Good Pubs in Dingle?

[Choochoo]

Next week I’ll be on vacation, staying in Dingle Ireland. I’m there with the wife and her in-laws (including Mother-in law & 1yo niece). From what I understand there are a lot of pubs in the area, but I don't know the good ones from average ones - or even those to stay away from.

Has anyone on the forum spent time in this area? Any recommendations (either in general or whisk(e)y related) that I should look into while on the trip? Thanks

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Dingle population 2000 pubs 53

A lot of these are seasonal though but they should all be going when you are there.

To be quite honest Choochoo there are no real bad ones. Let your ears & eyes guide you. I have not been in Dingle in a few years so some of the names may escape me. If there is a bit of trad on or a crowd barrel on in. Trad sessions are usually great 'craic' (Makey uppy Irish word for fun). And a crowded pub in Irelands means a popular one. May not be your cup of tea but at weekends expect elbow to elbow scenario in certian pubs.

Ones I can recomend off the top of my head...

Dick Macks is on Green Street opposite the church and you can buy a leater belt or wrist band while your there too as they also do hand made leather goods (or used to anyway!!!). Real old fashioned pub.

O’Flaherty’s close to the main shopping store I think on main street not far from Dick Macks. Another old fashioned pub with a great tradition for music and craic with a good local crowd too not just tourists.



Have a goo at what the touristy sites say.

http://www.dodingle.com/pages/bars_pub_guide.html

http://www.irishtourist.com/directory/nightlife/pubs/southwest/kerry/north_kerry/dingle/

[Aidan]

There's also a nice links course on the peninsula (Dooks), if you like golf. I doubt anywhere will have a huge selection of whisky, but you'd never know.

If you have a chance, you should do the Ring of Kerry. It's beautiful, but hard to drive...

[Choochoo]

Thanks to you both for the info, very helpful.

We'll certainly be going to the Ring of kerry in that we're also traveling with friends from London, who just bought a house & are moving to the Ring of Kerry, so they want to show us their new home.

Any local drink recommendations for me to keep a look out for while I'm out in the pubs besides Guinness or Irish Whiskey?

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Unfortunately there is no real local brewing or micro brewing industry in Ireland.

Draft is quite limited and favours big global brands.

There are 3 stouts ... Guinness being the main one

Then Beamish & Murphy's from Cork both with less than 10%, combined, of the Irish stout market. Beamish may be available in Dingle and is lighter and a bit sweeter than Guinness.

Smithwicks is a red ale which to me is fairly bland but okay.

Bulmers (a very most popular drink in Ireland) is a fairly sweet cider and available on Draft but the majority of the indigenous population buy it in pint bottles. It is a tradition to get your pint bottle and pint glass half full of ice and pour away yourself until finished. Be ware though a pint is circa 4.50 a pint bottle could cost 5.00 Don't ask why as I've no idea either

Harp is the only Irish larger I can think of and it is great for removing the lining of you stomach I never liked it anyway and would not recomend it.


Then you have Heineken, Carlsberg, Budweiser and Miller the most common draught beers available all bewed in Ireland.

Expect to pay upto 3.50 for Stout (Beamish can be about 3.00 in certian pubs if available)
3.10-3.50 for shorts + 2.10-2.50 for a coke/tonic to go with it if required.
4.00-4.50 for larger (Fosters on Tap if you can find it for 3.00)

Also you will probably see very few people drinking whiskey in Ireland in the pubs unless it's a fairly old man at the bar. Also whiskey if being drunk is usually mixed with cola etc by younger drinkers. However on the plus side barstaff usually ask if you want ice or water before serving you, but don't take it for granted if the pub is very busy. Expect what ever small glass that comes to hand to used to serve your dram. Of course they will obligue you if you point out a glass of your own preference if you happen to see one.


Standard fare in the whiskey line in pubs is Paddy, Powers, Jameson, Blackbush & Bushmills regular (Circa 3.40a shot). After that it depends on the pub but Jameson 12yo Bushmills 10yo & Bushmills 16yo will be available in many pubs as will Midelton VR but expect to pay through the nose for that. And if you are very lucky there might be a few more.

One last thing if you want water and arealso ordering other drink don't be afraid to ask for a glass of tap water. It is perfectly okay to drink and saves you 2.50 on the bottles kind.

Any further questions feel free to ask.

[Aidan]

When I was in college, a phsycology student did a blind beer tastig project for his thesis. You tasted all the usuals - Budwiser, Carlsberg, Heineken and Harp. Most people actually picked Harp out as a favorite. The were then told of their choice and given a voucher for a free drink at the bar, which was recorded by the barman. None of the people who were told they actually prefered Harp ordered it with their voucher.

The microbrewing industry is a growing one in Ireland, but from a small base. The only one I know of in the West of the country is Biddy Early's. They have some great stuff.

Most of the good drinks here are winter ones. Hot whiskeys and Irish coffees, hot ports etc.

Adrian is used to Galway prices, I think, which are probably similar to Kerry prices. In Dublin, you'd find it hard to get a Guinness for less than 4 euro. Publicans all drive big cars, and we put the petrol in for them.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

The microbrewing industry is a growing one in Ireland, but from a small base. The only one I know of in the West of the country is Biddy Early's. They have some great stuff.

Ya the Porter House on Parliment St Dublin is a great example where you can view the brewing process in the actual pub.

Most of the good drinks here are winter ones. Hot whiskeys and Irish coffees, hot ports etc.

Adrian is used to Galway prices, I think, which are probably similar to Kerry prices. In Dublin, you'd find it hard to get a Guinness for less than 4 euro. Publicans all drive big cars, and we put the petrol in for them.

I would imagine that the prices are similar all right

and Publicans all over Ireland drive big cars well in the towns anyway.

I do believe that some of the real country pubs are suffering due to the big efforts to eliminate drink driving over the past decade.

[Aidan]

Yeah, that's true. Maybe not all publicans. The Dublin pubs are empty now, compared to how they used to be. More people are having a drink at home.

I always prefer whisky in a pub, for some reason.

[bob w]

I have been to Dingle many times and have some favorite pubs. One of the best for music is the Small Bridge at the bottom of Main St. John Benny's has music and reasonably priced food. O'Flaherty's has music every night with the owner, Fergus, playing a number of instruments--not all at once! Two "must visits" are Dick Mack's, considered to be the "last pew" of the church across the street. It is half pub and half shoe store. (well, maybe not half) Foxy John's is combination pub, hardware store and bike rental shop. There are many more. I'm sure you'll find a fovorite. I will be there from July 13th to the 20th. Maybe you'll see me in one of them. Bob

[Choochoo]

Just got back yesterday & had a great time, thanks for the advice again.

Made my way through most pubs, and the aquarium, and walked out to the hills & lighthouse outside of town, and a whole bunch of other activities - very nice vacation.

O’Flaherty’s was the favorite pub I'd say, good music & crowd each night, and they had the Guinness Toucan Brew, which was a little colder & strongly flavored. I also drank a good amount of Bulmers - A good mid-day cider.

Also managed to sneak in a Middleton Rare with dinner at the Half Door, and Bushmills 16yo at the Kerry Airport (had to get rid of some Euro's before flying to London)

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Just got back yesterday & had a great time, thanks for the advice again.

Glad you enjoyed it....(and the cider ) ya O'Flaherty's is probably my favourite as well which reminds me that I have to organise a week-end down there again some time.

[Aidan]

I hope you got the weather. It's been up and down between about 8 C to 28 C over the last few weekss.

[Choochoo]

It was outstanding weather, sunny & light breeze each day. We got a number of comments saying we got lucky to be there during such a string of great weather days.

Also loved the daylight untill 11PM. The latest we ever get here is 9PM during mid summer. It was 10:00 there, and it seemed as if it were mid-day.

[Aidan]

It was outstanding weather, sunny & light breeze each day. We got a number of comments saying we got lucky to be there during such a string of great weather days.

Also loved the daylight untill 11PM. The latest we ever get here is 9PM during mid summer. It was 10:00 there, and it seemed as if it were mid-day.

In Donegal, it's light even later. As I'm sure it is in Scotland. Light at 4:30 am in mid summer, which is not great if you don't have blackout curtains...