This is one of the most atmospheric pubs in the city centre and a favourite with all kinds of Dubliners. It has a beautiful Victorian bar, a wonderful snug, and plenty of other little nooks and crannies. Upstairs, drinks are served in what was once the publican's living room – and looks it!
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Cobblestone
This pub in the heart of Smithfield has a great atmosphere in its cosy upstairs bar, where there are superb nightly music sessions performed by traditional musicians (especially Thursday) and up-and-coming folk acts.
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Dick Mack's
Announced by stars in the pavement bearing the names of its celebrity customers, Dick Mack's has an irrepressible sense of self. Ancient wood and ancient snugs dominate the interior, which is lit like the inside of a whiskey bottle. Out the back there's a warren of tables, chairs and characters.
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White's Tavern
Established in 1630 but rebuilt in 1790, White's claims to be Belfast's oldest tavern (unlike a pub, a tavern provided food and lodging). Downstairs is a traditional Irish bar with an open peat fire and live trad music Friday to Sunday; upstairs is like your granny's living room, stuffed with old armchairs and sofas, and hosting DJs and covers bands at the weekends.
reviewed
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Bushe's Bar
Seafaring paraphernalia literally drips from the ceiling at this genuinely character-filled old bar. The benches outside on the main square are the best spots in town for a sundowner and you can watch sailors get misty at the nautical views. Famous crab sandwiches are served at times.
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Palace Bar
With its mirrors and wooden niches, this is one of Dublin's great Victorian pubs and used to be the unofficial head office of the Irish Times. Throughout the 1990s it steadfastly refused to accommodate the cubs of the Celtic Tiger and has always had a reputation as a place where yuppie bullshit is barred. While the Temple Bar vibe is encroaching on it a little, the staff's razor-sharp sarcasm can still bring uppity patrons down the required peg or two. Upstairs is where you'll hear some of the city's best traditional music.
reviewed
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Peter Matthews
One of Drogheda's top spots for live music, McPhail's (as it's always called, no matter what the sign says) is popular with a younger crowd and features everything from heavy-metal cover bands to trad sessions. There's a traditional bar at the front and a beer garden out the back.
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Duke of York
Hidden away down an alley in the heart of the city's former newspaper district, the snug, traditional Duke was a hang-out for print workers and journalists and still pulls in a few hacks. One claim to fame is that the Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams, worked behind the bar here during his student days back in 1971.
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Flowing Tide
This beautiful, atmospheric old pub is directly opposite the Abbey and is popular with theatre-goers – it can get swamped around 11pm, after the curtain comes down. They blend in with some no-bullshit locals who give the place a vital edge, and make it a great place for a drink and a natter.
reviewed
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Mutton Lane Inn
Tucked down the tiniest of laneways off St Patrick's St, this inviting pub, lit by candles and fairy lights, is one of Cork's most intimate drinking holes. It's minuscule and much admired, so try to get in early to bag the snug, or join the smokers perched on beer kegs outside.
reviewed
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Kyteler's Inn
Dame Alice Kyteler's old house was built back in 1224 and has seen its share of history: the Dame had four husbands, all of whom died in suspicious circumstances, and she was charged with witchcraft in 1323. Today you can enjoy trad sessions in the basement and courtyard.
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Stag's Head
The Stag's Head was built in 1770, remodelled in 1895 and thankfully not changed a bit since then. It's a superb pub: so picturesque that it often appears in films and also featured in a postage-stamp series on Irish bars. While you're waiting for your steak and chips you may find yourself philosophising in the ecclesiastical atmosphere, as James Joyce did. It's probable that some of the fitters that worked on this pub would have also worked on churches in the area, so the stained-wood-and- polished-brass similarities are no accident. A bloody great bar, no doubt.
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O’Neill’s
A labyrinthine old pub situated near Trinity College, O’Neill’s dates from the late 19th century, though a tavern has stood on this site for more than 300 years. The odd combination of students and stockbrokers lends the place a chaotic air and it offers good food, too.
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Glimmer Man
It’s slightly out of the way, to the west of Smithfield, but this is a terrific neighbourhood bar that has benefited from the influx of foreign nationals to the area in recent years. In warm weather, the beer garden out the back is a great place to enjoy a pint.
reviewed