I had a pleasant surprise to have our tour guide take us to Ireland's oldest pub. We had an early…read moremorning visit and it was the perfect way to start our day. We were immediately greeted at the door by the current pub owner who welcomed us to his pub. We were able to order early morning Irish Whiskey, which was delicious! After our crew all ordered drinks, the owner shared the pubs interesting history and pointed out some of the historical artifacts still found in the pub. This was one of my Ireland highlights. The staff were all so welcoming and friendly and the drinks were great. We had such a great and fun experience. I would definitely return and highly recommend it if you are visiting Ireland.

It's very touristy and tacky, but that's what you expect when you visit the place claiming to be…read morethe oldest pub in Ireland. There's no debate some component of it can be tracked back a millennia, but whether that's really the 900's or not, who knows. If you want to fight the crowds for the oldest pub in Ireland picture, it may be worth it, but the Guinness record plastered everywhere, and the busloads of folks stopping in for the same beer you did, may not be worth it. I went, I can say I had a beer there, no reason to go back. Athlone on the other hand, such a fun city if you can find a place to park and experience all the shops and things to do.

Small town bars are something attractive (for me). Castle Inn is nice experience to get away from…read moreDublin's big pubs. We sat by the bar. Small place. They had a wedding party going on. I couldn't believe it :-) but, where else would you have a craic in Athlone? Hotels? Less fun there, I guess. What was nice, that I asked for a tea, but not regular Lyons "road dust bag" tea, but something better, greet tea, perhaps. They didn't have anything. But they did have mint leaves for mojitos and cocktails. They put them leaves to my cup with hit water and bam! Nicest tea there you go :-) Sadly, but they didn't have any mid strength drinks (good for drivers).

My favourite local. Good for bringing friends or social pint. Great music spot. Three great pubs…read moreacross from each other that

I loved the seafood chowder (with treacle brown bread) which was stocked full of ocean creatures in…read morea cream base. One of the best I have ever eaten. Also the mushy peas were a delight. I wanted more of it - maybe a big old bowl on this cold rainy night. Warm atmosphere of antiques and memorabilia.

My mom and I stopped here for some dinner after a good day of driving. After checking into our…read moreAirBnb and eventually finding a parking spot, we walked into town and stumbled upon this gem. We ordered drinks and food and all were really good. I had the beef cheek special, but the cheeks were a tad dry. Everything else was amazing. We traveled all around Scotland and Ireland on this trip and my mom says this was her favorite meal. I would definitely go back to Gertie Browne!

It was a fun pub to check out for a drink! The people and staff were friendly which made for a fun…read moreenvironment.

This pub has good craic! Seems to be a local favorite. The barmen look after you & make good…read morerecommendations on various local alcohol selections. They have a deal with the restaurant next door, Pavarotti's, where you can get a pizza and a pint for 10 Euro. It does get very cramped in there. Would definitely go again!

If you're coming to Athlone or passing through, don't miss this pub! It was by far my favorite pub…read morein Ireland. It was the first place that felt like a true local feel. The owner, Tracy, along with the rest of the staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming. Not only that, but the locals in the bar were so fun to talk to and gave us plenty of recommendations for the rest of our Ireland travel. Don't miss this little gem!

Stop looking you've found your bar. I'm not a local but I felt like one here. Absolutely favorite…read morepub/bar traveling or at home. Friends said the Guinness on tap is the best they ever had but I love a mix drink with blackcurrant. No food but they will help order delivery. Kick your feet back and enjoy any down time here. Locals are so friendly and atmosphere is warm and inviting. Had so much fun here on my recent trip and kept coming back each night after exploring. Seems they always have some event live music, karaoke, or sports but even on nights without them they have a jukebox, pool table, comfy seating and great company. The owner and bartenders were also wonderful. l Wish I lived there so I could go all the time. Already planning my next trip back to Ireland and will definitely make it back here!

Great little spot at the core of the pubs by the river. A little tight for space but makes up for…read moreit with a nice atmosphere and delicious food. Got the Denver Ciabatta, came with chips, salad and pepper sauce! Amazing pepper sauce, one of the best I've ever had actually, highly recommended! The Ciabatta turned out well too! Nice chicken, cooked really well. Would come back here for sure. Great range of sauces to take from the counter. The staff were very nice also, pleasant, didn't bother you every five minutes to check if everything was okay. Food came out fairly quick. Beer garden could be improved though, seemed to be in the shade, that was the only thing.

The ground level of this restaurant is very much like a pub. The upper level is more like a…read morerestaurant with a window wall overlooking the street. We were sent upstairs as the lower level was full. There is a stairway to the right of the front door. About half the upper level was occupied but we managed to get a table by the window. The waiter was pretty good and the food decent. Service was fast considering the amount of people in the building. Located across the river from the Castle, and down the street just at the split, you can't miss the bright yellow front. I believe this is a chain restaurant, and serves a variety of foods like burgers, salads and fish. If you want the pub atmosphere I recommend arriving early. If you don't need the ambiance, or arrive late, you will find good, basic comfort food in a quiet atmosphere upstairs.

On a Taste of ireland CIE tour, we stopped at Jack Duggan's for lunch. Whatta treat! This is a…read morereal Irish pub. Friendly locals sitting at the bar enjoying a pint welcomed us as if we were family. . . .as may of us no doubt were but 8 generations removed. The food was served quickly and hot and with smiles. The fish and chips was the best me boys had had thus far. My 'vegetable soup', which is pureed in Ireland, was thick and tasty and coupled with hearty bread and butter. The facilities were clean and well stocked. The prices were fair and we paid up right at the bar. Just told them what we ate and were charged. No fussing. I'd go there again and again. Just take me back to Ireland, please. Nancy, Joe, Brien Hoyle, NJ USA

I went during the day and Shawna (Spelling?) was just THE sweetest! It's a warm quaint little pub…read morewith a little back deck for smokers or air. Many people are coming and going from the horse race bookie from across the street but everyone is super gracious and kind. Also, I've heard the music at night is the best in the area.

Had a fabulous meal with excellent service at this lovely establishment! Todd had the 8oz filet…read morewith a delicious gravy and chips. I had the 14 hour braised beef with mashed potatoes and the most perfectly cooked veggies. So yummy!

Traveling from California, we have the food from San Francisco and Napa which is great food…read more However, this restaurant was one of the best on my trip to Ireland . The flavors of each dish were amazing. If you have a chance to eat here I would highly recommend trying it out as you can prepare to experience great meals and ambiance.

Once known ads Brendan's bar, now Charlie Browns - Students and unfriendly locals…read more The bar is well up to standard but the staff are the most ignorant I have ever met anywhere, it must be from dealing with students all the time. It is more or less a campus bar beside the Athlone College. IF YOU ARE YOUNG, you will meet other young mad people there, so it may be fun for you as you will be too drunk to notice the staff, in that case go there!

I visited this pub three times and have had three different experiences whilst there, the only…read moreconsistent things were the amazing drink prices (Pitcher of fosters, 3 pints, 8 euro / 2 shots of Jager and energy drink, 6 euro) and the flock of crazy young people throughout the pub. Luckily the cheap drink outweighs the company as the drunker I get, the less I care. Seeing as the pub is right by AIT I was already expecting it to mostly be serving young students, what I was not expecting was to see multiple people dancing on the tables (and bar staff blatantly ignoring this) on a Tuesday night followed by a significantly older gentleman creeping up beside them for a feel. Smoking area is lovely and big, they have a big screen showing sports, a jukebox which had a great selection of songs including metal/rock and two pool tables. They seem to have a number of DJs on various nights, when visiting on Wednesday night the music was Techno and very enjoyable. Overall, pretty laid back pub, would enjoy more if I was younger (I'm 25) and possibly really really drunk.