25/10/16 - Galway Pub Crawl - Day 2

Distance - 5 Miles (over the day)

Pubs - 4
Geocaches - 5
Yesterday's Pub Crawl

Day 2 in Galway.  We avoid going to the pubs too early by taking in Geocaches in the City Centre, followed by a trip to the Cinema.

Darkness falls and what else is there to do?  An investigation of West Galway Pubs is in order.

First, a missed pub from last night in the High Street.

Freeneys, 19 High Street

From the outside, you would be hard pressed to identify this as a bar.  Yes, one window is full of Irish Whiskeys, but the other is full of fishing gear and swiss army knives.

Freeneys - Try not to walk on by

This means its a touch more sedate that the other pubs in Galway.  Only the locals and the truly prepared know its there.

Very old school inside, with a long bar divided with privacy screens.

Wonderful coal fires.

Freeneys from the Inside

Bierhaus, 2 Henry Street

After possibly the finest Italian meal ever eaten (Da Paulinos, Upper Abbeygate) we get on with West Galway Proper.

The first place is a disappointment.  A craft beer place called Bierhaus.

Street Art, Craft Beer, No Need for Either

We walk in and senses aroused by an open plan kitchen in one corner and signs for Fullers ESB in another.  Now a nice pint of real ale would make a change from all the black stuff that tastes so wonderful but sits like lead in your belly.

A trip to the bar reveals that they don't actually sell it.

More Guinness it is then.

I'm sure craft ale bars have their place but they're not really my cup of tea and definitely out of kilter with the other pubs experienced over here.

At least I learn how to cook sliced potatoes and burgers by watching the chef ply his trade.

Roisin Dubh, Upper Dominick Street

Legendary Music Venue

Bizarrely, I am on this places mailing list.  Mark Lanegan played here at the start of the year and looking to see if I could find an interesting venue to see him play, I must have subscribed.

Once a week, I will reminded of this fine city as I check my mails.

Tonight, it's comedy that gets a turn, with Jason Byrne kicking off the Galway comedy festival by playing here.

We would have gone to see him, but we have tickets for tomorrow.

Instead, its a quick pint in this cavernous pub which we have the bar to ourselves.

Everyone else has gone into the comedy room.

Monroes, Upper Dominick Street

Surely the winner of the biggest pub in Galway?

Monroes in the Daytime

We time entry perfectly.  The football has just finished, the TVs are turned to mute, the lights are dimmed and the traditional Irish Music starts up.

Yesterday, we had fun dodging the whirling dervishes in Tig Coili.  Here, they have room to get properly organised.  Into a proper Ceilidh.  Equal number of men and women fling each other around in a manner that would have you banned in Worcestershire pubs if you were to try it.

The whole thing reminded me of a Nick Cave Song - John Finn's Wife - which opens as such;

Well the night was deep and the night was dark

And I was at the old dance-hall on the edge of town

Some big ceremony was going down

Dancers writhed and squirmed and then,

Came apart and then writhed again

Like squirming flies on a pin

In the heat and in the din

Yes, in the heat and in the din

I fell to thinking about brand new wife of mad John Finn

We stayed for the rest of the night, utterly transfixed.

And yes, we were tempted to join in.