An Tain Bar, Ballinasloe

This is my favourite pub in Ballinasloe. I've been drinking in An Tain since it opened 10 years ago & unless something drastic happens (i.e. redecorating the "old" part downstairs) I will continue to do so.

It's a good, comfy, friendly pub with a generally favourable atmosphere. I'm partial to the original bar (downsatirs on the right hand side of the building), which is decked out in a traditional pub manner, with beautiful murals depicting various scenes from the Irish folk tale that gives the pub its name. The rest is a bit "new-fangled" for my taste (a fairly minimalist feel to it, all sharp lines & corners) but I suppose the younger/trendy/contemporary crowd have to be catered for, and upstairs is perfect for it; colourful (with a nice nod to the previous incarnation's paintings above the bar) & well laid out for the crowd it gets, there's a DJ booth & small dancefloor area for the more energetic punters, room for bands to set up too, though that's not a regular thing. The staff are all friendly & good at what they do, ranging from The Good (ladies, take a bow) to The Ugly (sorry, lads!) - no Bad, you'll notice. The pint is great if priced a few cents over the town average, but I suppose the recent(ish) refurbishments have to be paid for somehow. Trad on Wednesday nights is a long-standing & enjoyable tradition (no pun intended) here, but some new faces once in a while would be welcome. It's always, ALWAYS my first stop when I arrive in the town & will be for the forseeable future.

A couple of minor crticisms: the toilet facilities are woefully inadequate when there's a crowd, at least twice what's available is needed, upstairs and down. Also, better acces to the downstairs toilets from the "new" bar is badly needed - that archway between the 2 bars is sometimes tough to get through when the inevitable crowd gathers at the end of the old bar. The smoking area upstairs is ridiculously small, and surely dangerous in case of fire. As a non-smoker, this doesn't directly concern me but you can see what I mean. I don't know if this is still the case but up until recently at least, a pint cost 10 cents more at the upstairs bar than at the downstairs bars - this is inexcusable. Though I rarely venture upstairs unless there's a band or group of people I want to see, I can't see how or why this should happen.

Those things aside, it's a hearty "thumbs up" from me. Long may it continue in its course as the finest drinking establishment in Ballinasloe.

7 Oct 2007 18:16

Mixers, Galway

Update:

They've since given the outside a lick of paint, looks a lot better.

1 Nov 2006 00:57

Seans Bar, Athlone

Tucked away behind Athlone Castle is the pub that's generally thought to be the oldest in Ireland (part of the walls are still "of clay and wattles made"). A grand spot, Guinness is top notch, as is anything I've sampled there. Good trad. too, which is rare enough these days(there's plenty of trad. to be heard in Irish pubs, but the quaity can be questionable). A bit small & cramped when busy, which is most of the time, but what do you expect from a pub which is truly ancient, it's cosy. Believe it or not, there's sawdust on the floor, how much more traditional can an Irish pub be? The odd eccentric punter can be found, I've seen a particular gent have his pint microwaved for 10 seconds, to get his "warm Guinness". Good Jaysis... Good spot, highly recommended.

31 Jul 2006 05:03