Pubs In The *Midlands* - Where do you recommend?

MrSinn

I recommend Ryans in portlaois,its friendly,warm,good music and decent locals drink there

I'ts a good pub all round!

Seaneh

Going out in athlone has three catagories.

Cat. #1
Good pints and a quiet few with friends.

for good pints the three best pubs in athlone are
Chartys
The coosan tavren Seans Bar.

Chartys is an old mans pub that a lot of people (who have never been there) think is full of knackers, this is far from true, it's actually full of farmers and 65+ year old men. nice sport for a few quiet ones with friends, pints are amzing and it's the cheapest spot in town (€3 per pint og Guinness)

The Coosan is similar yo chartys, quiet, more of a town crowd, populated by the older people of Arcadia, cooasn, beach park and assumption road, noce people, great staff, lovely pints.

Seans is seasn, great craic, massive mix of age, nationalities, sex, creed, it's just mad, lovely pints too.

in this catagory there are also a few honourable mentions, Harveys, Nuts Corner, The castle, the shack in and Durty Harries all spring to mind.


Cat. #2
On the rip during the week!

If you wanna get wasted with a load of lads during the week there are only 3 pubs worth going to and they are all about 300 yards apart.

Charley Brownes
Scribes
The Tack Room.

all 3 will be full of hot single students out for the same reason as you, get locked, have a laugh and most of all have a good night.
A gold mine of talent in all 3 and then the after crowd in blinkers/karma aitn bad either.
Wednessday and thursday are best nights for these excursions.

cat. #3
Weekends. self explanatory really.

For a weekend there are a lot fo good pubs to go to.

I recomend the following.

Seans bar, always busy, allways full of talent (ranging from 18 to 40!) and always a good night out, great pub, best beer garden in the country, loads of craic.

The Prince, If you want too see the best looking girls in the midlands the prince is thje place to go on a saturday night, quiet most of the week it picks up on a saturday, can be a bit subdued but good fun all the same.

The palace, great younger crowd!

TomTom

Well feigherys is currently been done up

dahooligan

The Spa in Portarlington has been bought over and done up, its now Corrig House and the back place is good for bands, good place to have a 21st/party thing too! Barstaff are great (I should know.. I am one). C'Mon Offaly!:D

Steve_o

daithimac wrote:

best pub i've been in is the fishermans out near Ballybrittas in laois. its got a great mix in it. but its out in the middle of nowhere, it has the best pint i've ever tasted and theres alwas a buzz about it on the weekends whan ya get a savage crowd from port, portlaois and monsterevan.

The Fisherman's inn is the Place to be without a doubt and the owner is dead sound, the Jukebox is fairly good and its nice and relaxed and has the best Ale in the midlands whichs makes me a happy camper:D

MrSinn

It still has to be ryans portlaois for me,best pub in Laois!

ChillyS

woah, loadsa peoples in the midlands on this site!

harriers in tullamore is a kip!!!
de bruins, would be my fave in tullamore tis really nicely decorated and it's a good buzz.

teehee birr, whelahans used to be alright but it's a kip now. The fighting cocks aka wockies is alright, but to be honest, can't stand going out in birr anyway

connundrum

ChillyS wrote:

harriers in tullamore is a kip!!!

Ah the memories :rolleyes:

ChillyS wrote:

de bruins, would be my fave in tullamore tis really nicely decorated and it's a good buzz.

I used to DJ there many moons ago, lovely place and decent crowd - most of the time.

Apart from that we were out in The Sky Venue in Port Laois on New Years Eve, must say that as a venue it'd be comsidered the Midland's equivelant to Vicar St... smaller scale but seriously nice. Good bar staff and doormen.

Ai Ai

Soulgirl

Actually, just a quick question about Saturday nights in Tullamore. I'm from the midlands, but rarely go out down home as my friends are scattered all around the place and I usually spend weekends in Dublin. This weekend there's a couple of my friends (girls) coming down to visit. Where should I bring them to go out in Tullamore ?
I've been to Number #1, but its not the friendliest place. Is the Bridge House good craic ? And pre-dancing, would Loughreys be a safe bet. I'd basically like to go somewhere where you can get chatting to a few people, and just have a laugh. Not really into fighting for a place on the dance floor with a load of young one's!

btw, we're all around 25, so what would ye suggest ?

Thanks

connundrum

Soulgirl wrote:

Actually, just a quick question about Saturday nights in Tullamore. I'm from the midlands, but rarely go out down home as my friends are scattered all around the place and I usually spend weekends in Dublin. This weekend there's a couple of my friends (girls) coming down to visit. Where should I bring them to go out in Tullamore ?
I've been to Number #1, but its not the friendliest place. Is the Bridge House good craic ? And pre-dancing, would Loughreys be a safe bet. I'd basically like to go somewhere where you can get chatting to a few people, and just have a laugh. Not really into fighting for a place on the dance floor with a load of young one's!

btw, we're all around 25, so what would ye suggest ?

Thanks

The Bridge House is great craic, I worked there for a good while. But be warned that it does tend to get packed and you may have to fight to get on the dance floor. #1's dance floor is so rediculously small I wouldn't even bother with it. Loughry's is a good pre place alright, but again I'd recommend de bruins or characters (name could have changed) in the old square.

atlantis

you know i dont get why anyone would go to the bridge house... i mean the place is an absolute kip... the smell in there is disgusting and you can see the mankyness as soon as you walk in... personally i dont go out much in tullamore but when i do #1 is the place i prefer to head to... its cleaner, classier, and has a better atmosphere... then theres the bit of it actually being a nite club rather than a thrashed up banquet hall... ok they might be short staffed on the busiest nights but yer still much better off there than the bridge... if i brought people home from dublin i wouldnt set foot anywhere near the bridge... i'd start in dempseys pretty early then work my way down to the tap and then on to #1 for about 12.30.

Soulgirl

Hey Atlantis,

thanks for the 'heads up' - to be honest, its a long time since I've been I do remember the Bridge House being a bit of a kip alright....stinky carpets etc.....
I think we will just have to flip a coin about it. Also, the fact the girls are from Dublin doesn't mean they've high standards !! so, they're not expecting fancy schmancy stuff at all.....
Just wondering, which pub is Dempseys again ? Is that up near Loughreys too?
Is the Brewery Tap supposed to be any good ?
And De Bruns ?
Reckon we'll hit a few different pubs between 10 and 12 before we decide on where to go dancin'

eoin o shea

the best pub in port is the after dark and the barrow lodge

daithimac

hi thought I'd give all you boardsies a heads up that theres going to be a table quiz in the fishermans inn in laois tommrrow night at nine o clock. I wouldn't mention it except that its in aid of the irish cancer research association. c ya there

Danno

Lennons in Durrow Co. Laois has good gigs going on alot lately.

Peat_burns

best pubs in tullamore dempseys or de brun's, hands down

Peat_burns

for c: 25 age group id go with loughreys, the bridge is just like any ol club if your drunk enough, grand

pburns

embee wrote:

Benny Andersons pub in Ardee is a mad place......

Jaysus is that place still open? I was in there a few years ago. It's another world...

binkythedoormat

There's few enough good pubs in Athlone. Here's what I think.

Sean's has been mentioned a bit. On the whole, it's a great pub. It's perfect for drinking during the day, and if you go in for one or two you'll often find it hard to leave. At night, it's definitely the most consistent pub in town for a bit of craic. If you know anyone in Athlone at all you'll have a good chance of meeting them there. A nice, mixed crowd drink there, a few ****heads but you'll have that in every busy pub, although the changes to the beer garden seem to have attracted a few more. The beer garden is big and the external bar is quality, but anyone who remembers it in it's heyday, before the vast cowshed structure was installed and the benches were replaced with uncomfortable, ugly steel chairs, will feel that the owners sold out the atmosphere for a few extra quid after the smoking ban came in.

Another downside is the music. Apart from some decent trad once or twice a week, the live music is always dreadful, singers with backing tracks and all that. The same old ****e, really, and this from a pub that promotes itself as a big trad pub.

The staff are dead on for the most part, especially the manager. They can be a bit impersonal, but it's a busy pub, especially at weekends, when it can be difficult to walk through. If you're not in Sean's by 10 on a Friday/Saturday night, don't bother unless you've had a few pints already because the crowd will just wreck your head.

The Castle Inn across the road from Sean's is a good alternative if you're around that part of town. It can be a bit boisterous but the crowd are a good laugh, it's great for watching sport and there's a nice newly-renovated beergarden. A must if you're into gambling of any kind. Also remember that for some reason, both Sean's and The Castle will serve for at leat 30 minutes after closing time every night of the week.

Across the bridge, Gertie Browns is a nice spot for one or two, cosy decor and good pints. Can be a bit dead though, and it also boasts the most pathetic beer garden in Athlone (unless you count those little dungeons in The Palace as beer gardens, which I don't).

Same goes for Harvey's just off Church St, except the beer garden there is really big. It's always empty, which isn't surprising because it's so bare-looking but it definitely has the potential to be the best beer garden in Athlone, if only the owner would spruce it up a bit.

Some people have said they like the Tack Room. I think it's a bit of a kip, but it's alright I suppose for watching footie and for the pool table. It's a student crowd so maybe you have to be in the I.T. to enjoy it fully (same goes for Charlies and Scribes). Horrible pints of Guinness the last time I was there. Not far from the there is the Shack, which is a quality pub. You could sit there all night. There's often a really nice crowd there. The pints are great and it has, unusually for an Athlone pub, a decent jukebox. Lovely food during the day, and I've seen them serving sandwichs in there after 11pm. Good for sport too, and nice staff. Mandy's a diamond.

Now for the superpubs. Rayners is a terrible hellhole altogether. The music is always shocking, it's full of scumbags and it looks absolutely rank. It's also a well known fact that all draught pints in Rayners are foul. Don't bother. If it's a late drink you're looking for, go to The Palace, it's not exactly the bee's knees either but it's Cheers! compared with Rayners. I'd avoid The Prince too. A lot of money was thrown at the decoration but the layout is just all wrong and it's too dark. You'll probably never have a laugh in The Prince unless you bring it in with you.

There are currently two nightclubs operating year round in Athlone, Karma and Bozos. There's not much between them, but it goes without saying about a midlands nightclub that you'd want to be at least merry before setting foot in either of them. My preference is Bozos, just because I've been in there more and had some really good nights there (no thanks to Bozos itself, mind). Karma is newer and I havn't been in there all that much, but I've yet to have a good night in there, so there you go.

I don't know whether or not Blinkers is still operating. It is (or was) a student nightclub out by the I.T. The last time I was there about five years ago. The walls, floor and ceiling were covered in moisture of some kind. I think it was sweat. I wouldn't go there if I were you, unless I went to college in Athlone or I was off my head. Maybe the situation has changed, though, if anyone knows I'd be interested to hear.

walrusgumble

the last chap has pretty much got athlone in one.

Harvey's is a grand spot, guinness aint bad, savage beer garden and the staff are really friendly. depending on the season it can be very busy on saturday nights. Not sure if many even know about the place though.

Rayners is a dive. Upstairs of the Palaca is nice but maybe they should have left downstairs alone, look horrible during the day.

As for Sean's, quality.

I did not go to college in athlone, and athlone has a bigger population and it's IT is bigger than the one i went to, still can't get over the fact that the night life in Athlone aint great. Two crappy enough niteclubs. Least most of the pubs cater for people who want to see live music. Hopefully someone will come in a build a proper nite club, and make it a party town like letterkenny, galway, or derry

tStar

mountrath inn

just a tiny pub, but always fun ;-)

Saint_Mel

Havent gone out in Athlone in a while but I agree wholeheartedly about
The Prince, The Palace and Rayners. Pure evil the lot of them.

Last time I was in Bozos you could still smell puke in the place.
Dunnno what the cleaning is like now but back in the day when people got
sick in there they used to just sweep it up, carpets were never washed the
next day.

Gerties gets a nice crowd, friendly bar staff and a good pint.

Nuts Corner on Mardyke Street is a small, locally, place but has good pints

Durty Harrys, also on Mardyke Street, usually gets a crowd for football games
recently changed hands and is packed on weekends.

Blinkers has re-opened as "Genesis", a student club during the week and
an "Over 30's" niteclub on weekends apparently

journo75

I have to say, Athlone needs a decent pub that plays decent alternative tunes (Stones, Stone Roses, you know, whatever) as opposed to just throwing on 'Now That's What I Call Bland'. The nightclubs are even worse.

blinkythedoormat got it in one on Athlone, great post. I like Sean's but the Guinness quality has been variable in recent years. The Shack's a great pub, good for watching soccer.

Rayner's and The Palace are interchangeable. My mates think that they play the music really loud in Rayner's in order to get people to drink more (can't hear for a conversation = drink more instead). They might be right.

Come on Athlone, give us a decent pub! We're not all 2FM-loving, Indo-reading, lowest-common-denominator eejits! We only go to the Superpubs and crap nightclubs for lack of choice.

Kalina

Call into Digans bar in Tullamore, there's always a bit of craic in there at the weekends. I work Fri and Sat night there and still love the place.
Also, Loughrey's nite club isn't bad to check out, though a bit small so can me crazy on a busy night.

capailldubh

This pub used to be one of the best in Laois. Now it is full of very drunk shouting yahoos. The staff seem to tolerate them too. Tried it a few times to give it a chance but it was the same every time. Never seen a pub go down as bad as this one.

Bluebrigade

Will be in Tullamore next Thurs night....anyone got any suggestions for decent pub and club??

DJ Donie

For the finest pint of Smithwicks, ya can't beat the Cosy Bar in Ferbane!!! Hear the Guiness isnt too bad in the Castle Inn in Athlone either.

offaly1

know something dj donie................hineys in ferbane aint too bad for an auld bevvie either!:D

katarin

Lethean in Portlaoise is always a good night, its not too choced and there's generally music : and not loud music either. And theres a jukebox. and Bavaria's 3.50 a pint i think..

Ryo Hazuki

Kavanaghs in Mountmellick