Irish pubs on Holidays

Cina wrote: »

You're not doing a drinking holiday right if you don't at some point somehow end up in an Irish Pub despite doing your best to avoid them.

What is a "drinking holiday"?

I agree with the posters who say its a good idea to visit on the first night and get some local gen. For the most part I avoid them though. I don't go on holiday to sit in a pub especially an Irish one I'd rather be out and about doing things. Abroad they are usually the most expensive and dirty kips going too and nothing much irish about them in reality. A few drinks at the end of the night I'd rather somewhere the locals go and less touristy...

There is one exception I guess if I wanted to catch a big match where yeah an Irish bar is probably the place to be alright.

Have to say one exception to what I said comes to my mind. Down in Nice there is a pub in the town called Ma Nolan's. Irish owned and staffed. More like a luxurious kind of sports bar. Lovely place with big screens, nice staff and food. No tat on the walls or Wolfe Tone records apart from an accent behind the bar you wouldn't think it was an Irish bar at all... lovely place..

yourdeadwright wrote: »

Just wondering how many people here go to Irish pubs when away on holidays,

I stay away from them unless there's a hurling or football match I want to see.

Let's be honest here. The type of foreign destination were talking about here are the Benalmadena & Puerto Del Carmens where the choice of nightlife is your bog standard Irish traditional pub or the tacky British dives encumbered by St.George's flags, white plastic patio chairs and every football jersey under the sun pinned to the ceiling.

Ibrox Bar in Playa Las Americas Tenerife, I'm looking at you. *Shudders*

Irish pub is the lesser of two evils really.

Farmers tan, GAA jerseys, sweaty red freckled faces, and a smell of sweat. No Thanks.

Don't usually visit them, unless someone else with us insists on going. The best ones are in France. They are not diddly eye dye places at all, not very much OIRISH going on, the French just seem to like the "pub" thing as opposed to the local cafe bar.

Anyway, I had it all sussed. Was going to be in Bayonne in France for the Ire/Sw game on the Monday. Looked up t'internet, found a place called Katie Dalys. Fab. Said I'd ring them but forgot, as you do, and then when there was no reply, on the day, looked up Goggle only to find that the place was CLOSED on Mondays. Oh my days.

Anyway, went to their facebook page and asked where two lovely cailini could watch the match in the town since they were closed. They gave us a rec for a Basque Bar nearby, so off we went.

Ha ha, this is rugby country so believe it or not there was NO football on the effin telly. But since I speak the cupla focal en Francais, I explained to the barman what we were looking for.

Well I never!, He turned on the massive screen, got us two seats in front of it, gave us free tapas, and we had our flags and whistles, so before too long a crowd arrived bit by bit. We had a right laugh with them all. Fun Day/evening. The commentary was in French, but we tuned into RTE Radio 1 on the phone and followed it all no bother.

Thanks Katie Daly's. Some day will go back to see you, but NOT on a Monday.

I hope you liked my little story...... lol.

Gwynplaine wrote: »

Farmers tan, GAA jerseys, sweaty red freckled faces, and a smell of sweat. No Thanks.

In Bondi Junction perhaps. I often find they're the best place to meet the locals, who are also fond of an Irish bar too unsurprisingly!

conorhal wrote: »

Meh. We do pubs better then most nations on earth, I used to think like you, ensure my 'cultural experience' on holiday was untainted by chippers and Irish bars, but then you go drinking in Italy, and franky they don't even do bars in Rome, they do coffee shops that make a half hearted attemt to serve alcohol. Sometimes an Irish bar is the best and only place to go for a session.

My brother in law lives in Rome and he has brought us to some great bars. No Irish ones though. Cocktails for a fiver and good music (no diddly eye sh*te).

Why in one of the most stunning cities in the world would you want to be stuck in an Irish bar?

I've been all over Europe and I wouldn't bother looking for an Irish bar. Sitting listening to some lad in a gaa jersey almost in tears about how he loves Ireland, this foreign food is muck and the locals don't know how to drink.

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Because most people are only going there in the evening, or for a couple of pints? Not the whole day?

Next time I go to Chez Max beside Dublin Castle, I'm going to walk up to some French tourists and sardonically inquire as to why they're in a French joint when they're on holiday.

Béotiens.

That place is great, just wait till Bastille Day!