This page lists hotels, bars and off licenses which sell a wider range or a different range of beers to what you expect to find in Ireland.They are all places i discovered whilst working in Ireland for about a month each year from 2002 to 2005
But first, just a short introduction to what you can find with a little determination.
Of course everywhere you go there are Diagio (Guinness, Smithwicks and Kilkenny) and Heineken (Heineken and Muphys) locally produced products. There is also Beamish and Crawford (owned either by Heineken or Carlsberg!). But if you look out you will find microbrewereries too.
Dublin has 2 brewpubs.The Porterhouse which brews 3 stouts, 3 lagers and 3 ales -one of which is sold via handpump at the original central Dublin premises (see below).I believe they now have more pubs around Dublin, a hotel at Bray (see below) and one in London.Then theres Mssrs Maguire (see below), which brews a variety of stouts, lagers and specialities in various styles.
Whilst on the West Coast at Inagh in Couny Clare there was the Biddy Early Brewery producing Red and Blacky Biddy on draught and in Bottles, but they may have closed. County Carlow has Carlow Brewing, situated outside Carlow railway station and on sale at The Lord Bagenal Inn (see below). The brewery does tours - according to the Lord Bagenal you just need to call in! They also brew Marks and Spencer bottled stout
Cork has the Franciscan Well Brew Pub (see below)with a wide range of beer styles produced on the premises including Shandon Stout and a surprisingly tasty ale called Purgotary
| location | name | Beers | Description | last visited |
| Bray | The Porterhouse | 3 stouts, 3 lagers, 3 bitters and a wieze bier brewed by Porterhouse in Dublin plus a huge selection of bottled beers from around the world. Try their Wrasslers 4X stout | The Porterhouse by the sea offers accomodation in ultra modern rooms overlooking Bray promenade and the Irish Sea. Traditional bar area plus modern separate night club. Food all day | Nov 2005 |
| Cork | Abbots Ale House | Large selection of English, Belgian and German bottles | off license at junction of Pine St and Devonshire St | Dec 2005 |
| Cork | The Franciscan Well Brew Pub | A choice of 6 beers produced on the premises including Shandon Stout (named after the area of Cork it is in)and a surprisingly good Ale called Purgatory plus Carlow Brewing's O'Haras Stout, Belgian bottled beers from Interbrew, bottled Scottish beers from Heather, Germany's Schneider Wieze and Swedish Cider | Up an Alley at 14B North Mall by the River Lee. The microbrewery brewery is all around you. Outside terrace looks nice for the summer | Dec 2005 |
| Dublin | The Porterhouse | No Guinness(!) or any international keg lagers. 3 stouts, 3 lagers, 3 bitters and a wieze bier brewed on the premises plus a huge selection of bottled beers from around the world. Try their Wrasslers 4X stout and/or their TSB Real Ale | purpose built home brew pub and live music venue on 4 levels which is very noisy and packed in the evening but pleasantly full during the day. To start with order a sample tray of 3 beers then sit and read the beer menu - it pulls no punches about some their larger competitors and suppliers. Between Dublin Castle and the river on Capel Street. Good pub food too | Mar 2006 |
| Dublin | Messrs Maguire | Sells all the usual suspects but also brews 5 beers on the premises (Haus lager, a Bock, Rusty red ale, Weisse, and Plain stout and also Endinger and Budvar in bottles. | On Burgh Quay overlooking the river. This multi story pub has bars on each floor all offering their own beers plus the multinationals. It gets very full in the evenings and parties prebook tables/floors! | Nov 2005 |
| Dublin | T P Smiths | draught Erdinger | by Jervis tram station and close to the Morrison hotel. Very ornate with impressive copper staircase to the upper floor | Nov 2005 |
| Dublin | Farringtons | draught Hoegaarden | best bet if you need a beer on Temple Bar - | Nov 2005 |
| Dublin Airport | The Brasserie | bottles of Erdinger and Budvar | part of the Airside food halls, no draught beer | Mar 2006 |
| Leighlinbridge, County Carlow | The Lord Bagenal Inn | Offers O'Haras Celtic Stout on draft and botttled beers from the local microbrewery Carlow Brewing | From the front a traditional village pub, from the back a country hotel (20 rooms), in a beautiful riverside setting, complete with its own marina, and inside the excellent local brew, good food and good accomodation | Dec 2004 |
| Drogheda | The Westcourt Hotel | Offers draught Erdinger Wiezenbier - a wonderful change from the sea of Guinness | A Hotel on the town's "high street". A large efficient lounge bar with food lunch and evening. good value accomodation too. Refurbished in 2005 and the traditional bar is now ultra modern! The Erdinger pump is on the back bar area | Nov 2005 |
| Galway | Tigh Neachtain | draught Hoegaarden, bottled Leffe and Erdinger | A architectural gem. Unaltered traditional Irish inn with drinking cubicles. At 17 Cross Street | Nov 2005 |
| Galway | Brennans Yard | draught Hoegaarden | City centre hotel in good location for exploring both the city and the west coast. bar food | Nov 2005 |
| Killarney | Courtneys | Large selection of English, Belgian German bottles and East European | at 24 Plunket Street, enthusiastic Estonian barman. a real find | Dec 2005 |