I know where to go. Going next week actually. Caaaaan’t waaait!
Is it a two night affair? Or a shit stag where ye don’t go out until 4 or 5 on the Saturday?
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Galway?
I am there on a separate trip next week too
No New York.
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Was there a few weeks ago, comments as follows;
The Dail Bar - Watched the football there, average Guinness, meh
Freeney’s - Snuck off here with a few for a great pint, not much craic to be had though
The Front Door - Decent place, lively spot with plenty of talent, poor Guinness
An Púcan - The place has changed immeasurably since i was there last, Disco / late bar style thing, great beer garden
Supermacs Eyre Square - Chicken Fillet Burger Meal, top notch. No fights
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If you want grimey pubs then Limerick is the place for you.
Pubs wise;
There’s a bit of quirk to Limerick with a lot of the better bars at one end of the town and a bit of a gap then to the late bar district. Only a five minute walk in reality but a connecting pub would clean up IMO. Anyway.
I’m rating the main ones out of three.
Area 1. Between Mallow Street & Thomas Street. This is the area where you’d start off on a normal night, if you are day drinking (which I assume you will be) this might not be where to start, but we’ll get to that later. You want to be here from 7/8 until it’s loud music time.
The White house. A lovely boozer to start the night in, usually quiet enough early in the night.
“Tom Collins” is Limericks version of Keoghs/Toners. Gets very busy later in the night so I’d hit it early. A must visit on any trip to Limerick.
Mickey Martins is kind of a hipster place, but with actual hipsters as opposed to the modern fake kind. It can depend on the night sometimes the whole place is stoned off their face and it can be messy enough, but I like it. Good choice of beers etc.
Myles Breens bit out of the way from the rest of them. Grand bar. Good place if you’re watching a match or something.
Right next door to Breens is a Flannerys . Real old style boozer. Lovely spot for early in the night.
**
Another Flannerys Jerry Flannerys, (there are many, many Flannerys pubs in Limerick, at least 6) but this one has a giant rugby ball sticking out the side of it so you can’t miss it. It’s not the worst spot in fairness. Nice smoking area out the back where they have live music on most nights. Avoid if there is a rugby match on. Full of 50 year old men in Munster jerseys. Close to Tom Collins.
*
McGettigans. New enough boozer, part of a chain of international bars. Not my cup of tea at all, but it’s been busy enough the last few times I was in there. Kind of modern, without being fancy. It’s a bit of a nothing place.
*
The Still House is a sports bar, used to go in there a bit but the last time I was in there it was rough as fuck, so I’d probably avoid.
*
Tom & Jerrys, a grand bar I go there the odd time myself, but not really a place you’d bring a group of lads.
*
Glen Tavern more of a food place than anything. Nice pub, but unsuitable for a stag.
*
Paddy Frawleys is just a side bar to a restaurant. Avoid.
I’m not sure if Bentleys is still open? I haven’t been there in yonks and couldn’t tell you what its like.
There’s a bit of a break then to Area 2. Late Bars/Loud Music. I won’t be giving anything a three star because I despise the loud music type places, but you’ve got to go there don’t you.
**
Old Quarter
Live Music, nice smoking area. Easy enough get a drink.
**
Cobble Stone Joes
Live Music. Tight bar, can be hard to get a drink in there.
**
Nancys. If your coming to Limerick it’s probably a place that will be recommended to you. Nice smoking area. Disaster to get a pint. Always way too packed. I hate the place, but I can see why others like it. Generally peoples last stop before the icon.
**
Big Flannerys (Not actually it’s name, it’s just Flannerys but it’s er big).
Kind of like Flannerys in Dublin. A last stop before the night club kind of place. Loud music, can be very busy. It’s a giant Meh from me.
**
The Red Hen
Limericks attempt at a posh bar. It’s not really very posh though (prices are a bit steeper and they serve cocktails which is about as fancy as you’d get) and is an okayish place.
**
The Office. Actually haven’t been in there in an age. No idea what it’s like these days, must go there soon as I remember it as an alright place.
**
Phil Flannerys. There is yet another Flannerys in the area, it’s a real old man pub and a grand boozer, but not what you’d want at that time of night.
*
Clohesseys. Peter’s new place. There’s been a few bars tried and failed in this location. It’s not great layout wise and doesn’t do much for me. I’d give it a miss.
*
The Lone Wolf (or something like that). Used to be Molly’s and was the best bar in Limerick when I was in college. Absolutely shit and empty the last time I was there.
*
Chaplins
Been a while since I was there, but I heard its a big druggie bar now? Other posters may confirm.
Night clubs
**
The Library
I’ve been going here the last few times I was forced into a nightclub. It’s better than the alternatives and has live music until late. Kind of a Whelan’s type place. Can have hard house trance on some nights though as well so it very much depends. 
*
Smyths/The Icon
The Icon is like a shit Coppers. Everyone goes there but no one knows why. If a few of your mates are on the pull though this is probably the only option.
Smyths is the bar leading into the icon. The Icon can be cunts at the door even if your sober. If ye are going there your as well off having a few pints in Smyths before hitting the nightclub, you can go in through the bar and they won’t stop you. It’s actually not too bad a bar and always has a decent band playing.
The other nightclubs are Crush 87 (kids) and Angel Lane (nobody). Avoid at all costs.
Early drinking.
There are a couple of places outside of the two areas (slightly, Limerick is fairly handy navigate on foot).
The Locke. If you are boozing early and it’s a nice day then the Locke Bar is Limericks answer to the Barge. A lovely pub and can’t wait to sit on the banks of the Shannon and down a few pints there in the summer. They do decent grub in there as well (at least they used to).
Sextons
A nice pub which you’d have to yourself early in the day. Nice smoking area with a pool table in it out the back. There’ll be nothing happening there, but you’d pass away a few hours happily enough having the craic.
For food somewhere like Bobby Byrnes would be the place to start. They do great grub there & it’s a pub as well so you could get started there.
The above pubs are a bit all over the place. An example route suitable for a stag (not what I’d recommend to a normal group) would be White House, Tom Collins, Jerry Flannerys, Mickey Martins, Myles Breens, Red Hen, Old Quarter, Nancys, Smyths/The Icon.
You’d have to start splitting up into smaller groups after Breens.
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That is a comprehensive list and a good review of each place. I note you avoided the type of place Choco would frequent such as Souths, Dolans and The Curragower.
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heading to Bristol next week, has anyone any experience of it?
On a stag ? Where do these lads be getting their ideas from?
Souths is in no mans land for me, too modern for a grimey pub, too grimey for a modern pub. I’m also not a fan of bars that do food.
The Curragower is just a restaurant masquerading as a pub. JJ Bowles is the man for the job on the Northside of the city I’m told.
Does anyone drink in Dolans anymore? Apparently it used to be the spot going back for early morning drinking. Do they still have the early license? Is it called the Kasbah now or what’s going on there?
Generally dictated to by the cheapest Ryanair flight.
That said I’ve actually seen Bristol pop up on a few lists of top UK stag destinations.
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Sure I suppose it’s cheap as fuck. With twenty lads on the tear it doesn’t really matter where you are.
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Lads are getting there ideas from the cheap flight supplied by ryanair and the best man having lived in the city for a brief period.
At least ye’ll have some idea where to go.
I bet he’ll bring ye somewhere though and go this place is class, ye’ll be walking for twenty minutes and you get there and it’s shit. Always happens
i doubt that BRISTOL is that big.
he does know what he’s about. I reckon with stag the venue matters fuck all, having the craic is the most important part…
thanks for pointing that out, im not used to typing.
i’ll amend it now, it is BRISTOL which i am heading to.
I’m always here to help buddy!
hope to see you Friday evening.
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Enjoy pal.