Lads, Not going to Russia with the 5500 Irish Fans (touchy subject) but I need a bit atmosphere to make up for it. Whats the best pub in London to watch Ireland matches? The match is on Setanta. Would appreciate your feedback....... Thanks closey
Closey, Waxys on Wardour St can be superb craic as long as there aren't too many tourists standing gormlessly in the middle of the floor as can happen on a Saturday avo. You do need to get there relatively early as the place really gets full. Also, if the need takes you, there tends to be an awful lot of attractive lasses around after matches who have a decided penchant for Irish lads.....thought I should warn you on that one! I've watched a few games in Callaghans in Marble Arch, and its a bit hit and miss. Had the most amazing night there for the Croatia game away 2 years ago, but it was really poor for Portugal-Ireland (one bouncer even confiscated a mate's tricolour!) I've watched the odd game in the Swan in Stockwell, but its a braver man than me who goes there at 4pm to start drinking. By all means go if you want to see the highest concentration of drunk people in London at any one time. The only other place I've watched games here is Kavanagh's in Kensington, but its really a rugby pub and you get the odd D4 in with his Clongowes rugby top on trying to strike up conversation about the Leinster Senior Cup.
Waxy's know it v.well but I would never think of watching an Ireland match there......full of tourists and all I need is a group of americans walking in front of me....... as Ian Harte steps up in the 90th minute to take a penalty with the score 0-0!! Have been recommended O'Donghues Pub on Goldhawk Road, Shepherds Bush....... PP - Dont really mind going anywhere once its got atmosphere!! Thanks!!!!!!
West London's Finest! Closey - O'Donoghue's is about five minutes' walk from where I live, and the atmosphere within was electric for the Spain World Cup match. It's a great pub for watching Ireland, the Tims and any GAA that's on, but frankly, as pubs go, it needs either a refit or knocking down! The Mailcoach (right beside Shepherd's Bush Central line station) is another good pub to watch Ireland games - there's a big screen in the beer garden - but if it's raining, O'D's gets the vote every time... PP - Take your pick...
PP, Know of any good pubs a bit more central to watch the match? Shepherd's Bush is a bit of a trek for me and I'm tired of the usual psuedo-Irish haunts my mates usually drag me to! Cheers
Lads, I was given this Pub as another recommendation from a contact I have made...any of you lot tried this one? Closey "If you are in town, you might like to go to Finsbury Park Stn, walk to Seven Sisters Road and go to a 'big' Irish pub 'Na Beanna Beola' (The Twelve Pins) on the Seven Sisters Road. Cna nearly guarantee a good atmosphere, we watched the Finland game there and there were over 200 in the big bar with big screen."
Closey, Don't know the pub itself, but know the area well, and its rough as fck (apologies to any residents) Finsbury Park/Seven Sisters was where many of the Irish emigrants from the 50s-80s settled, so many of the pubs around there are full of builders in Celtic tops who will stare at you menacingly if you don't belt out Amhran na bhFiann with tears pouring out of your eyes. I often go up around there for Dublin GAA matches and I invariably get some drunken old boy coming up and telling me how much he hates the Brits and how much he misses home!!
Nigel Apologies for the delay in replying -I've only just logged on. Whereabouts in London were you thinking? PP - London Pubs A-Z
Nigel Shepherd's Bush is no distance outside the Circle Line - a whole two stops/four minutes from Notting Hill Gate! Failing that, I watched most of the World Cup matches in Ryan's on Carter Lane - a full two-minute walk from St. Paul's Cathedral, and a great old-style Irish juicer to boot. Ahh, when Robbie Keane scored that equaliser against Germany, you'd have had to pull about 200 of us outta the pub roof... PP - Come on Ireland!
Thanks PP, I think its O'Ds for us....... I rung up the MailCoach but the Bar Staff did not know whether they had the match (as the Manager was not about). If you know any different then please let us know....if its a nice day then it could be a good spot as you said.... Actually thinking about it...they are both more than walk able from each other...... MayoBhoy, so the Twelve Pins is not as dodgy as first thought>? Closey