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Irish Pubs

September 29, 2012 by

Article by Sammy Hely

Irish Pubs are as much a part of the local scene as the iconic tiny green fields bordered by stone walls. Whether you’re a beer lover or not, you should visit at least a few Pubs during your visit.

When we traveled in Ireland with family, we stopped at a Pub for lunch. Our nieces were young at the time, and they wanted to know if it was OK for them to go into a bar…. Don’t think of them as bars.

The term pub is short for “public house”. The locals go there to hang out and socialize. Children are served food and soft drinks. Sometimes there is a special section, and they may be asked to leave earlier at night than the other patrons. The legal drinking age is 19 in Ireland.

Irish Pubs are great places to get a decent inexpensive meal. “Pub Grub” earned a bad reputation years ago, but it’s not what it used to be. There are a few pubs that have microwaved meals and wilted salads, but most are really pretty good today. To find the best pub in the area where you’re staying, just ask the host at your B-and-B. You’ll probably get a great tip for a meal and a fun evening.

In most pubs, you order at the bar… both your drink and your food. If you’re unsure how to order beer… just ask. Most bartenders or publicans will take the time to educate you. If you just ask for a beer… you’re apt to get a pint of Guinness. If you want less, ask for a half-pint.

We don’t drink beer much at home, but we love to try local beers when we travel, so we suggest you try some of the local brews in Irish Pubs. There are long handles with plaques on them at the bar that let you know what is on tap. If you ask, they will probably let you have a small taste of one or two to see if you like them… of course, you must order one in the end.

Besides Guinness Stout, there are other ales, bitters, and beers. If you like lighter beer ask for a lager, something like Harp.

Pubs are open for lunch and straight through to dinner and into the evening…. usually from 11:00 AM to 11:30 PM.

If you’re staying in a town for a couple of nights and visit the same pub, you’ll probably be hailed as a friend by your second visit. You’ll only be a stranger in a pub if you want to be. If you try talking to the locals, you’ll soon be in a conversation.

If you’re really lucky, you’ll run into some traditional music. You may find music advertised or it might just happen spontaneously. Musical instrument can be fiddles, flutes, guitars or accordions… or all of the above. But if you’re really lucky you might hear the Irish version of bagpipes… uilleann.

Whether you get music or great food or just a pint and a snack, you’ll find a friendly place to stop in an Irish Pub.

About the Author

This travel tip is brought to you by Stuart Hely of BookCentralCoast.com.au, the specialists in NSW Central Coast accommodation. Check us out for the best accommodation deals, central coast bed and breakfasts, holiday accommodation and beach accommodation.

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Irish Pubs and Nightlife: a unique experience!

September 25, 2012 by

Article by Mairead Foley

No visit to Ireland is complete until you sample a nice creamy pint of the black stuff, for when you stay here you’re never too far from a pub! Irish pubs are renowned the world over, so while in Ireland make sure to pop in and check out the real deal…

It’s really no wonder that Irish people love their pubs. They’re a great meeting place to have a conversation with an old pal, chat over a coffee, enjoy some lunch with friends, watch a match on TV or just slowly sip a pint while reading the evening paper. At night, people come here to socialise and unwind with a few drinks and most pubs have live traditional Irish music so you can sit back and be entertained.

Pubs in Ireland have a unique atmosphere and ambience that cannot be found anywhere else. Your pub experience will be all the better if you mingle with the locals, who you’ll find to be very friendly and sociable. Typical phrases that you might hear in an Irish pub include; “Sláinte” which is a toast to say “Good Health” and “the craic” which means fun.

Traditional Irish pubs are a hit with visitors to Ireland, but there are also plenty of trendy bars, disco bars, super-pubs, not to mention a healthy array of nightclubs, so when the pub calls ‘last orders’ you can hit the dance floor!

If you’re a night owl in serious need of some dancing, partying or socialising then you’ve come to the right place, as Ireland has a legendary nightlife scene. You’ll find disco bars and nightclubs in most towns and cities. If in the capital, head to the renowned Temple Bar area which is crammed with pubs, clubs and restaurants – all the right elements for a great night out!

The drink of choice in Ireland is Guinness – which we probably now consider to be our “national drink”. You can also enjoy favourites such as Heineken, Budweiser, Carlsberg, Harp, Murphy’s and Smithwicks. The average price of a pint is about EUR3.50 but expect to pay more for it in cities.

Pubs can serve until 11.30pm Sunday to Thursday and until 12.30am on Friday’s and Saturday’s. Most pubs turn on and off their lights to tell customers that it’s last orders and you definitely know it’s time to go when you hear the barman shout ” have you no homes to go to?!!”

Socialising in Ireland has taken on a new dimension since the introduction of the smoking ban. Now smoking is not allowed in pubs, which has in turn created a cleaner and more sociable atmosphere. But don’t worry if you’re a smoker, as you’ll find most pubs have a smoking shelter, smoking hut or a beer garden.

If you have kids in tow bear in mind you’ll have to head away early as children aren’t allowed in the pub after 10pm in the Summer and 9pm in the Winter.

About the Author

Mairead Foley writes for the Ireland travel and accommodation website http://www.GoIreland.com

Visit www.GoIreland.com for all you need to know before visiting Ireland, like what to see and where to go. View B&Bs, guesthouses and self catering all over Ireland, as well as hotels like Dublin hotels .

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Escorted Irish Pub Tours Chauffeur Driven Irish Pub Crawl Road Trip Limerick to Galway & Dublin

January 31, 2012 by

Article by Taylor B Hill

An Irish Pub Crawl road trip is perfect for Ireland group travel and your next vacation delivering you into the heart of Irish pub culture and the most beautiful scenery Ireland has to offer. For Ireland Pub tours you could fly from Shannon to Dublin but then you would miss all the fun, music, scenery, and pub crawls along the way while making new friends over a pint or two. Experience the ultimate Ireland road trip journey from Limerick via Galway and Connemara to Dublin visit Dolan’s Pub in Limerick, the Western Bar in Galway, Celtic Crossroads, Lockes Distillery and highlight of any Irish pub tour group vacation the famous Jameson Dublin Literary Pub Crawl in Dublin’s fair city.

Day by Day Ireland Pub Tour Road Trip Journey from Limerick via Galway and Connemara to Dublin

Ireland is truly a warm and welcoming country, or as the Gaelic phrase “Cead Mile Failte” expresses so eloquently, “a hundred thousand welcomes”. Participating in an Ireland pub Tour provides you with advantages over individuals traveling on their own. Besides being chauffeured from one place to the next your guide will provide interesting historical insight into Irish culture and you will be delighted by the diversity of the carefully planned activities.

The best Irish pub tours are packaged so you enjoy culture, fun, entertainment and breathtaking natural scenery ensuring every Irish Pub Tour member gets the most from a visit on an Ireland vacation. Whether you are a keen photographer, music lover, fellow Irishman or just like a pint or two of Guinness stout, this road trip has something for everyone!

The Irish pub tour includes Dolan’s Pub in Limerick, famous for its live acoustic sessions, where local musicians jam nightly playing traditional Irish music, the Western Bar in Galway, an authentic Irish pub with traditional entertainment favored by the locals, take in Ireland’s best musical stage show, Celtic Crossroads. Irish Pub Tour Group members can try the finest Irish Whiskey at the Lockes Distillery and finish with the famous Jameson Dublin Literary Pub Crawl. Plus enjoy the natural scenic beauty of the Cliffs of Moher, contrasting starkness of the Burren, Galway, Roundstone, a village in Connemara boasting one of the most beautiful locations in Ireland, tour Kylemore Abbey, and spend a couple of days in Dublin.

Fly to Shannon overnight in Limerick Get Ready for Ireland’s Scenic Beauty

On day one of your journey, an Eirebus chauffeur and professional Ireland tour group guide meet members at the Shannon Airport. You travel north to one of Ireland’s most stunning sights, the Cliffs of Moher, where some days you can see clear to the Aran Islands. Time to relax at the hotel in Limerick before stepping out on the town.

Celebrate your first night in Ireland by visiting Dolan’s Pub, one of Limerick’s best known hostelries, established in 1878, Dolan’s Pub has earned the reputation for hosting wonderful acoustic sessions where local musicians are invited to join in nightly. Overnight in a Limerick hotel like the Adare Manor or Hilton.

Journey from Limerick to Galway, the heart of Gaelic Culture

On day two travel north to Galway, your touring base for the next three nights. On the way, discover the stark beauty of the Burren, one of the largest Karst landscapes in Europe, formed by the erosion of layers of soluble bedrock over millions of years resulting in an undulating series of hills, terraces, caves and cliffs, all in constantly changing hues of grey. There are more than 90 megalithic tombs in the area, a Celtic high cross and a number of ancient ring forts which some say were part of ancient Ireland’s mating rituals.

This afternoon arrive in Galway and tonight Ireland Group Travel members are chauffeured to the Western Bar to enjoy authentic Irish Music. Even the most well travelled member of the Irish Pub Tour will not have experienced the fun and spontaneity of the locals suddenly bursting into song, uniting together in their renditions of popular Irish songs. The Irish are notorious for their love of singing in pubs so do not be surprised if you suddenly find yourself in the middle of a performance of “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling”. Overnight in a Galway hotel like the fabulous 5 star Glenlo Abbey Hotel

Experience a Day of History, Bodhran Craftsmanship, and Celtic Crossroads musical stage show

Day three it’s on to the picturesque Kylemore Abbey, oldest Irish Benedictine Abbey, and convent of the Benedictine Nuns of Ypres. Work up an appetite as you stroll the shores of Lake Kylemore, see the beautifully restored Gothic Church, take in the exhibition at the visitor’s center or look around the craft shop and pottery studio where you can watch Kylemore Abbey Pottery being made and then treat yourself to some delicious home cooked food.

Drive on to the village of Roundstone, one of the oldest resorts in Connemara and most beautiful settings and picturesque village overlooking the Atlantic. Home of Malachy Kearns or Malachy Bodhran as folk musicians call him, a master craftsman of the Bodhran, the round skin drum played with both ends of a beater and heartbeat of Irish folk music. Tonight back in Galway attend the Celtic Crossroads Show, Ireland’s highly acclaimed music and stage show, from the roots of Irish traditional music through to its modern day counterparts such as Jazz, Classical, Bluegrass and Gypsy. After the show rest up at the hotel in Galway.

Today travel through the Scenic Middle Counties visit Lockes Distillery before reaching Dublin

On the fourth day of your Ireland group travel vacation you head east through the central counties of Ireland towards Dublin. On the way, visit Lockes Distillery, licensed in 1757, the oldest pot still distillery in the world, and produced triple distilled whiskey for 200 years. Closed in 1957 and then restored into a Museum by the local people. See the original 19th century water wheel and the steam engine and fascinating process of whiskey making from grinding the grain to casking the final product then try a complimentary sample of Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey! Arrive in Dublin in time to relax at your hotel and a free night to explore the whole host of pubs Ireland’s Capital has to offer.

Experience Dublin City Tour & highly entertaining Jameson Dublin Literary Pub Crawl

Its day five already and today Ireland pub tour group members will enjoy everything this city has to offer on the Dublin City Tour: Your guide will take you to the most impressive cultural hotspots including Trinity College — one of the great Universities of the world, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, with its 140 foot spire, Dublin Castle — dating back to 1208 and now a major Irish Government complex, O’Connell Street — part of a grand thoroughfare that runs through the centre of Dublin, and Georgian Squares — see shining examples of the last remaining Georgian architecture.

This afternoon Irish Pub Tour members can relax a bit before joining one of the most entertaining pub crawls anywhere. Join in the Jameson Dublin Literary Pub Crawl and wind your way through the streets of Dublin absorbing the atmosphere, taking in the sights and sound, while a team of rambling players and minstrels accompany you with renditions of verse and prose, drama and song from the Dublin literary greats, including Joyce, Beckett, and Oscar Wilde. You’ll find out how the pub culture began and why it was so important to writers. This is definitely an evening not to be missed. Overnight at Trinity Capital Hotel or similar in central Dublin.

A Fond Farewell to the Emerald Isle

On day six your chauffeur escorts you to Dublin Airport and as you say your farewells to the Emerald Isle, you may feel a little sad but your heart will be overflowing with love for this beautiful country, her welcoming people and the memories you will now treasure forever. The real beauty of Ireland is her people and sharing this with your Irish Pub tour members is something you will all have in common whenever you chat or think back about visit to Ireland and the absolutely brilliant time you had on this Irish Pub Crawl tour.

Taylor Hill, author and world traveler discovered the perfect Irish pub tour. Experience Ireland’s beautiful scenery and sample a pint or two on one of these Irish Pub Tours. Contact Travel Solutions Ireland www.travelsolutionsireland.com for more details about Ireland group travel vacations and Ireland Pub tours.

About the Author

Taylor Hill, author and world traveler discovered the perfect Irish pub tour. Experience Ireland’s beautiful scenery and sample a pint or two on one of these Irish Pub Tours. Contact Travel Solutions Ireland www.travelsolutionsireland.com for more details about Ireland group travel vacations and Ireland Pub tours.

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