Andrew Aigner-MuehlerLIVING OVERSEAS from my eyes.. THE PUBS, NIGHTLIFE AND THE GUINESS
January 26th 2008 04:53
THE PUBS, NIGHTLIFE AND THE GUINESS
Where do I start. A man in Ireland will never die of thirst because there is pub on every street corner. Apparently there is certain number of pubs all over Ireland, and that number will never be exceeded, if you want to open a pub in Ireland you have to wait until one closes down, that’s what I have been told anyway. But then there is a lot of myths in Ireland, just like they use the water from the Liffey in Dublin to make the Guiness.
Unfortunately I cant tell you about every single pub in Ireland, I would love to, but it would be one great effort to visit each pub and have a drink, but, I will tell you about some of my favourite pubs, which just had to be my locals. Lets start with The Bleeding Horse situated on Lower Camden Street, the Bleeding Horse is a great pub to hang out with your mates and have a drink before hitting the clubs. The bar is two storey’s, and has many rooms which are tiny to small to big. The one thing which attracted to me the Bleeding Horse back when I lived in Dublin and even the times I go back to Dublin is that I think they have the best Guiness in Ireland, my apologies to St James Gate and all of the other pubs in Ireland, but I never loved the black stuff better than at the Bleeding Horse.
Atleast two nights per week I had started with having a few Guiness’s at the Bleeding Horse, before making my way to Copperface Jacks which is situated in Harcourt street, just around the corner from the Bleeding Horse and down the road from the Guardia station, and before 11pm so I can get in for free still. Copperface Jacks is a bar and carvery by day then they open down stairs at night. Unfortunately the bar has another name to the Irish and that is Slapperface Jacks, as a guy you are certain to pick up/ score or snog on the night. Copperface Jacks is also known for its high turn out of nurses and guardia (that’s policeman or policewoman in all English countries), unfortunately again for those who like the opposite sex in uniform, they never rock up in uniform. You just find out by getting to know them on the night or in Brett’s case finding out the next morning when a guard leaves her badge behind in room. I got to know coppers pretty well as I was there four or more nights per week. Coppers is always packed every night of the week, and plays seventies eighties nineties and music from today and every night is always a great night. I will always revisit coppers for a night out when I visit the country, it remains my choice of night clubs to go to in Dublin.
After leaving coppers I either do one of two things, when I have had a night I want to forget I would stumble left out the doors down the alley way left again on Camden and then up the stairs at 39 Camden street and into bed or join any other late nighters at that address. Or I would stumble right out the doors down to Gigs Place which was a late night restaurant which would stay open for the late night partygoers who would want a early breakfast and maybe even continue drinking with a bottle of red wine, which I done on many occasions.
Other good pubs in Dublin are Flannery’s also situated on Camden Street which I visited on Monday nights with my house mates as we would have a drink together, whoops that is exaggeration, more than one okay, and also enter the bars free quiz that they have every Monday night, which seemed to be pretty popular, as the bar was fairly full. Just for the record our house only ever won it once and I wasn’t there, not to say I was the reason for us always loosing. Across the road from Flannery’s was a night club called Planet Murphys, which is no longer there and now is a American style pool lounge. At the time Planet Murphys was around it was mainly a student bar and always seemed to be full. This was the bar we celebrated Australia’s win over Ireland in the year 2000 when Australia toured Ireland as part of the international rules series that we won two nil at Croke Park. The whole house went to the first match and stood on the hill.
Just down the road from the old Planet Murphys is Whelan’s another great pub, which has live bands out the back and the front bar at the front. Doesn’t look much from the front, but I tell it is one of the most popular bars in Dublin and is always full and is must for all visitors to Ireland. I will warn you there is not much room to move, but what the heck you will have fun, it’s a great pub.
As antipodean (Aussie, Kiwi or Saffa) you need to visit Down Under At Major Tom’s and keep yourself in touch with your home country. It’s not a Irish pub so it doesn’t look like a Irish pub, looks like a country or outback pub in Australia with guernseys and pictures of antipodean sporting teams. It has a square shaped bar in the center of the room which is sought of known for its ladies bras and Nickers on a clothes line above the bar, so ladies if you’re out of money and want a drink, there you go you know what to do. It wasn’t one of my favourite pubs but if you like Australian beers and that and want to keep in touch with your football teams back home it’s a good place, it also turns into a dance club at night.
One thing I just loved about Ireland, is their student nights where you can purchase bottles of Miller or Budweiser for a pound (Irish pound back then before the Euro), the two bars I visited for one pound drink night were Pegs which is opposite Trinity’s college which is now under another name also, the other one is the Playhouse out in Tallaght, which I only visited once and was given a lifetime ban, I don’t know why but my ex-housemate Diego who apparently was sitting on the other side of the bar said “ I was demanding a drink and the bar man wouldn’t serve a drink so I decided to backhand all the empty dirty glasses of the bar” he also said “the bar man didn’t take nicely to it so he jumped the bar, grabbed me in a headlock and literally threw me out the bar via the emergency exit door” by the time I got up and made myself to the front door the bouncers knew I was banned.
Just of the Grafton street mall down South Anne street you will come to a small two storey bar call Keogh’s, well the bar is always packed with locals, but just to warn you watch yourself going up the stairs they are uneven and they creek. That bar needs an urgent renovation job big time
Other good bars in Dublin to visit are The Portebello situated down the south end of Camden street going towards Rathmines, of course the Temple Bar is also a great place to drink, the world known entertainment district of Ireland consisting of many bars like the Auld Dubliner and Temple Bar just to name a few.
When in Ireland, you have too try the Guiness and not just once, Guiness is different in every single pub, its not suppose to be, but is something to do with the cleanliness of the lines and how often it is drunk. As all beer drinkers know the first few beers of the tap is always shit. I have always been a fan of Guiness since playing Gaelic football in Australia and being introduced to the black stuff. If I ever missed having dinner, I would have a Guiness, it’s a meal in itself you can almost use a knife and fork, buts a marvelous drink. The other popular stout in Ireland is Murphy’s, tried it once, but isn’t a comparison to Guiness. Another beer you need to try is Kilkenny, which is a bitter, which is also another great tasting beer. One thing I have noticed in Ireland when it comes to lager a lot of the girls drink Budweiser, Miller and Coors light while the guys drink Heineken. That’s not to say Ireland doesn’t make lager they have two fine lagers in Harp and Bass. Bulmers, which is a cider is also a popular drink amongst both sexes, but a lot of the time is mixed with Budweiser, some people also add a dash of blackcurrant to it.
A couple of lethal drinks I picked up from the Irish which taste great are Smirnoff ice poured into a pint glass over ice and shot or two of vodka, and the other drink being red wine and coke, I know what you’re thinking, yuk right? But don’t say a thing until you try it! Trust me.
Other drinks which are popular amongst the Irish are of course Bailey’s, Paddy’s and red (red lemonade, which can only be bought in Ireland), and Jameson and coke. Drinks like vodka and Jack Daniels are also popular mixers with tequila and sambucca being the favourite shots what I have noticed.
One thing I don’t understand is, that Ireland has so many bars, the bars are always full, most of the guys and girls drink either Guiness or lager, but they meaning the Irish, don’t have a weight problem or have beer guts. When do they find the time to exercise? I would like to know, as it would help me, enormously! And another thing, as a tourist, never challenge a Irishman to a drinking competition, you will lose! just like I did when I challenged my boss from the Davenport Hotel, Carina Drumm, while drinking after work at the Gingerman pub across the road one evening.
My final thought is don’t ever go to Ireland and not walk into a bar and not buy a Guiness.
Where do I start. A man in Ireland will never die of thirst because there is pub on every street corner. Apparently there is certain number of pubs all over Ireland, and that number will never be exceeded, if you want to open a pub in Ireland you have to wait until one closes down, that’s what I have been told anyway. But then there is a lot of myths in Ireland, just like they use the water from the Liffey in Dublin to make the Guiness.
Unfortunately I cant tell you about every single pub in Ireland, I would love to, but it would be one great effort to visit each pub and have a drink, but, I will tell you about some of my favourite pubs, which just had to be my locals. Lets start with The Bleeding Horse situated on Lower Camden Street, the Bleeding Horse is a great pub to hang out with your mates and have a drink before hitting the clubs. The bar is two storey’s, and has many rooms which are tiny to small to big. The one thing which attracted to me the Bleeding Horse back when I lived in Dublin and even the times I go back to Dublin is that I think they have the best Guiness in Ireland, my apologies to St James Gate and all of the other pubs in Ireland, but I never loved the black stuff better than at the Bleeding Horse.
Atleast two nights per week I had started with having a few Guiness’s at the Bleeding Horse, before making my way to Copperface Jacks which is situated in Harcourt street, just around the corner from the Bleeding Horse and down the road from the Guardia station, and before 11pm so I can get in for free still. Copperface Jacks is a bar and carvery by day then they open down stairs at night. Unfortunately the bar has another name to the Irish and that is Slapperface Jacks, as a guy you are certain to pick up/ score or snog on the night. Copperface Jacks is also known for its high turn out of nurses and guardia (that’s policeman or policewoman in all English countries), unfortunately again for those who like the opposite sex in uniform, they never rock up in uniform. You just find out by getting to know them on the night or in Brett’s case finding out the next morning when a guard leaves her badge behind in room. I got to know coppers pretty well as I was there four or more nights per week. Coppers is always packed every night of the week, and plays seventies eighties nineties and music from today and every night is always a great night. I will always revisit coppers for a night out when I visit the country, it remains my choice of night clubs to go to in Dublin.
After leaving coppers I either do one of two things, when I have had a night I want to forget I would stumble left out the doors down the alley way left again on Camden and then up the stairs at 39 Camden street and into bed or join any other late nighters at that address. Or I would stumble right out the doors down to Gigs Place which was a late night restaurant which would stay open for the late night partygoers who would want a early breakfast and maybe even continue drinking with a bottle of red wine, which I done on many occasions.
Other good pubs in Dublin are Flannery’s also situated on Camden Street which I visited on Monday nights with my house mates as we would have a drink together, whoops that is exaggeration, more than one okay, and also enter the bars free quiz that they have every Monday night, which seemed to be pretty popular, as the bar was fairly full. Just for the record our house only ever won it once and I wasn’t there, not to say I was the reason for us always loosing. Across the road from Flannery’s was a night club called Planet Murphys, which is no longer there and now is a American style pool lounge. At the time Planet Murphys was around it was mainly a student bar and always seemed to be full. This was the bar we celebrated Australia’s win over Ireland in the year 2000 when Australia toured Ireland as part of the international rules series that we won two nil at Croke Park. The whole house went to the first match and stood on the hill.
Just down the road from the old Planet Murphys is Whelan’s another great pub, which has live bands out the back and the front bar at the front. Doesn’t look much from the front, but I tell it is one of the most popular bars in Dublin and is always full and is must for all visitors to Ireland. I will warn you there is not much room to move, but what the heck you will have fun, it’s a great pub.
As antipodean (Aussie, Kiwi or Saffa) you need to visit Down Under At Major Tom’s and keep yourself in touch with your home country. It’s not a Irish pub so it doesn’t look like a Irish pub, looks like a country or outback pub in Australia with guernseys and pictures of antipodean sporting teams. It has a square shaped bar in the center of the room which is sought of known for its ladies bras and Nickers on a clothes line above the bar, so ladies if you’re out of money and want a drink, there you go you know what to do. It wasn’t one of my favourite pubs but if you like Australian beers and that and want to keep in touch with your football teams back home it’s a good place, it also turns into a dance club at night.
One thing I just loved about Ireland, is their student nights where you can purchase bottles of Miller or Budweiser for a pound (Irish pound back then before the Euro), the two bars I visited for one pound drink night were Pegs which is opposite Trinity’s college which is now under another name also, the other one is the Playhouse out in Tallaght, which I only visited once and was given a lifetime ban, I don’t know why but my ex-housemate Diego who apparently was sitting on the other side of the bar said “ I was demanding a drink and the bar man wouldn’t serve a drink so I decided to backhand all the empty dirty glasses of the bar” he also said “the bar man didn’t take nicely to it so he jumped the bar, grabbed me in a headlock and literally threw me out the bar via the emergency exit door” by the time I got up and made myself to the front door the bouncers knew I was banned.
Just of the Grafton street mall down South Anne street you will come to a small two storey bar call Keogh’s, well the bar is always packed with locals, but just to warn you watch yourself going up the stairs they are uneven and they creek. That bar needs an urgent renovation job big time
Other good bars in Dublin to visit are The Portebello situated down the south end of Camden street going towards Rathmines, of course the Temple Bar is also a great place to drink, the world known entertainment district of Ireland consisting of many bars like the Auld Dubliner and Temple Bar just to name a few.
When in Ireland, you have too try the Guiness and not just once, Guiness is different in every single pub, its not suppose to be, but is something to do with the cleanliness of the lines and how often it is drunk. As all beer drinkers know the first few beers of the tap is always shit. I have always been a fan of Guiness since playing Gaelic football in Australia and being introduced to the black stuff. If I ever missed having dinner, I would have a Guiness, it’s a meal in itself you can almost use a knife and fork, buts a marvelous drink. The other popular stout in Ireland is Murphy’s, tried it once, but isn’t a comparison to Guiness. Another beer you need to try is Kilkenny, which is a bitter, which is also another great tasting beer. One thing I have noticed in Ireland when it comes to lager a lot of the girls drink Budweiser, Miller and Coors light while the guys drink Heineken. That’s not to say Ireland doesn’t make lager they have two fine lagers in Harp and Bass. Bulmers, which is a cider is also a popular drink amongst both sexes, but a lot of the time is mixed with Budweiser, some people also add a dash of blackcurrant to it.
A couple of lethal drinks I picked up from the Irish which taste great are Smirnoff ice poured into a pint glass over ice and shot or two of vodka, and the other drink being red wine and coke, I know what you’re thinking, yuk right? But don’t say a thing until you try it! Trust me.
Other drinks which are popular amongst the Irish are of course Bailey’s, Paddy’s and red (red lemonade, which can only be bought in Ireland), and Jameson and coke. Drinks like vodka and Jack Daniels are also popular mixers with tequila and sambucca being the favourite shots what I have noticed.
One thing I don’t understand is, that Ireland has so many bars, the bars are always full, most of the guys and girls drink either Guiness or lager, but they meaning the Irish, don’t have a weight problem or have beer guts. When do they find the time to exercise? I would like to know, as it would help me, enormously! And another thing, as a tourist, never challenge a Irishman to a drinking competition, you will lose! just like I did when I challenged my boss from the Davenport Hotel, Carina Drumm, while drinking after work at the Gingerman pub across the road one evening.
My final thought is don’t ever go to Ireland and not walk into a bar and not buy a Guiness.
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