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Top 10 Irish Pubs in New England


People have been moving to New England from the Emerald Isle since the mid-19th century, and more Irish people continue to arrive. Many come with long family experience in running public houses -- pubs -- and restaurants in the old country.
Irish pubs in New England are special places, filled with excellent beers and Irish whiskies, traditional Irish foods like bangers and mash, boisterous Irish music, and plenty of hospitality. They brim with revelry at St. Patrick's Day, but they are warm and thirst-quenching places all year. If beer is your favorite brew, thing about jumping aboard one of the many brewery tours that operate in many locations.



Top 10 Irish Pubs in New England - VisitNewEngland.com
Fastnet Pub - Newport, RI
Rhode Island -- Fastnet Pub in Newport

The Fastnet Pub, named for the southernmost lighthouse in Ireland, overlooks Washington Square in this seaside town with a very heavy Irish influences. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming; in warm weather, big windows open wide onto the sidewalk. Guests can enjoy 30 draft beers, live music, ping pong, pool, foosball, and darts. Soccer and rugby are broadcast of the TVs on game nights. An outdoor patio with adjacent free parking accommodates up to 184 people; it’s a fun place on a summer evening in this vacation-oriented city. Blues music every Monday; Irish session every Sunday. Full menu. 1 Broadway, Newport. 401-845-9311.
Harp and Hound - Mystic, CT
Connecticut -- Harp & Hound in Mystic

This small, homey pub on a side street off the main road through Mystic is always a fund stop. The pub was established in 2002 by Leo Roche, from Limerick, Ireland. The building itself has a deep local history, dating to the early 1700s. Original road signs from Ireland look down on comfortable furniture, where guest huddle and enjoy pub food, including Irish fare like bangers and mash, and a full range of beer and Irish and Scottish whiskies. Three big TVs broadcast live English premier league football (soccer) games. Live music by local bands is performed on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evenings. 4 Pearl Street, Mystic. 860-572-7778.
playwright pub hamden CT
Connecticut -- The Playwright in Hamden

The Playwright in Hamden serving fine Irish fare and American cuisine for lunch and dinner every day. Brunch? The Playwright has that – in the form of a traditional Irish breakfast every Sunday. In the Whitneyville neighborhood of Hamden, this pub has been a favorite local hang out for families, friends and neighbors for decades. There’s a live Irish music every Saturday evening and a traditional live Irish seisun (jam session) every Sunday at 4 p.m. Seven flat screen HD TVs bring all the sports action right to your table, with buffet served during some of the major sporting events. 232 Whitney Avenue, Hamden. 203-287-2401.
The Black Rose - Boston, MA
Massachusetts -- The Black Rose in Boston

This is an authentic Irish drinking and dining spot in Boston, with the advantage that it is close to Faneuil Hall, a place where most out-of-area travelers also want to explore. The menu includes Irish classics like Guinness beef stew and Irish breakfast, but also covers the favorite choices for a visit to New England, like lobster and other seafood. Traditional Irish music happens here every night of the year, including a happy hour, downstairs and upstairs bands on Saturdays, for lots of choices. The Boston Globe has called this place “The Fenway Park of Irish pubs.” It is easily accessible by the T transit system. 160 State Street, Boston. 617-742-2286.
Feile Irish Pub & Restaurant - Wells, ME
Maine -- Feile Irish Pub and Restaurant in Wells

Féile Restaurant and Pub is sitting on good karma: it is in the building that housed the Lindsey Tavern from 1799 to the 1950s. The menu offers Irish staples and the bar a large bottled beer selection from around the world and many drafts, showcasing local beers, Guinness, and Smithwicks. Fresh menu items include house cut fries, house-brined corned beef made from certified angus beef brisket. Happy Hour discounts happen every day from 3 to 5 p.m. There’s live Irish music on Wednesdays and live music of all genres on Saturdays. Each week also brings a Trivia Night and a Karoke Night. 1619 Post Road (Route 1), Wells. 207-251-4065.
Cara Irish Pub & Restaurant - Dover, NH
New Hampshire -- Cara Irish Pub & Restaurant in Dover

11 Fourth Street Dover, NH, 03820 Phone: 603-343-4390

Pub owners Dawn and Tom O’Dowd named their establishment for the Irish word for “friend,” and they come through on their implied promise. Lunch and dinner menu items are always fresh and delicious, and they include some Irish standards, like bangers and mash, but also plenty of seafood, as befits a New England eatery. Enjoy the coats of arms on the walls or browse a copy of the Irish Times while you dine. There’s a pool table and a set up for darts in the back, and a small stage with live music. Come enjoy the open Irish jam session on Sundays, Karaoke on Mondays, and trivia contest on Tuesdays.
The Burren - Somerville, MA
Massachusetts -- The Burren in Somerville

The Burren is a deeply music-directed Irish pub, founded in 1996 by Ireland-born musicians Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello. Live music happens here every night in the main and back rooms, covering the essential ground of Celtic traditional and contemporary, as well as bluegrass, Americana and jazz (schedule is on the website). The ambiance is always welcoming and music-loving. You won’t go thirsty or hungry. The bar serves many Irish and domestic beers, wines, and ciders. Meals range from Irish breakfast to full dinners, including vegetarian and kids’ options. 247 Elm Street in Davis Square, Somerville. 617-776-6896.
McBrides Pub in Providence, RI
Rhode Island -- McBride’s Pub in Providence

Located in the Wayland Square area in the East Side of Providence, McBride's Pub was created from the former garage of the Monahan, Drabble & Sherman Funeral Home. How’s that for a nativity story for an Irish pub? The pub’s co-owners visited Ballyjamesduff, Ireland, in 2005 to learn how to operate a true Irish pub, and from that experience they took the name McBride's. Open daily, the pub serves draught beers and live music (most nights) and a weekly trivia night. A tradition is to hold a “last call” at 10 p.m. every night to raise a glass to departed loved ones. 161 Wayland Avenue, Providence. 401-751-3000.
Finnigans Pub in Burlington, VT
Vermont-- Finnigan’s Pub in Burlington

With typical Irish warmth and Vermont hospitality, Finnigan's Pub has serving local people and visitors since the late 1970s. As a major city with a university and close of Quebec, Burlington brings to Finnigan’s Pub an assortment of professionals, vacationers, and students, making from for everyone from age 21 to the sky’s the limit. Finnigan's entertainments include a pool table, dartboard, megatouch machine, seven TVs with several seasonal sports packages to catch almost any game or event. Find microbrews; domestic and foreign beers; American and Irish and Scotch and Canadian whiskies. 205 College Street, Burlington. 802-864-8209.