Take 10 – New England’s best Irish pubs
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Stay away long enough and you might think that Irish pubs are all the same. But go more than once a year, and you’ll remember that the delight lives in the details, whether the taste of a perfectly poured pint, or the quip of another patron. The fun need not end on March 17.
No, heed the words of Liam Maguire, who runs the Falmouth pub that bears his name. He tells of the call he got from a woman one St. Patrick’s Day. “I want to reserve a table because we came last year and we had such a great time,’’ the woman told Maguire. ‘‘If you had such a good time,’’ Maguire said, ‘‘why didn’t you come back before now?’’ In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, we offer a tour of 10 favorites in the region.
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Brendan Behan Pub
378 Centre St., Jamaica Plain
A darts player as seen through the front window of the Brendan Behan, a pub in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. Bartender John Casey, a native of Ireland, says of the pub, “It’s probably about as similar to something back home as you’d get around Boston.’’
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The Snug
116 North St., Hingham
The Snug is a pub/restaurant in Hingham that holds a traditional Irish seisiun every Monday evening. The musicians are, from left, Dan McDonald of Marshfield, fiddle; Bob Littera of Harvard, tenor banjo; Kevin Weston of Lakeville, guitar; Donpaul Nogueira of Weymouth, Irish flute; and Mary Nuhibian of Norfolk, the tin whistle.
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The Corrib Pub
396 Market St., Brighton
Bartender Imelda Kerins draws a beer at the Corrib Pub, in Boston’s Brighton neighborhood. The pub, which opened in 1969, is named for Lough Corrib in Ireland and attracts many natives of County Galway who have settled in the area.
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Buskers
178 Thames St., Newport, R.I.
Buskers Pub sits on Thames Street in the heart of Newport, R.I. The pub serves nearly two dozen draft beers, and earned recognition as one of the best Irish pubs in the US from the Irish Voice newspaper.
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The Shannon Door
Junction of Routes 16 and 16A, Jackson, N.H.
Kelli MacDonald of Conway, N.H., joins friends and family at The Shannon Door in Jackson, N.H. The photograph-filled pub caters to skiers, hikers, and locals coming off the White Mountain slopes and trails.
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McGrath’s Irish Pub
709 Route 4, Sherburne Pass, Killington, Vt.
The band Extra Stout keeps a Celtic beat alive at McGrath’s Irish Pub in Killington, Vt. The pub, which is connected to the Inn at Long Trail, makes a natural stop for hikers on the Long Trail (the Vermont section of the Appalachian Trail) and for winter ski crowds.
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Patrick’s Pub
381 Smith St., Providence
The Garda Band and Patrick’s Pub patrons celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2008. The Providence pub is owned by Patrick Griffin, a native of Athlone, County Roscommon. The pub has been a proud sponsor of the Providence St. Patrick’s Day Parade since 1993.
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Liam Maguire’s Irish Pub and Restaurant
273 Main St., Falmouth
Liam Maguire on stage on a recent Friday night at Liam Maguire’s Restaurant & Pub in Falmouth Village on Cape Cod. Maguire, a close friend of Irish music legend Tommy Makem, settled here with his family and opened the pub in 1994 after decades as a touring musician.
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Wild Rover Pub
21 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, N.H.
The Wild Rover Pub in Manchester, N.H., opened in 1990. With its brick walls and oak floors, is a neighborhood favorite of college students and blue-collar workers.
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Anna Liffey’s
17 Whitney Ave., New Haven
Anna Liffey’s is said to be the oldest Irish pub in New Haven. It frequently offers live music, and the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade ends right outside its doors.
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