"In Ireland you are never very far from a friendly, comfortable pub in which to sit, relax, converse, read a paper, and enjoy a pot of tea, a glass of beer, or a bowl of soup. The pub visit is one of the most civilized customs I know of anywhere, and one of the things I miss most about Ireland when I'm not there."

A pub in Ireland is just as likely to be called a “bar” or a “lounge bar” as it is a “pub.” The Irish don’t seem to feel any national nostalgia about the term “pub” and in fact you’ll probably hear the word rarely. If an Irishman is going to a pub, he will usually say, “I’m going for a pint,” rather than “I’m going to the pub.” I sometimes suspect that the Irish feel the term “pub” has been appropriated by the tourists and are a bit chary about using it themselves. But whatever it’s called, the place is the same. Almost.

It’s risky to generalize about Irish pubs and bars. Through the length and breadth of the country you could find absolutely every kind of place imaginable. But for the purposes of discussion, a few characteristics could be set out that will be found to hold pretty well.

Most pubs will have a bar and a sitting area. This sitting area will most likely be furnished with upholstered banquettes along the wall, small tables, and some backless stools. The sturdy tables and stools are movable and you should feel to free arrange them however you like. Groups of folks will accommodate themselves by appropriating unused tables and stools in order to gather themselves together. If stools are in short supply, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask to borrow one that isn’t being used from another grouping. Such an overture will sometimes even start a friendly conversation between the borrower and the stool’s original steward.

There will always be some kind of a bar. It may be straight and forty feet long, as at Kruger’s, or twenty feet long and c-shaped, as at Páidí Ó Sé’s, or six feet long and straight as at Tig Bric. Every size, every shape. Some are polished and elegant, others look like ancient, much-carved school desks. But the drill will be pretty much the same no matter what the bar looks like.

There won’t be any table service, so you place your order at the bar. There are two broad species of acquirables at a bar: the liquid and the solid. I’ll start with the liquids.

You can pretty much count on every bar in Ireland having Guinness, Smithwicks, and Harp on tap. Guinness is absolutely and invariably available everywhere. It is the standard drink. Guinness is a thick, dark brew with the rich, roasty, slightly bitter taste of hops. Irish connoisseurs will tell you that “Guinness is your only pint!” Some may even look down upon anyone who would drink a "flimsy lager" like Harp, but they would also defend your right to do as you please, so order whatever takes your fancy.

Harp is, as noted above, a lager. Much lighter than Guinness, it is brewed by the same company, and has a sweeter, almost nutty flavor that many Americans enjoy and relate to through their experiences with American lagers such as Budweiser and Miller and the like. Budweiser has been making considerable headway of late, particularly among the ladies, and is now brewed in Dublin. Aside from fashion and marketing, it’s hard to imagine why this is so, considering the availability of good Irish and European beers.

Between the thick black heft of Guinness and the pale glow of Harp is the warm reddish tincture of Smithwicks ale. Smithwicks (pronounced SMITT-icks) is brewed in Kilkenny, and is almost exactly between the two others in matters of “weight,” opacity, and flavor.

In some parts of the country, mostly in the south but spreading rapidly, Murphy’s stout can be obtained. Murphy’s is brewed in Cork, and is very like Guinness in color and heft. Its head tends to be much finer and more delicately bubbled than Guinness, and to my taste it is just a trifle sweeter and less hoppy than Guinness. Outside of Cork the availability of Murphy’s is spotty. On the Dingle Peninsula, for example, Páidi Ó Sé’s has it and Kruger’s does not. Beamish is also making some headway.

Bottled beer, is also available of course. But unless you are allergic to draught beer or require this special medication on doctor’s advice, it seems a shame to miss the charm and flavor of Irish draught brew.

When you order a draught in a bar, you may order a pint or a glass. The pint is a full 16 ounces. The glass, sometimes also called a “medium” or a “half,” is about 10 ounces. If you order Guinness or Murphy’s for the first time you may be surprised to watch the barman draw the glass full of foam and liquid, set it down on a little grill atop the bar, and walk away to do some other business. He is not being rude and he isn’t ignoring you. A “properly pulled pint” needs time for the first drawing to settle before being topped off, and it will take a minute or two for the head to subside so that the barman can finish pulling your drink. Meanwhile, you are free to find yourself a banquette, arrange some tables for your group, check out the WC, whatever— in a minute or so he will finish pulling your drink and set it on the bar for you. Pay him and take your drink where you will. There may be a peat fire burning in the grate, and on a cool and damp day the first long sip of a well-pulled pint never tastes better than when taken sitting up close to a pungent peat fire.

A pint of Guinness will cost about €3.20, Smithwicks about €3.30, and Harp about €3.40, this will vary slightly depending on the place. Mediums start about €1.90 on the same scale.

Never tip a barman. It is not the custom, and may even be seen as offensive and condescending. Very, very rarely, and under somewhat extraordinary conditions of fellow-feeling, one might offer to buy the barman a drink. But keep in mind that doing so is very unusual, and to suggest it is to risk violating custom and perhaps even declaring yourself to be presumptious and unpleasantly flambuoyant.

For those who prefer whiskey, it is available of course. A regular, run-of-the-mill, bar portion of whiskey is simply “a whiskey.” What we would call a double in America, is “a large whiskey.” Both will be served in a glass without ice, unless you specifically request ice. (It’s a moot point whether it’s thoughtfulness or a subtle Gaelic insult when the barman puts a glass full of ice next to your whiskey without asking.) You’ll probably be asked if you want water, or the barman will as a matter of course set a small water pitcher within your reach. Depending on the place, there isn’t all that much whiskey consumed in an Irish bar. Irish whiskeys (With an “e.” The name comes from the Irish Gaelic uisce beatha, pronounced EESH-kuh BAH-ha, which means “the water of life.”) include Jameson’s, Paddy, Tullamore Dew, Middleton, and Powers (from the Republic), and Bushmills and Bushmill’s Blackbush and Single Malt (from Northern Ireland). Irish whiskey is less peaty and smoky than Scotch, but every bit as flavorful and distinctive in its own right.

For those who prefer non-alcoholic refreshments, the pub will have a large selection to choose from. Everything from American soft drinks to the largest imaginable selection of bottled lemonades is available. Bulmer's bottled cider is a very popular drink, as well.

Now for the non-beverage offerings of the Irish bar. Most bars will offer some sort of eats, but more often than not the selection will be minimal. The kinds of sandwiches and such that are available are called “bar food,” or “pub grub.” While it varies widely in quality and variety, for the most part “pub grub” should be considered emergency victuals only. The typical Irish pub's cheese sandwich could well be considered the culinary version of a ritual initiation ordeal for the new visitor. Most bars will have a selection of junk-food packets available. Such snacks as Tayto’s (potato crisps— what we call chips in America) and a variety of crackers are almost always available, though their freshness may be much in doubt in a rural pub. There are pubs that offer good food along with drinks. You’ll have to find out which these are.

In the way of pub games, the chances are that you won’t find a dart game in progress in the average Irish pub. It isn’t a game with much appeal for rural pub-goers. Sometimes, on a Saturday night, you might come upon a small- stakes quiz game in which you may be invited to participate. Many of the questions will center on Irish football, so be prepared by boning up on the inter-county championship games for the last thirty or so years.

In the minds of most visitors an Irish pub would not be complete without the sweet sounds of the Irish pipes, the tin whistle, and the bodhrán. The sad truth is that music is not always to be heard in the Irish pub. Most pubs, at one time or another will have some sort of music, often by professional musicians of impressive skill. Some places are even considered “music pubs.” But even in those places that are known for their music you will sometimes have to take your chances. As with many other phenomena in Éire (such as the weather), you may expect to occasionally hear “Ah, you should have been here last night!” or, “The boys should be along any time now.”

What do you call someone who goes to a pub? The best term is probably “pub-goer.” “Drinker” isn’t right, since not all pub-goers drink. You quickly realize the special place of the pub in Irish society when you drop into Kruger's in Dún Chaoin of an evening and see the small childen running and playing about the place while their parents have a pint and a chat with their neighbors. (Dogs, as elsewhere in Ireland, are frequently to be found in pubs. Tommy Mannion's in Clifden had one that kept excellent time to the music with his tail. Kruger's in Dún Chaoin had a discerning creature that chased and retrieved tossed coins, but returned them only to the regulars!)

One of the aspects of the Irish pub that often surprises visitors is how many of them there are. In Dingle, for example, there are about fifty pubs for a year-around population of about 1200 people. As a general rule there will be a pub for every fifty or sixty people in a community. And that’s the important word: community. The Irish pub serves as a local center for news, conversation, music, camaraderie, and, of course, an occasional portion of liquid refreshment.