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Sean's Bar

4.8 (79 reviews)
InexpensivePubs
Closed 10:30 am - 11:30 AM

Sean's Bar Photos

SEAN'S BAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Touristy
Quiet
Outdoor seating

Recommended Reviews - Sean's Bar

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Reviews With Photos

Mica M.

Definitely worth a stop here if you're a history buff and want to experience an old pub in the middle of the country. We stopped here on our road trip for a Guinness. Place has a lot of charm and many little nooks to sit in. Large back outdoor area as well. It was surprising how any people stopped to in to see the "Oldest Pub in Ireland." The amount of merch they were selling was wild.

Amy S.

You've gotta stop by the oldest pub in Ireland! It's smack dab in the middle in between Galway and Dublin. It's got a nice public parking lot nearby. It's huge on the inside. We were able to find seating easily and order a Guinness. Can't go wrong with Guinness in Ireland. Service was friendly. Lots and lots of tourists.

Seans Bar

Oldest bar in Ireland. Establishes 900 AD Nice aroma of peat Fire. Excellent Guinness and Irish Coffee.

One of the bars inside the pub
Jim J.

For an Irish pub that was established in 900 A.D. it had lots of character. It was pretty big. However, the old part was very old and decorated as one would expect in an old Irish pub what can I say? The Guinness beer was delicious the service was good, oh by the way you have to go to the bar to get your beer. All of the folks and patrons were fantastic and friendly. It was a very warm Homie atmosphere. if we ever go back to Ireland, we will definitely stop in.

Sean's Bar, Athlone
Bruce K.

Drinks and drinks, so on a Sunday at noon this was a very brief stop as I still have a long drive back to Dublin. Sean's Bar dates back to 900 AD and they have the receipts to provide it. Ancient walls and quite rustic decor with a wide selection of Irish whiskeys and pints of Guinness, it is definitely cozy. The pub is located in the heart of Athlone and there might be some street parking nearby if you're lucky. Note that they do not serve food other than crisps. [Review 1967 of 2024 - 148 in Republic of Ireland - 22989 overall]

Kris S.

good craic! enjoyed our visit. had a few beverages and bought some sweatshirts. would definitely go back if the opportunity arises.

Sean's bar walls, how they built it
Kevin O.

Sean's bar is a treasure to find. So much history and Tim gave me and my family a full history of the owners and how it became Sean's bar. Keep an eye out for Sean's whiskey coming to the USA in 2025. It will start in Texas 1st. Quick story, Tim had a binder that had all the history in it and took him 18 years to write, only to have his dogs eat it one night. Now he is rewriting it for a history channel & Netflix series soon to come.

Kay K.

I am still completely dumbfounded that I was in Ireland's oldest bar dating back to 900 AD. It's certainly the standout in the small town of Athlone. Hardly anything was open in the area when we stopped by on a weekday mid morning so don't expect food options - but drinks and warm hospitality will be available at Sean's. I think it's worth checking out and if it's not too busy, you might even get one of the bartenders to tell you the story/legacy of Sean's Bar.

Rooty T.

Sean's bar was somewhat busy, but there were several bartenders and our drinks were served quickly. The Store front is small and misleading, there are five or more sections in addition to a patio. Lots of memorabilia on the walls and many old license plates from USA states. It was an interesting visit, but difficult to find artifacts on how the bar was traced back to 900 AD. We didn't notice a food menu and one wasn't offered. The only food items were small packaged peanuts.

Grace B.

The oldest bar in the world! Went in the afternoon on a Tuesday and it was the move because the bartender said it can get pretty packed with tourists and locals. Had a bulmers and chilled and it was great! Seating is limited but its cozy. Great decor and great bartenders. Def a bucketlist item to check off if you can.

Daniel H.

Really neat historic bar right near the castle. We only had beer but it was cold and served very fast. All the servers were friendly. Bought a couple shirts here. Prices were good.

Guinness
Shawn D.

Friendly bartenders, great music, and obviously great drink! Cheers. Original bar in the front and lots of additions in the back. Ready to celebrate St Patrick's Day every day!

1/2 pint of Guinness
Frances L.

This is one of the oldest pub that serve since 900 AD. What can you say? With a great selection of taps and a live Irish music totally bring you back in time.

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7 years ago

Super friendly bar. People from all over come to this place to have a pint or Sean's whisky. Oldest bar in the world at least in Ireland.

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7 years ago

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10 years ago

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8 years ago

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10 years ago

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3 years ago

This is a small bar full of patrons on a Wednesday afternoon. It is well worth a visit.

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8 years ago

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9 years ago

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8 years ago

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4 years ago

Great bar! Wish there were some toasties as well. People are welcoming and the pints were cold.

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10 years ago

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13 years ago

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9 years ago

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16 years ago

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16 years ago

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14 years ago

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8 years ago

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8 years ago

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7 years ago

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9 years ago

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7 years ago

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9 years ago

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11 years ago

Great spot. Do an amazing whiskey sour, ask for Jamie. Some man for one man! Well done guys, keep it up

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9 years ago

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9 years ago

Incredible quaint pub that serves up amazing pints and conversation, beyond friendly. Went in daily during a few day stay at the Sheraton.

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15 years ago

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8 years ago

Great spot! Friendly staff and very home like feel! Open after the castle, so very nice stop after the tour.

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8 years ago

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15 years ago

Great place! Nice big beergarden in the back with rain cover and heaters for the the cooler nights. A must when in town!

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12 years ago

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12 years ago

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14 years ago

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Sean's Bar Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Sean's Bar

Drinks and drinks, so on a Sunday at noon this was a very brief stop as I still have a long drive back to Dublin.

Mentioned in 9 reviews

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Hatters Lane Bistro - Vegan fajitas!

Hatters Lane Bistro

4.7(7 reviews)
0.2 km

While I was staying in Athlone and wandered off the main street, I found Hatter's Bistro and was…read moreinstantly intrigued by the mysterious vibe of this place... It's a 2-floor establishment, with a restaurant in the basement and a pub on the main floor; with more paraphernalia and interesting knick-knacks to spend the rest of your stay examining... Now to the important part: the food! In a word, it's great! It can be tricky for me to find a decent vegetarian/vegan bite to eat in Ireland; luckily, Brendan, whose family owns the place (which, as the name hints at, used to be a hat factory), has knowledge of vegan food and could assure me that everything would be in order. As for my experience as a whole; I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere, and will visit again when I'm in Athlone! Definitely suitable for going on a date as well; the dimmed reddish lighting down the back creates an intimate atmosphere - and of course, everything is better when it has a story...

We were in Athlone for one night, Hatters Lane had great yelp reviews and a a cousin, an Athlone…read morenative, also recommended it. After drinks on the deck at Radisson Blu (also recommended) we had dinner at Hatters. All 3 of us were pleased with our selections, the bacon wrapped chicken was very good as were the other two mains (one had hake the other beef). Wines by the glass were reasonably priced and decent quality. Service was very good.

Photos
Hatters Lane Bistro
Hatters Lane Bistro
Hatters Lane Bistro

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Sean's Bar - pubs - Updated May 2026

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