Where the Irish go for a pint
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There exist some pubs in these parts where you won’t need a glass of green beer to know it is St. Patrick’s Day. At these outposts of all things Eire, you can hear enough Irish accents, see enough Chieftains and U2 posters, and drink enough Guinness to believe you’ve been whisked away to the Emerald Isle.
Here are 15 bars where the Irish go for a pint, on St. Patrick’s Day and most other days too. — Glenn Yoder/Boston.com
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James’s Gate
5 McBride St., Jamaica Plain
With a fireplace giving the place a smoky aroma and soft candles flickering atop a 200-year-old mantle, the Gate feels like an inn. Black-and-white photos of the home country line the walls, while doors featuring stained-glass seem to welcome road-weary travelers. But nestled deep in Jamaica Plain, the place draws a clientele of mostly locals and Irish mainstays who enjoy traditional foods like shepherd’s pie and smoked fish.
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Eire Pub
795 Adams St., Dorchester
There’s something truly authentic about the Eire Pub. Its decor is plain, but what few objects it does have on the walls tell the bigger story. The pub has long been established as an unofficial campaign stop for politicians. Bill Clinton swung by. Ronald Reagan, too — a framed photo shows the Gipper raising a pint with some Bostonians, and a plaque commemorates his ‘‘surprise appearance’’ in 1983. But the regulars are weary of all that. As one local proudly pointed out the pub’s sports trophies, he noted, ‘‘Politicians stop here for 15 minutes. We’re here every week.’’
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The Burren
247 Elm St., Somerville
Music is obviously important to the Burren’s caretakers, the same folks who run the Skellig in Waltham. The walls are lined with framed posters from Irish music fests, and past the bar, a back room opens up to a raised stage where Somerville superstars keep things hopping. Sure enough, the pub was founded in 1996 by two Irish musicians, Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello. Customers are encouraged to grab a drink and join in a tune.
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The Banshee Bar
934 Dorchester Ave., Boston
When the Gaelic Athletic Association comes to town for a traditional sporting match, there’s one pub its members are bound to frequent: the Banshee. The place carries an abundance of proof. There are so many signed and framed jerseys emblazoned with the likes of Ard Mhacha and An Mhi that the bar ran out of wall space and started placing them on the ceiling. Owned by two Irish immigrants and an American, the bar also reflects the local sports scene, with David Ortiz and Tom Brady jerseys next to the door.
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The Druid
1357 Cambridge St., Cambridge
The Druid serves Irish breakfast until 3 p.m. on Sundays, perfect for the post-St. Patrick’s Day hangover. The place is Irish, all right: a poster offering the ‘‘Irish View of Europe’s Leading Football Nations’’ has Great Britain mysteriously absent. But the first thing you notice when you walk through the door is a giant ghost hovering above the bar. ‘‘I put the ghost up for Halloween and it’s just stayed up. For Christmas, it was the Ghost of Christmas Past,’’ said owner Mikey Crawford, through a thick brogue. ‘‘I guess now it could be a banshee.’’
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The Skellig
240 Moody St., Waltham
If you have been counting down the minutes to St. Patrick’s Day, fear not: The Skellig does that for you. Thanks to a Guinness clock, you can watch the seconds tick away until you can toast Ireland’s patron saint. A band sits in the center of the room, pounding out Celtic tunes with an eclectic mix of instruments. Here, you’d be hard-pressed to find a server or bouncer without an Irish accent.
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Tommy Doyle’s
1 Kendall Square, Cambridge
There are two Tommy Doyle’s in Greater Boston, one in Harvard Square and one in Kendall Square, as well as one in Hyannis. Because it’s in a business district, the Kendall pub draws a crowd for after-work drinks, and is relatively empty Saturday nights. This leaves that much more for the regular patrons, including the offerings from the fine wooden cabinets housing the makings of their cocktail menu.
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Porter Belly’s
338 Washington St., Brighton
There’s not a lot of wiggle room in Porter Belly’s, no matter how much its live bands make you want to boogie. Dark and — to be polite — cozy, lighted by small lanterns that dance off real trees and stone, the room is a convergence spot for BC and BU students. Don’t be fooled: this is an Irish joint to the bone. But as one bartender put it: ‘‘You get a bit of everything.’’
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Doyle’s Café
3484 Washington St., Jamaica Plain
Not strictly an Irish bar, Doyle’s is family-friendly and well-lit, with plenty of seats and lots of food. Since the place is so enormous, it often seems quiet during the dinner rush, but on St. Patrick’s Day it fills with the drinking crowd seeping in to soak up a stampede of traditional bands.
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Flann O’Briens Pub
1619 Tremont St., Roxbury
It doesn’t help Flann’s case for Irish authenticity that it sits at the foot of Mission Hill and is frequented by Northeastern, Wentworth, and MassArt students. But the 17-year-old establishment is Irish-owned and reflects its heritage through quotes painted on the wall from such Irish notables as politician Charles Haughey and writer Samuel Beckett.
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The Field
20 Prospect St., Cambridge
Just around the corner from the easily accessible Central Square and overflowing with Irish decorations, The Field has a community vibe. Plus, at strictly 21-plus, the college crowd is nonexistent. Instead, it’s an after-work hangout and meeting place for locals.
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Goody Glovers
50 Salem St., Boston
In the spirit of its cramped North End surroundings, Goody Glover’s has a tiny downstairs bar and a larger lounge above. At this new player on the local bar scene, ambiance is the name of the game; church pews reach toward the bar’s high ceilings, where stained glass looks down upon real candlelight.
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Hennessy’s of Boston
25 Union St., Boston
Nestled in Faneuil Hall, it’s tough for Hennessy’s to hide. It’s often spotlighted as one of Boston’s best bars and has been voted “Boston’s Best Irish Pub’’ six years in a row by the Improper Bostonian and AOL City Guide. It also boasts Upstairs at Hennessey’s, a club for bands.
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An Tua Nua
835 Beacon St., Boston
If you couldn’t tell this bar’s heritage by its name, you get the message the minute you walk through the door and are greeted by an enormous Irish flag with a shamrock emblazoned on it. Past the Bass and Guinness, there’s a huge dance floor in the back, befitting for drunken jigs on St. Patrick’s Day.
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The Brendan Behan Pub
378 Centre St., Jamaica Plain
The local bands’ stickers plastered all over Brendan Behan’s taps display the gritty side of the artistic Jamaica Plain community. After all, the bar is dead center in the neighborhood – off Centre Street and directly across from the Milky Way Lounge & Lanes. The pub, which takes its name from the Irish poet, playwright, politician – and famed drinker – who died in 1964, is an inviting room where locals often stroll in with pets.
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