Archive for the 'Galway' Category

Glynn’s Bar

Published on January 30, 2008 in Galway and Outside Munster. 0 Comments

The last pub that we visited on our trip to Oranmore was Glynn’s bar. Immediately when i walked into this bar i knew that i would like it. It is quite a small pub but with tonnes of character. There was a few people inside and we got a seat just on the left inside the door. I ordered the drinks at the bar and the bar man was friendly and made chit chat. I noticed that there was a group of men playing cards in a small section just off the main bar. There was a group of three people sitting next to us and they were maybe a few years older but the majority of the people sitting at the bar were 50+. The pint of Guinness was perhaps the best of the night and i have to say that the quality of stout i tried in Galway was excellent.

The toilets in this pub were a bit confusing. There was no signs on the door to indicate which was the ladies and which was the gents. The toilets themselves were ok and there is an old hand dryer there. I know that if Ryan or Kevin visited this pub that they would like it. I got a packet of bacon fries and i ate them and then noticed that they were out of date, didn’t do me any harm though! I won’t say its the liveliest pub in Oranmore because its not but it was good for a good pint of the black stuff. I was only in the pub for about a half an hour but knew half of the people’s names in there because everyone could hear everyone elses conversations. I even said ‘Night Johnny’ to one man who looked at me a bit baffled as how he knew me!

Toilet rating: 6/10
Pint rating: 8.5/10
Overall rating: 8/10

Final comment: Glynn’s bar in Oranmore was a good find. Me and Jen enjoyed the visit.

Back Door (O’ Riordans Bar)

Published on January 30, 2008 in Galway and Outside Munster. 0 Comments

The next pub that we visited on our trip to Oranmore Co Galway was The Back Door pub also known as O’ Riordans bar. When we walked in we noticed two traditional musicians playing some very good music. We pirched ourselves at the bar and ordered the drinks. The pint of Guinness like in all the other pubs before it was a very good one. The bar staff were quick to take our order and serve us our drinks. I noticed a made up sign behind the bar that said ‘Bus to Vera Duckworths funeral’! There was two plasma screen tv’s behind the bar. We came in through the front entrance of this pub but there is also a back section that we could see through to.

The toilets were in very good condition when checked. This is a fine pub that was quite busy on the Saturday night that we visited. It’s certainly one to check out if you are in Oranmore.

Toilet rating: 7.5/10
Pint rating: 7.5/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Final comment: O’ Riordans is a bar with nice decor and worth a visit.

The Olde Brewery

Published on January 30, 2008 in Galway and Outside Munster. 0 Comments

While in Oranmore for our weekend away we also headed into The Olde Brewery pub on the main street. There was a couple of bouncers on the door and they were friendly. We went in on a Saturday night and the pub was very busy. There are a few sections in this pub and there was a very good band playing in the bar. We ordered our drinks and the bar staff were extremely efficient and i wasn’t waiting long at all. The pint of Guinness that i had was a very good one and couldn’t say a bad word about it.

We didn’t manage to get a seat but did find a counter to put our drinks up on. The toilets that i used were very small and smelly and were generally in bad condition. There appeared to be a good mixture of people in this bar and it seemed to appeal to young and old alike. We enjoyed our short stop off at The Olde Brewery.

Toilet rating: 3/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: The Olde Brewery in Oranmore is a decent pub.

Keanes

Published on January 24, 2008 in Galway and Outside Munster. 0 Comments

While up in Galway we headed into Keanes bar in Oranmore. This was the first pub we came across after parking the car. We headed in and managed to get a seat on the left inside the door next to a fireplace. I got chatting to a local who was very friendly. There are a few sections in this bar. I didn’t check out the back of the bar but there is another entrance that brings you straight inside there. It is a very modern pub. The bar staff were very efficient and i was served straight away. The pint of Guinness was excellent and went down very well indeed. Because we were sitting near the main door we noticed the large volume of people coming into this bar. We were there on a Saturday night at about 10pm. There was a very diverse mixture of young and old.

The toilets were a good walk to get to. They are up stairs and are small but were in good condition when checked. There was a tv in the area that we were in showing premiership highlights. We both found this pub to be a very enjoyable experience.

Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Final comment: Keanes bar also serves food according to their website. This is the type of bar that would do well anywhere in Ireland.

Q bar and Cafe

Published on January 24, 2008 in Galway and Outside Munster. 0 Comments

Myself and Jen were up in Galway last weekend and stayed in the Quality hotel in Oranmore. It is a very decent hotel and the general service was very good. We went for one drink in the hotel bar. It is a good size and there is a plenty of seating available. It was busy when we were there and there was mainly families enjoying a few drinks with the kids milling around the place. It is a very child friendly hotel and there are signs up to say that well behaved children are allowed in the bar until 12am. I don’t understand why you would have a child in a bar at night at all but thats just me. I ordered a pint of Guinness and a soda water and lime for Jen. The bar man was very friendly but was a bit confused and asked me three times if i was alright after i had ordered! The pint of Guinness was very good.

The toilets are outside the bar and were very well kept. There is bar food served although we didn’t try it. I noticed an area where tea and coffee is served in the bar and it has it’s own service area. There was two tv’s showing a match and the news in the bar. The Q bar and cafe was grand for the one drink.

Toilet rating: 8/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: This is a typical hotel bar catering for everyone.

Macs

Published on July 17, 2005 in Galway and Outside Munster. 0 Comments

S4200012
View from the beer garden.

We spent a very enjoyable night last night in Cornamona Co Galway. This was my first trip to Galway in a good few years. Cornamona is a Gaeltacht area and has some of the most beautiful scenery i have ever seen in my life. It is a truly breath taking place. We were there to visit friends that are staying up there. There are two pubs in the village and Macs is the one we visited. There is a good sized car park outside. There are two sections in the pub and also a restaurant area. Seeing as the weather was great we sat out in the beer garden. It enjoys a very scenic location overlooking a river. We sat outside and enjoyed a few pints. The pints of Guinness were very good. We also got some bar food there and it was good too. There was a good crowd of us enjoying the sunshine and drinks. After a trip to change we moved inside. The pub had live music on and it was very lively. I met a teacher from my old school and we had a good chat. There was a very good atmosphere in Macs last night. There was a sponsored cycle on in the town and everybody was in here.

S4200014
Alex from Madagascar enjoying a night out in Macs!

The toilets are located near the front of the pub and are fine. There is one cubicle available but you cannot lock the door. I noticed an air freshener that automatically sprays every so often. It is a very comfortable pub where you can order your drinks in English or as Gaeilge! I sang two songs with the band and it was a good laugh. I really enjoyed the trip up and unfortunately couldn’t stay for a second night. There are fantastic lakes and i was supposed to go fishing today with the lads but had to head off. I would certainly go back as Connemara is a beautiful location.

Toilet rating: 6.5/10
Pint rating: 7.5/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Final comment: Macs bar is a nice spot for a drink. I especially enjoyed the beer garden. I went for a swim in the river and it was very refreshing. We stayed in a B+B where they leave the key in the front door! The people are extremely friendly and it is one of Irelands most scenic places. Check it out.