Down the Tubes Productions

I enjoy a pub on any side of the Atlantic. I have logged a lot of hours in bars over the years, and there are a few standout favorites in which I have warmed a seat. My forever favorite is The Duplex Piano Bar in the West Village of New York City for so many reasons – including a drag performer giving me their business card so I could send my hair to him if I ever cut it. A special shout out to my summer haunt, Bentley’s – grabbing a seat and a cold BL at that biker bar is one of my absolute favorite places to “people watch”. Rounding out the top 3 – The Brazen Head in Dublin – Ireland’s oldest bar. I first visited there back in 2018 during my first trip out this way. I have found a new favorite that easily moves to the top of the list – toppling all of them down and away – Marrinan’s here in Kilkee, Co. Cork. It is as quintessential of a pub as you will ever find – but what it has in charm pales to what it provided for me – perfect acoustics. It is a local watering hole and has not been crowded during my visits. Plenty of seating, a friendly bartender, and delicious pints of Guinness. It is probably the only bar I have ever been to where I could relax and enjoy conversation with my traveling companions and the locals. The accents are a little tricky, but I manage to get most words and at a minimum the gist of the conversation. This place is small, cozy, and feels like you are flopping on the couch in the living room of a familiar friend. I make my way to Galway in the morning and am not optimistic that I will find as wee or gentle a pub as this one. I absolutely love it.