Barfly

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Join Barfly, Gary Quinn, as he travels to every county in Ireland getting to the heart of the best pubs in the country

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Excerpt: The micro distillery with giant ambition

In this excerpt from the Little Book of Irish Whiskey (Harper Collins), we meet Eoin Holmes, the independent micro distiller carving his very own niche in Co Mayo

Barfly: the Drift Inn, Buncrana

This traditional bar built in the former train station in Buncrana in Inishowen, Co Donegal, is beautiful inside and out

Barfly: Bowes, Fleet Street, Dublin 2

Some 227 whiskey bottles beckon from across the bar and, as well as every shade of Irish, you’ll find an enviable collection of Scottish, Bourbon and great Japanese brands.

Barfly: Nancy’s, Ardara, Co Donegal

Seven generations of the same family have run this incredibly cosy landmark pub, perched on the Wild Atlantic Way

Inside the four best whiskey bars in Ireland

First published as a cover story in The Irish Times in 2014, this feature profiled the four best whiskey bars in Ireland that year

Barfly: the Cobblestone in Dublin’s Smithfield

It’s hard to imagine the art of Irish song under any kind of threat after a session at this pub

Barfly: Nora Murphy’s Bar, Brandon, Co Kerry

The view from its front door is beautiful and there’s always a great welcome inside

Barfly: The Long Hall, Georges St, Dublin

There are few pubs in Dublin that can match this great Victorian relic

Barfly: Osbornes Bar, Rathanna, Co Carlow

The interior has been returned to its peak yet the passing of time is captured on every surface

Barfly: Graces, Rathmines, Dublin

Its currency is space for conversation, comfort, a welcome for musicians and excellent service

Barfly: Grogan’s Castle Lounge, 15 William St South, Dublin 2

Established in 1899, Grogan’s has held its position as a refuge for the literary and the lost since the 1970s

Barfly: Lily Finnegan’s, Whitestown, Carlingford, Co Louth

Along the winding country roads of the Cooley Peninsula, this is a pub you could easily call home

Barfly: The Coach House and Olde Bar, Glaslough, Co Monaghan

What makes this place extra special is the good humour and history that is balanced so carefully inside

Barfly: The Dingle Whiskey Bar, Nassau Street, Dublin

This is a dark, inviting space that is all about the wood, the whiskey and the welcome

Barfly: Jim O’ the Mill, Upperchurch, Tipperary

Could this one-night-per-week pub be one of the best in Ireland?

Barfly: The Lord Edward, 23 Christchurch Place, Dublin 8

The atmosphere in the upstairs lounge of this historic pub makes everyone believe they’re the first to discover it

Barfly: Mohan’s The Hut, Phibsboro, Dublin 7

As life whistles by outside, the old gas lamps, the dark carved-wood interior, the stained glass and mirrors hold the world at bay

Barfly: The Greenore Railway Saloon, Dundalk, Co Louth

A back-of-the-bar extension gives this already elegant slice of history the feel of a 19th-century railway waiting room

Barfly: John Kavanagh’s (The Gravediggers), Glasnevin,Dublin

Family establishment still going strong with eighth generation behind the bar

Barfly: Kehoe’s, South Anne Street, Dublin 2

Kehoe’s has that literary feeling other pubs try to buy but can’t

Barfly: The Harbour Bar, Bray, Co Wicklow

A fantastic hodgepodge of experience: scruffy, wild and elegant

Barfly: The Snug, Skerries, Co. Dublin

The retro style of the Snug will cast you back into your own imagination – it’s a calm and elegant place, with a great fire at its centre

Barfly: Bang Bang bar, Teeling Whiskey Distillery

Bang Bang doesn’t shy away from the fact that it’s a working distillery

Ten great Irish whiskeys you’ll want to keep for yourself

Irish whiskey has never been hotter, but discovering what you like takes time. Here, Gary Quinn reveals two of his favourites and those of four other whiskey fans

Barfly: Clarke’s Bar, Drogheda

A bar that loves its place in the world and revels in its own accent

Barfly: the Hanged Man’s pub, Milltown, Co Kildare

An oasis of calm on the banks of the Grand Canal

Barfly: J O’Connells, Skryne, Co Meath

Entire lifetimes have been consumed keeping a fire blazing at the heart of this incredible pub

Making the grade at Dingle whiskey school

This cover story from the Irish Times in 2013 joins a three-day trip to Dingle Distillery that proves the future is bright for Irish whiskey