Seeking an Authentic Irish Pub

In just about every city I've ever visited — from Tampa, Florida to Bonn, Germany – there is an Irish pub. So, was only natural that while visiting the Emerald Island I needed to check out a few Irish, Irish pubs to see how the rest of the world compares. "Are dark paneling, stew, Celtic music, and Guinness on tap all you need to make an authentic experience?" I wondered.

Each night in Dublin Kevin and I visited a pub or two looking for an authentic experience. Surprisingly, this task was more difficult then you might think. Being new to the city, we found ourselves mostly on the beaten path. This meant that the pubs we visited on Friday and Saturday were filled with tourists, not locals. Hearing Italian on one side and German on the other — while making Dublin feel like a popular international destination — certainly did not create a sense of authenticity.

After spending two day walking around the cit we had a better idea of where to head on Sunday. It was our last chance to find the pub of our Irish dreams.

I'm happy to report: We found it.

Even though Sheehan’s on Chatham Row just off Grafton Street is not far off the beaten path, the place was filled with locals. We sat at the bar and made friends with two regulars and the staff while waiting for a table to eat our meal. Before we knew it, someone was buying us a round and we got swept up in an argument about which Dublin neighborhood was tougher.

We eventually got a cozy booth in the corner. Our quite meal was punctuated with banter between another couple we befriended and the crowd at the bar. We even got to meet an old-time Irish T.V. star who popped in for a drink between sets of his stand up act at a near by theater.

The cherry on our Sunday: Kevin was invited behind the bar to practice pulling a pint of his own!