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O'Connell's Bar

4.6 (45 reviews)
ModeratePubs

O'Connell's Bar Photos

O'CONNELL'S BAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Loud
Outdoor seating
Good for groups

Recommended Reviews - O'Connell's Bar

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Reviews With Photos

Doug G.

O'Connell's Bar is an absolute must when in Galway! We popped in on a recommendation and it was easily one of the best recommendations we received while in Galway! O'Connell's Bar, which has been famous for years in its own right, rose to international prominence thanks to ole Ed Sheeran's "Galway Girl". It was pretty cool to see the spot where the video was filmed and it only added to the allure and story of the place! When you walk in off the street, you may just think it is a small cozy Irish pub and for the most part, you would be correct. However, go through the doors in the back and you are transported to a large, open-air beer garden featuring store fronts, stages, booths, heaters and more! While the inside is classic and uniquely Irish, the outdoor space is its own vibe! It honestly feels like two different spaces, but they also feel connected. All in all, easily the best beer garden in Galway! We grabbed a few pints at the inside bar and spent most of our time outside. It was a tad chilly, but they have self-controlled and regulated heaters over several of the seating alcoves, so we were comfortable an ended up hanging around for a few pints. Location is stellar, directly on Eyre Square, which is a main hub for Galway. Easy to wander in while walking around or popping off a bus, as the main bus stop of the area is directly across the street. Overall, we absolutely loved our time at O'Connell's Bar!

Tanya B.

Walked in for some dinner however it was crowded so ended up just getting drinks. The vibe is awesome like a local bar somewhere out in the country. They have many sections as well as an outside area with some pizza. Defiantly a good hang out area if you're looking for a bar.

Rick C.

Really great beer garden.! When you walk in off the square, it looks like a small place. However if you press ahead, you get to the large outdoor garden area in the back. What I liked: - There is cover in the garden area so you are hood rain or shine - good selection of craft beer along side the usual set of beer on tap in Ireland. - good service and security to clear tables and prevent smokers in the largest portion of the garden under a roof.

Bridget H.

A must stop on the Galway Whiskey Trail. O'Connell's had the largest whiskey selection of all the whiskey bars I went to while in Galway. The bartender was incredibly knowledgeable on Irish whiskey and game me excellent recommendations. I had the Clonakilty Pelican finish whiskey. It was a lovely sipper. The bar is huge with plenty of spots to sit at the bar if you enjoy sitting at the bar. There was a lot of antique decor that was interesting to look at. The prices were also reasonable here. I paid around €8 for my whiskey which is a great price! I would come here again in a heartbeat.

Beer garden out back
Jen W.

Stopped in about lunch time to get out of the cold. We ordered a tea, and a pint and wandered around the pub. This place is so much fun. When you first enter, it appears there is only one small room with 3 tables and the bar. Open the back door and exit to your right to enter their outdoor bar areas. Plural. What a great place to enjoy a pint in fine weather. To us HP fans, the whole place reminds us of Diagon Alley. Enter any door from this outdoor area and wander through the many small pub style rooms full to the brim with memorabilia. When we arrived it was mostly empty and we had a great time exploring. The staff were very friendly and easy going. You should note, the restrooms are entered from outdoor area so if it's cold outside, it's cold inside. They are modern and clean. I recommend stopping by to lift a pint, or get a cuppa, and enjoying this fun establishment.

Kathleen D.

O'Connell's is a quintessential Irish pub. Is it a must-visit pub? Eh, probably not, but it is pretty cool nonetheless. Stop in for a cider if you're in the Eyre Square area! Prices are fair and service is prompt. You will need to hail the bartender for your check though. The set-up confused me a bit but it was easy to find seats at the bar. I asked if they had any fruity or sour beers at first and was presented an IPA sample (sigh, noooo) but quickly changed my mind and ordered a Bulmer's. If you don't want a Guinness, a Bulmer's will be your best bet here.

Pizza from Dough bros inside pub!!
Jose A.

Awesome pub! It gets packed with locals/tourists on Friday nights. Had a couple Pints from here. They also have a pizza restaurant located inside. Pizza is delicious!! Places an order and it was done literally within 3-5MIN!! Check this place out for sure (: lovely atmosphere.

Gary R.

We drank at a lot of pubs in Galway during our stay there. A lot. Isn't that what you're supposed to do in Ireland? We embraced it wholeheartedly. And of all the regular pubs, O'Connell's was our favorite. We kept going back. Sure there are other good places and we loved those as well. Places with live Irish folk music, contemporary music, weird crowds, larger beer selections. We appreciated all that. But for a chill place to go have a pint and get that real pub feel without all that distraction, O'Connell's takes the cake. First of all the atmosphere is instantly welcoming, the bar friendly, the bartenders a pure joy, the stools comfy, the beer cold with quite a good selection. We particularly enjoyed the 1862 drafts brewed for O'Connell's. Delightful! There are multiple rooms beyond the front bar if you wander through. There's even an outdoor enclosed courtyard with an additional bar. If you're ever in Galway, stop in and have a pint. You'll even make a new friend or two.

Inside the beer garden
Celi R.

This pub is absolutely charming! When you go inside it looks just like any little pub, but if you go through the garden door to the back you find a beer garden with tucked away alcoves, tables, storefront decorations, and a pizza oven.

Great spot for day drinking. Service was great as well. Classic Irish bar with a great outdoor set up.

The gate in front of the patio of O'Connell's, makes for a great photo spot!
Courtney L.

Oh O'Connell's! My friends and I had an amazing time at O'Connells in Galway when visiting a few days before St. Patrick's Day. During our visit, we were told that the bar was recently revamped with the outside patio. You walk in through what looks like a normal, smallish, Irish pub and go out the back to find a whole patio bar! Theres an additional bar outside in the back with plenty of seating AND a DJ booth inside of a bus, neatly slid into the corner. This place is lively and fun, filled kind people and good times. It's no wonder Ed Sheeran filmed his music video for "Galway Girl" here. You could say we freaked out when the music video was released a few weeks after our trip and we came to learn that our favorite bar in Ireland was featured in Ed's newest video! I highly recommend checking out this fun spot. Enjoy yourself a whiskey ginger or a pint of Guinness.

The night's never complete without a hooker

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7 months ago

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10 days ago

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9 months ago

Great service excellent location very nice atmosphere. Going into the pub it has a very inviting feel to it.

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3 years ago

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10 months ago

Fantastic environment and outstanding music and service. Love this pub. The best in Galway!

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

Love it. A great place to hang. Staff easy going and food....tasty. Great atmosphere. A must stop.

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8 years ago

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4 years ago

Cool bar with a great outdoor area. Definitely pop in for a pint...or a few. Good vibes

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8 years ago

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4 years ago

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8 years ago

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16 years ago

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7 years ago

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9 years ago

Lovely quintessential Irish Pub. Went in for one drink and enjoyed chatting up with the locals.

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17 years ago

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16 years ago

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11 years ago

Great pint and great atmosphere, the staff is very friendly and one of the best pints of Guinness I had while in town.

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O'Connell's Bar Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - O'Connell's Bar

Location is stellar, directly on Eyre Square, which is a main hub for Galway.

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Quays Bar

Quays Bar

3.8(151 reviews)
0.5 km
€€

A fun place in the middle of the city. It has live trad music. It was very lively with the music…read moreand dancing. It can be crowded, but that just added to the fun. It has good selection of beer, cider and cocktails. The porn star cocktail was delicious. The staff work hard to keep up with getting drinks and keeping things clean. They do not have food upstairs, where the music was. There was a restaurant on the lower level where you could get something to eat. The space is pretty big with bar seating and tables. It has the whole world pub vibe.

We stopped in for dinner but there were no tables available. We said we'd go to another restaurant…read moreand we started to return to our hotel. We're just about there when the manager comes up behind us and said he found a table. Pretty impressive service. The table was in a medium sized room away from the music which was great as you could hold a conversation. Our server came over quickly to take our drink orders and once we had the drinks be places our order, cottage pie and fish and chips. The cottage pie was served in a small, but not too small oval baking dish with a nicely browned top on the potatoes. It also came with a side of gravy which was a nice touch. Digging in there was a good amount of pulled well seasoned brisket with carrots mixed. Very tasty dish. The fish and chips arrived with a good portion chips and a moderately sized piece of well fried fish. The fish was very fresh and flaky and the breading was very light so it didn't over power the fish. We had a pleasant meal with two great servers, a manager that wouldn't give up on finding us a table and great music (acoustic guitar) to keep us enter. Definitely a great place for drinks and a good meal and one that we will gone back to.

Photos
Quays Bar - Interior stained glass

Interior stained glass

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Madras chicken curry

Quays Bar - Live music and baccanalia

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Live music and baccanalia

O'Connell's Bar - pubs - Updated July 2026

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