Pub Life

Ireland is known for its drinking, so of course it would only make sense that we experience the cultural phenomena by going to pubs and talking to the locals. Our first experience occurred at lunch at the pub next door to the Camden Court called “The Bleeding Horse.” Here we had our first Irish beer. Many of us had previously tried Guinness at home and didn’t like it so we ordered Irish beer called Carlsberg. This was basically the equivalent of Budweiser in America, but slightly more bitter. We also ate potato bites with cheese and bacon and had some buffalo wings which didn’t taste any better or worse than at home.

A group of us then decided to take some advise from Ida and walk down the canal. It was a beautiful day, which was very rare. We walked along and saw a huge crowd of people in the street. Everyone was buying drinks from the bar (“The Barge”) and sitting around the canal hanging out. We found a few friendly locals and asked them what was going on.  Expecting to hear there was some sort of festival or event occurring, we were happily surprised with the response. A gentleman told us “In Ireland there are two reasons to drink: We’re either depressed because the weather is so sh*tty or we celebrate because its nice out.” This mentality was so simple, but looking around we could tell that he truly meant it.  We joined the celebration and indulged in a few Bulmers, which are hard apple ciders. They were very refreshing and light, which was perfect for the occasion. 

After a dinner break we headed down to the Temple Bar area. Due to the “Bank Holiday,” none of the bars were packed so we went exploring. After poking our heads in and out of a few pubs, we ended up at “THE Temple Bar.” We stayed for several hours because we were so mesmerized by the amazing live music. They played everything from Irish folk to American oldies to classic pub songs. The entertainment was so talented and we felt so at home. I really wish that live music was just as important in the U.S. that it was in Ireland.