Sean’s Bar, County Westmeath, Ireland
In the Guinness book of world records as Ireland’s oldest pub, it’s witnessed 1,100 years of Irish history, all through the medieval age to the 21st century, giving the Irish welcome to all along the way. Guests of Sean’s Bar can take part in Irish Coffee Masterclasses, Whisky Tastings and even step behind the bar and learn to pour the perfect Guinness pint.
Standing tall on the banks of the Shannon River Quay, enjoy a pint served by an institution that has outlived empires, and has been home to the best craic in Ireland for a millennium.
Read more: https://www.seansbar.ie/
Grace Neill’s, County Down, Northern Ireland
As a hotspot for smugglers, pirates, sailors and soldiers for over five centuries, it’s unsurprising that Grace Neill’s bar is home to lost souls as well as bottled spirits. The pub has been visited by paranormal TV crews and hosted séances over the years.
Fans of the unexplainable will enjoy a cooler-than-usual pint, and if local legends are to be believed, you may not be sharing a table with a ghostly patron without realising it.
Read more: https://www.ireland.com/en-us/magazine/food-and-drink/irish-pubs-grace-neills/
The Shire Café & Bar, County Kerry, Ireland
JRR Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, drew inspiration from the countrysides of Ireland. The author saw Middle-Earth in the rolling hills of Country Kerry when writing the novels that would come to redefine fantasy fiction.
Guests of The Shire Café & Bar will head through the hobbit-friendly dropped ceilings and arched doors to enjoy a well-deserved pint of Gandalf’s Ale, Bilbo’s beer or even hobbit juice cocktails.
Read more: https://www.theshirekillarney.com/
The South Pole, County Kerry, Ireland
Back in the 19th century, guests of The South Pole could expect their pint poured for them by Tom Crean, an Irish naval hero. Known as the Irish giant, he served in the navy for 15 years before becoming the man behind two of history’s greatest polar explorations.
Although Sean passed away in 1938, each wall in the orange and white building is hung with his photograph and each shelf is weighed down by books honouring the explorer. A cool pint enjoyed here is a taste of the south pole brough to the Wild Atlantic Way by an Irishman.
