Sligo craft beer enquiry

[Bazza]

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of info from the more westerly-based of you, or those of you familiar with Sligo.

We're off to Sligo this Saturday for a stag do, so I was wondering what the craft beer situation is? I checked the BeoirFinder application and only saw 1 bar listed; the Swagman.

Any other bars around Sligo I can try and steer the drinking hoard into with promise of some decent craft beer be it Irish or otherwise?

Cheers,

-Barry

[Bazza]

Thanks Shane,

Aye, McGarrigles was another name mentioned to me by a mate.

Haven't stayed in Sligo in years myself. Last time we ended up at an open mic night in some bar. It basically involved a load of pre-pubescents singing their angsty sixth form poetry to the same three chords, frequently accompanied by some local character with a violin. Was actually a really good night.

-Barry

[Bazza]

Sounds, eh, interesting!

Haha!

In fairness, it only became a good night after I managed to get drunk enough to tune out the adolescent crooning from the stage. A load of 20-somethings whining on about being dumped. Christ, it was grim. I remember at one point shouting up to one of them to go home and have a good - well, you get the idea.

But that was 8 or 9 years ago. Looking forward to Saturday

-Barry

[Will_D]

Don't like sending people off site (considering it's not allowed ...!!!

I think we are a little more mature in our outlook viz. a viz. information dissemenation!

Aka: Share the love

[Mountain Man Brewing]

Definitely hit the Swagman for the first few. I'm sure Dale would be delighted to see a gang of visiting craft beer seekers land in.  Don't forget to try a pint of the Swagman's own "Shtuff" he has on draft.  Then, let things get messy elsewhere on some run of the mill shtuff.

Phil

[Bazza]

Definitely hit the Swagman for the first few. I'm sure Dale would be delighted to see a gang of visiting craft beer seekers land in.  Don't forget to try a pint of the Swagman's own "Shtuff" he has on draft.  Then, let things get messy elsewhere on some run of the mill shtuff.

I'll bear that in mind Phil, thanks. There's a pile of lads I won't know on this trip, so don't know their tastes, but my plan is to at least get some of us steered into the Swagman for a few early ones before all sense of taste goes out the window 

Cheers,

-Barry

[steveb]

Aye, McGarrigles was another name mentioned to me by a mate.

Were you in McGarrigles, did they have anything decent? I'm wondering if the recommendation is based on very old or very new information. They used to have a fridge with some decent bottles (O'Hara's, some English beers) in it years ago, but then it changed ownership, got renovated and they cleared out the "shite". For the last few years, the most exotic thing you'd find there is Paulaner. Just wondering if something's changed recently?

[Bazza]

Ah. The whole craft beer in Sligo thing turned out a bit of a disaster.

Firstly, we spent far too long drinking outside the hotel (Best Western). No craft ale; hotel Guinness in the warm sun.

When we finally did start moving the lads 'in the know' led us on a tour of the grimmest bars Sligo had to offer. No joking; each bar was grimmer than the last. I don't know any names, but they were between the hotel and the river, were practically empty and were rougher than a badger's arse. Met some right bolloxes in them too.

I did try to form a splinter group to sneak off to the Swagman for a swift one or two but the whole 'bad form to desert the stag' sentiment kept us put.

By 9:30 the stag was on his back, some of the lads took him back to the hotel so a group of us finally made it to the livelier part of town. In short, we spent the remainder of the night at the Garavogue. At least there was life about it and it was nice sitting out at the tables over the river. It was all too soon ended, however, when the bouncers herded us all inside for the last few hours.
By this time I didn't care any more; I was on the tequilas at this stage. But even that had its issues -to wit the bar apparently ran out of salt!! FFS!!

None of this is in any way a slight on Sligo; it's a slight on the lads who led us around Sligo. And, all the above aside, it was a thoroughly enjoyable trip!

It's just a pity that the only craft beer I managed to have all trip were the cans I had with me for the minibus down there and back again.

-Barry

[Saruman (Reuben Gray)]

You didn't hit Fury's or Hargadan Bros? They are also on Beoir, though never been so no idea if they are any good or not.