From tiny tropical islets to the foothills of the Andes – there are Irish pubs absolutely everywhere.
Read more: Five unmissable things to do in Dublin
Here are some of the most unusual ones to be found around the globe, from a DIY pub in Uganda to a shack en route to Everest.
1. The Irish Pub – Namche Bazar, Nepal
Almost certainly the highest Irish pub in the world, and definitely the only one reached via a two-day hike through the Himalayas, this remarkable little alehouse imports all its alcohol on the backs of yaks and mules.
Found in the sherpa town of Namche Bazar, perched on a mountainside not far from Everest base camp, the proprietors serve boxed wine and extremely well-travelled Guinness at 3450m, complete with a classic wooden bar and faded green pool table.
2. Bubbles O’Learys – Kampala, Uganda
This landmark of the Ugandan capital owes most of its infrastructure to an ex-pub from Drogheda, Co Louth. When Mulligan’s was knocked down in 2003, new owner Nigel Sutton shipped the stools, front door, bar and cold room to Kampala, forming the basis of Bubbles O’Learys.
It has gone on to do steady trade in both Guinness and live techno – not a mix you’d often find in your classic street-corner boozer, but fun nonetheless.
3. The Dublin Pub – Ushuaia, Argentina
Sample the world’s southernmost Irish pub in the world’s southernmost city – an Argentine town on the tip of Tierra del Fuego, best known as a gateway to the Antarctic.
The pub rocks a corrugated, shack-like structure common in cold climates, but inside boasts the usual collage of clovers, coasters, rickety wooden bar stools and tri-coloured flags. There’s also a life-sized model of R2-D2; no-one is quite sure why.
4. Tir Na Nog – Gili Trawangan, Indonesia
Palm-fringed beaches, postcard-perfect corals and an Irish pub. Hidden away on a tiny Indonesian atoll, somewhere between Lombok and Bali, the delightfully incongruous Tir Na Nog takes its name from Irish mythology, specifically the land of eternal youth.
Read more: Budge over Bali – Bintan is the new idyllic Indonesian island escape
Opened in 2000 by an Irish couple from Dublin who’d teamed up with an entrepreneurial Indonesian local, the bar-cum-hotel leans into its location with party nights and DJs but also shows Irish football matches on the big screen.
5. Paddy’s Irish Pub – Cusco, Peru
Right in the heart of Cusco, a mountaintop city and UNESCO World Heritage site that serves as a gateway to Machu Picchu, Paddy’s Irish Pub has some of the most detailed decor inside Ireland or out. Several placards proudly proclaim that it’s the highest “100 per cent Irish-owned” pub in the world – presumably a nod to its Himalayan brethren.
The taps dispense Guinness by the gallon, alongside Jameson whiskey, plenty of Irish coffee, and traditional Peruvian chilcanos.
6. The Grand Khaan Irish Pub – Ulaanbataar, Mongolia
Of all the places to boast a thriving Irish pub network, the Mongolian capital Ulaanbataar probably wouldn’t be anyone’s first guess but the quite massive Grand Khaan Irish Pub is one of a host of apparently Irish watering holes to dominate the city’s drinking scene.
Guinness is served, there’s a lively atmosphere and a steady stream of expats are entertained here.
Have you visited a great Irish pub on your travels? Do you seek them out or avoid?
– With PA
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