Irish pubs on Holidays

I love going into Irish bars on holidays, its makes a welcome change from sitting in European style cafe bars in Dublin where the beer is over priced, staff and door men ignorant and listening to american style accents on every young one there.

This year I went to Prague and Budapest which according to some of my colleagues are "boring places." This is coming from the people who go to Lanzarote every year. To me that is boring but I don't feel the need to tell them that. Whatever you're into.

Patww79 wrote: »

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I suppose it also depends on whether you can deal with the idea that in other countries people eat with their beer, causing offense to Paddies who believe that eating and drinking should be kept separate :rolleyes:

Patww79 wrote: »

I've never been in an Irish bar abroad that didn't serve food. It's rare these days, in Dublin anyway, to find a bar in Ireland that doesn't serve food.

But, but, but Paddy is a backward GAA jersey wearing ignoramus with a drink problem. What would he be wanting food for?

God, I hate these ****ing threads.

Deleted User wrote: »

I stay the hell away from them. If I've traveled hundreds of miles, paid hundreds of euros on flights and accommodation, there's no way in hell I'm going to do pretty much what I can do here. If I want to go to an Irish pub, I'll stay at home.

Yeah, because you can really rock up to an bar here at 12 at night on a Monday, find a good crowd, atmosphere, live music and reasonably priced drink, and not have to leave until 4. Vast majority of pubs all over the country are empty Sunday - Thurs and too wedged to be comfortable in anytime they have live music.

Laughable amount of snobbery on this thread. Yes some Irish bars, the neon shamrock types, are disgraces and should be avoided. But there's any amount of decent Irish boozers abroad where holidaymakers can relax in a good atmosphere in the evening knowing they'll be in company with likeminded people. My parents are fairly cultured travelers, but after a day driving around to monasteries or ruins, love nothing better than pints in the local Irish bar most nights where they can hear some music and make new friends. Majority of people go on holidays with their spouse (possibly kids), and they don't exactly want to be solely confined to each others conversation for 2 weeks. With our very unique sense of humour, the majority tend to seek out other Irish for company and fun. By far the best place to do this is in an Irish bar. For some reason Irish people are far more open and friendly when abroad, but thats a different debate

chrissb8 wrote: »

God. I hate them with a passion. The same tacky "Irishness" seen in Carrolls gift shop. If your idea fora holiday is to sit in a pub drinking then you're a sad individual. As if alcohol isn't around you in Ireland enough.

If I went away with my girlfriend I'd do touristy stuff during the day and have a few drinks at night, depending on where I am or whats near I might go into an Irish bar I might not. If I go away with a big group of friends we'll probably end up in a pub for most of the holiday. It's different strokes for different folks.
Just because it isn't your idea of a holiday does't give you the right to look down your nose at people and hold yourself to some superior level. I don't like going on a cycling holidays for example but I would't judge people who do or sneer at them with a sense of arrogance and tell them sure you could do that in Ireland. :rolleyes:

lawlolawl wrote: »

Wah-hey! Up ya boy ya! De ladz are on tour!

The Backwards Man wrote: »

They're great places for rounding up all the idiots so you can avoid them elsewhere.

Ha ha. Thanks to this fresh perspective, it seems yes these establishments have their place. They are effectively holding pens for full time mad bastards.

Roll on "Irish" pubs.

Pinch Flat wrote: »

I just got back from my holidays. Couldn't get enough of the Irish pubs! But then again I holidayed in Kerry this year. :pac:

But yeah could never the mindset who sit around in the Brendan Behan or The Ould Sod or whatever when out foreign.

Lack of imagination i think plays a part, following a crowd also plays into this.

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

I don't mind visiting them sometimes, in foreign cities. I can think of having good fun in ones in Wellington and Madrid and Munich anyway. I don't see the problem with them at all!

Its a comfort blanket for some people I know, a very tangible fear of change for some too, they'll go to one with the excuse of watching the match but will spend all day in the place, "having de craic" with other Irish people, honestly its a little sad to me.

I'm not saying you have to be sightseeing for 12 hours a day either, but at least take in the area, check out some local cafe's, few nice restaurants, attempt the language, even if you fail miserably (guilty on that one), if you're just going to a sunny location and then doing what you would have done here anyway then why bother. I know some have said and will say oh i do tourist stuff all day so i just want to go somewhere familiar at night. You're in a beautiful foreign country, give Ireland a break for a few days lads, it wont kill you.

Buckfast W wrote: »

Why are people getting so worked up when it's each to his own?
There's an Australian pub in Dublin with Australian staff, I don't feel the need to give them **** or ask them why would they travel thousands of miles to work in an Australian pub. I accept the fact that it's a personal choice and has no effect on my life what so ever.

Holiday hipsters.
Nothing sad whatsoever about people sitting in an Irish pub all day long on holidays once that is what they are happy doing.

Buckfast W wrote: »

Why are people getting so worked up when it's each to his own?

Self loathing of their Irishness is what a lot of people do on this site

HalloweenJack wrote: »

They're not something I look out for but they can be good fun and a good place to meet people. Also, every now and then, I do get a bit homesick and it's nice to go to one and get a sense of home.

When I lived in Brno in the Czech Republic, a massively homogenous city not at all like metropolitan Prague, there was an Irish pub called the Immigrant which was more of a chill out zone for all non-Czechs and it was a good way to meet and connect with people going through the same thing as me, i.e. living in a foreign country with a very difficult language and, in some cases, mine included, struggling to meet people. Not having that place would have made things a lot more difficult for me.

Here in Spain, I don't really go to them because they're a lot more expensive than local bars. I'd only go if it was to watch a particular sporting event that wouldn't be on in any other bar around. I've settled here a lot better than I did in the Czech Republic so I don't go to meet people as I previously did but I reckon they can be of use to people who don't speak the local language or are struggling to meet people.

Ah of course I completely understand that if you're permanently away it could be very useful for meeting people etc.

Allinall wrote: »

Pub snobbery.

Gotta love it.

I always seek out an Irish pub when abroad.

Get a bottle of Bud- order a well done steak- watch English football and tell everyone to mind their own fecking business.

Bud and well done steak?
Nooooo