Pub entertainment in Ireland
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Róisín Dubh
From the rooftop terrace you can see sweeping views of Galway; inside emerging acts play here before they hit the big time. It's the place to hear bands.
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Atlantic Bar
Dating from 1792, this spearmint-and-moss-green drinking hole is Buncrana's oldest and most atmospheric pub.
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Hussy's
Escape the tourist mobs and muse over a pint in this small pub retaining a snug at the entrance.
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Cryan's
A traditional little pub with few frills, this is another good bet for traditional music sessions on Saturday and Sunday nights.
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Courtney's
Inconspicuous on the outside, inside this timeless trad pub bursts at the seams with traditional music sessions many nights year-round. This is where locals come to see their old mates perform and to kick off a night on the town.
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Geoff's
This cavernous pub with creaky wooden floors and rock music pumping from the speakers packs in a lively student crowd.
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Cottage Bar
Watch your head! All sorts of bric-a-brac hangs precariously from the ceiling of Letterkenny's most atmospheric pub. It's popular with a young student crowd at weekends but is a good spot for a quiet mid-week pint.
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John O'Dea
Unchanged since at least the 1950s, this plain-tile-fronted pub is a hideout for local musicians serious about their trad sessions. Gets some of Clare's best.
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Antique Tavern
Slanted on the side of a hill, this creaky black-and-white pub is somewhere between twee and rustic. It has traditional live music most weekends in summer.
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John Benny’s
Lively trad, set dancing and singing are on offer from 9.30pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
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Joseph McHugh's Bar
Next to Vaughan's, lots of courtyard tables and regular trad sessions make this old pub a winner.
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An Cruiscín Lán
Trad bands and world, blues and pop musicians all play at this acclaimed bar south of the river.
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Cooley's House
Another great old pub, but with music most nights in summer and on Wednesday (trad night) in winter.
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Tí Joe Mac's
Informal music sessions, turf fires and a broad terrace with harbour views make Tí Joe Mac's a local favourite. Food is limited to a few sandwiches slapped together between pints.
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Crowley's
One of the best bars for music, Crowley's has traditional bands on Wednesday nights.
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Seán Óg's
Fair diddling trad music is on at this rambling and raucous bar from Sunday to Thursday in summer and up to a couple of times a week outside season.
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Florry Batt's
Draws a cheerful crowd and occasional singalongs.
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Phil Carroll
Near Nelson St, this diminutive place is Clonmel's most atmospheric old boozer.
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An Seanachai
This cavernous, barnlike pub has traditional music sessions most nights.
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John Mulligan's
This brilliant old boozer was established in 1782 and has barely changed over the years. In fact, the last time it was renovated was when Christy Brown and his rowdy clan ran amok here in the film <em>My Left Foot</em>. It has one of the finest pints of Guinness in Dublin and a colourful crew of regulars. It's just off Fleet St, outside the eastern boundary of Temple Bar.
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James Toner’s
Toner’s, with its stone floors and antique snugs, has changed little over the years and is the closest thing you’ll get to a country pub in the heart of the city. The shelves and drawers are reminders that it once doubled as a grocery shop. The writer Oliver St John Gogarty once brought WB Yeats here, after the upper-class poet – who only lived around the corner – decided he wanted to visit a pub. After a silent sherry in the noisy bar, Yeats turned to his friend and said, ‘I have seen the pub, now please take me home’. We always suspected he was a little too precious for normal people, and he would probably be horrified by the good-natured business crowd making the…
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International Bar
This tiny pub with a huge personality is a top spot for an afternoon pint. It has a long bar, stained-glass windows, red velour seating and a convivial atmosphere. Some of Ireland's most celebrated comedians stuttered through their first set in the Comedy Cellar, which is, of course, upstairs.
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Yukon Bar
A lively pub with a resident fortune teller, this place has a great atmosphere and regular live music. Depending on the day of the week you'll find a range of soul, blues and rock music on offer.
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Woulfe's Horseshoe Bar
The food (daily roasts, battered fish et al) is nothing to write home about, nor is the service. Still, this pub just off the Square is a cosy spot for a pint.
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White House Pub
A classic right in the centre, this corner pub has outdoor seating (under a rare tree) and a good beer list. On some nights it has live acoustic music, on others it helps lead a rebirth of local poetry through readings (www.whitehousepoets.blogspot.com).
reviewed