Best towns in Northern Ireland for Stags

sambowden · 10-04-2021 4:58pm #1

Hey,
Organising stag for late in the year, probably going to head up North as it has a better chance of pubs being open then. If its all closed down then so be it, we will cancel, but if they are open I'm trying to figure our best options.

Ideally somewhere with good pub per square mileage in one central location. Thinking of a medium sized places, along the lines of Carrick or Kilkenny, where everything's pretty central.

Am thinking the likes of Enniskillen, Omagh, Derry, Newry but have no clue the quality of nightlife in any of them!

Anyone have any suggestions, even random spots that I probably wouldn't have even thought of!!

EmmetSpiceland · 10-04-2021 5:06pm

None, everywhere closes too early and the natives are not very friendly.

If you’re “stuck” and have to go then I’d say stick with Derry.

Montage of Feck · 10-04-2021 5:09pm

Misread the title as "best town for slags"! Freudian slip?

alchemist33 · 10-04-2021 5:11pm

Assuming you're avoiding Belfast, go for Derry as it has a greater number of pubs and is more used to tourists

Larbre34 · 10-04-2021 5:12pm

Northern Ireland is poxy for nightlife. Belfast has its spots, but with likely tensions in areas there for the foreseeable future, I'd be going anywhere else.

10-04-2021 5:14pm

Desperate nightlife up there. Pig thick bouncers grabbing your pint glass out of your hand the very minute closing time is reached. Soulless pubs. Suspicious locals. No chance of a lock-in.

To be honest even some hellhole like Portlaoise or Tipperary town would be a better choice.

pgj2015 · 10-04-2021 6:41pm

Montage of Feck wrote: »

Misread the title as "best town for slags"! Freudian slip?

Derry.

circadian · 10-04-2021 6:44pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

None, everywhere closes too early and the natives are not very friendly.

If you’re “stuck” and have to go then I’d say stick with Derry.

Ah here, despite the moaning of people on here about how dour us nordies are we're a fairly welcoming bunch.

I've met up with many travelling mates when I'm home in Derry and they all remark how open and chatty people are if you're just sitting by yourself in the pub.

10-04-2021 6:45pm

If you're going around Halloween, go to Derry

circadian · 10-04-2021 6:46pm

sambowden wrote: »

Hey,
Organising stag for late in the year, probably going to head up North as it has a better chance of pubs being open then. If its all closed down then so be it, we will cancel, but if they are open I'm trying to figure our best options.

Ideally somewhere with good pub per square mileage in one central location. Thinking of a medium sized places, along the lines of Carrick or Kilkenny, where everything's pretty central.

Am thinking the likes of Enniskillen, Omagh, Derry, Newry but have no clue the quality of nightlife in any of them!

Anyone have any suggestions, even random spots that I probably wouldn't have even thought of!!

In normal times Derry has a good nightlife. If it's pub crawling then Waterloo Street all the way across Castle Gate to Bennigans on John St will cover plenty of good bars, live music is pretty common too.

Haven't been clubbing in Derry in a long time but the Nerve Centre and upstairs in Masons were great spots and Sugar or whatever it's called these days is your run of the mill big nightclub.

sambowden · 10-04-2021 8:43pm

i assume there are late bars up there like down south, open until like 2am!?? Wouldnt be any of us too interested in night clubs I dont think.

Sounds like Derry might be best bet. Suits us as we are coming mainly from the west so handier than the other side.

Think at this stage Im just in a 'beggars cant be choosers' kind of mindset and as you can imagine Im just hedging my bets a bit by going up north - more chance of pubs being fully open and as we have to book some accommodation soon enough Im not left with much options...

Our alternative was to rent out a big gaff somewhere and thats still an option but just thinking lads might be a bit sick of drinking in houses at that stage as we have a summer of that ahead of us.

EmmetSpiceland · 10-04-2021 8:48pm

sambowden wrote: »

i assume there are late bars up there like down south, open until like 2am!?? Wouldnt be any of us too interested in night clubs I dont think.

Check “closing times” well in advance. Also, be wary of the nationalists just as much as the unionists. Nothing worse than having some screeching nordie in your ear ranting about how the people of “free state” abandoned them.

And, please, steer clear of Portadown. It’s nothing but a hive of spite and malice.

jimmycrackcorm · 10-04-2021 8:53pm

bubblypop wrote: »

If you're going around Halloween, go to Derry

But make sure you're wearing fancy dress otherwise you'll stand out like a sore thumb.

10-04-2021 8:54pm

Cushendall

sambowden · 10-04-2021 9:12pm

been reading pubs must close no later than 1am in Derry, is that still the case!? Any talk of it changing once they reopen this summer?

That would be a bit of a deal breaker alright I'd say, 1am is very early!!

Hangdogroad · 10-04-2021 11:17pm

Larne, Ballymena and Portadown.

BalcombeSt4 · 11-04-2021 1:53am

Nice pubs in, Strabane, Clady, Crossmaglen, Cappagh, Silverbridge, Carrickmore, Coleraine, Keady, Bessbrook, Belleeks, Camlough, Newtownhamilton & Charlemont.

Most of the small villages like Belleeks & Cappagh only have the 1 pub

BalcombeSt4 · 11-04-2021 2:01am

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

None, everywhere closes too early and the natives are not very friendly.

If you’re “stuck” and have to go then I’d say stick with Derry.

Ah yeah those 2 million northerner's are unfriendly.

Unlike Dublin were nobody will try to rob you or sell you pills &/or heroin the second you get of the train.

sambowden · 11-04-2021 2:58pm

cheers, will check them out, ya I'd say there would need to be at least 5 or 6 pubs, also a also a decent sized hotel to fit all 15/20 of us.

dxhound2005 · 11-04-2021 8:06pm

BalcombeSt4 wrote: »

Nice pubs in, Strabane, Clady, Crossmaglen, Cappagh, Silverbridge, Carrickmore, Coleraine, Keady, Bessbrook, Belleeks, Camlough, Newtownhamilton & Charlemont.

Most of the small villages like Belleeks & Cappagh only have the 1 pub

I'd say it would be a first for the likes of Silverbridge, Beleeks or Newtownhamilton to host a stag party.

11-04-2021 8:14pm

Everything closes early in Northern Ireland and I think the main nightclub in Derry (which also closes early) shut down a few years back.

Dunno why Belleek is mentioned. It has 2 pubs, the hotel can’t be relied upon to be open and the locals always bussed it to Bundoran anyway.

dxhound2005 · 11-04-2021 8:19pm

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Everything closes early in Northern Ireland and I think the main nightclub in Derry (which also closes early) shut down a few years back.

Dunno why Belleek is mentioned. It has 2 pubs, the hotel can’t be relied upon to be open and the locals always bussed it to Bundoran anyway.

Beleeks, Co Armagh.

11-04-2021 8:20pm

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Beleeks, Co Armagh.

Oh. Carry on then I don’t know that place

Aongus Von Bismarck · 11-04-2021 8:40pm

Northern Ireland has a handful of excellent golf courses and a pleasant coastal drive. There's very little else to recommend about it. Belfast is a dour and grey little city, and you can almost smell the bitterness and resentment off the place. Everything closes early as well, and we found ourselves back at the bar at the Fitzwilliam at 12.30 to get a night cap. Certainly wouldn't recommend it for a stag.

What I've always found surprising about people from Northern Ireland is they consider themselves really friendly. Preposterous. The much-vaunted Ulster Fry tends to be little more than a plate of grease and cheap pieces of highly-processed pig meat.

Dreadful part of the world.

Fann Linn · 11-04-2021 8:42pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Larne, Ballymena and Portadown.

Especially in July.

Fann Linn · 11-04-2021 8:44pm

Going to throw the cat amongst the pigeons here but I went to a great stags in Monaghan years ago.

EmmetSpiceland · 11-04-2021 8:49pm

Fann Linn wrote: »

Going to throw the cat amongst the pigeons here but I went to a great stags in Monaghan years ago.

Monaghan is in the republic.

Fann Linn · 11-04-2021 8:51pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Monaghan is in the republic.

I know. Hence the reason I said I'll throw the cat amongst the pigeons.

wally79 · 11-04-2021 8:54pm

Fann Linn wrote: »

I know. Hence the reason I said I'll throw the cat amongst the pigeons.

OP is worried restrictions in republic will still be in place hence looking at NI

awec · 11-04-2021 9:02pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Desperate nightlife up there. Pig thick bouncers grabbing your pint glass out of your hand the very minute closing time is reached. Soulless pubs. Suspicious locals. No chance of a lock-in.

To be honest even some hellhole like Portlaoise or Tipperary town would be a better choice.

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Northern Ireland has a handful of excellent golf courses and a pleasant coastal drive. There's very little else to recommend about it. Belfast is a dour and grey little city, and you can almost smell the bitterness and resentment off the place. Everything closes early as well, and we found ourselves back at the bar at the Fitzwilliam at 12.30 to get a night cap. Certainly wouldn't recommend it for a stag.

What I've always found surprising about people from Northern Ireland is they consider themselves really friendly. Preposterous. The much-vaunted Ulster Fry tends to be little more than a plate of grease and cheap pieces of highly-processed pig meat.

Dreadful part of the world.

Always amusing reading the thoughts of those who have clearly never set foot north of the border.

OP, northerners are of course friendly, as friendly as anywhere else. We do have a very low tolerance for pompous, pretentious visitors who visit with a misplaced sense of superiority. I suppose like anywhere else really. OP, if you fall into this category you might think northerners are unfriendly.

Personally, I'd recommend Belfast. Good for pub crawls are there are lots of good pubs in a short walking distance. IMO it's better than Dublin in some respects.

Unfortunately, the 1am closing time is pretty much universal and it's enforced pretty rigidly. This is the major downfall.

pgj2015 · 11-04-2021 9:11pm

awec wrote: »

Always amusing reading the thoughts of those who have clearly never set foot north of the border.

OP, northerners are of course friendly, as friendly as anywhere else. We do have a very low tolerance for pompous, pretentious visitors who visit with a misplaced sense of superiority. I suppose like anywhere else really. OP, if you fall into this category you might think northerners are unfriendly.

Personally, I'd recommend Belfast. Good for pub crawls are there are lots of good pubs in a short walking distance. IMO it's better than Dublin in some respects.

Unfortunately, the 1am closing time is pretty much universal and it's enforced pretty rigidly. This is the major downfall.

No one from the south is going to be booking Belfast after what has gone on there this week.

Best towns in Northern Ireland for Stags

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