Irish people in Boston: What are the most Irish things you see in Boston? (Cambridge: living in, shops)

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by s_dot1985

Oh and bars and clubs closing at 2am, same as back home. It pisses me off back home and here

You know, my experience with Ireland is that the Irish, in Ireland, do not drink as heavily as myth my tell. And binge drinking, doing shots (you sip your whiskey, not slam it), etc. are relatively not that common.

Also, bars close at 11:30, and 12:30 on weekends. It is not unheard of for a bar to close at 10 pm or earlier. The only exception are clubs that serve alcohol, or perhaps some other "pub" that caters to tourists. But the real nitty-gritty Irish are not going to be sitting at their local until 2 am drinking themselves stupid. That is pretty much an American thing.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

You know, my experience with Ireland is that the Irish, in Ireland, do not drink as heavily as myth my tell. And binge drinking, doing shots (you sip your whiskey, not slam it), etc. are relatively not that common.

Also, bars close at 11:30, and 12:30 on weekends. It is not unheard of for a bar to close at 10 pm or earlier. The only exception are clubs that serve alcohol, or perhaps some other "pub" that caters to tourists. But the real nitty-gritty Irish are not going to be sitting at their local until 2 am drinking themselves stupid. That is pretty much an American thing.

What I have noticed...and someone correct me if I'm wrong. But Irish of Ireland will go the pubs a lot earlier, and basically be 'in' by a good time for proper sleep.

[s_dot1985]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

You know, my experience with Ireland is that the Irish, in Ireland, do not drink as heavily as myth my tell. And binge drinking, doing shots (you sip your whiskey, not slam it), etc. are relatively not that common.

Also, bars close at 11:30, and 12:30 on weekends. It is not unheard of for a bar to close at 10 pm or earlier. The only exception are clubs that serve alcohol, or perhaps some other "pub" that caters to tourists. But the real nitty-gritty Irish are not going to be sitting at their local until 2 am drinking themselves stupid. That is pretty much an American thing.

I think unfortunately you are very wrong with the above post. The UK and Ireland has a serious binge drinking problem. From my experiences the binge drinking in the US is nowhere close to the UK and Ireland. Go out in an city centre in any town or city across the UK and Ireland at 2am on a Saturday night and you'll see what i'm talking about. Something like 30% of all ER visits in Ireland are alcohol related.

My age group, mid-20s, certainly dont go to a quiet bar, sip on our whiskeys and head home at 10pm. The older age groups may do that but binge drinking rarely occurs with people over the age of 40 anyways.

[enpan13]

I have to agree with the poster above. The binge drinking problem among the Irish and youth in the UK is very serious. Drinking in the US is nowhere near as tolerated as it is in the isles.

[unicane]

Dropkick Murphys

[Woof]

The obvious question that hasn't been asked yet: Are there Irish pubs in Boston that are very much like Irish pubs in Ireland?

[s_dot1985]

The Druid in Inman Sq is a great Irish pub, i'd highly recommend it. It has a great relaxed atomsphere, serves a decent Guinness and some really nice food. They even have traditional irish music bands playing a couple of nights a week also.

[Cantabridgienne]

There are pubs similar to what you'd find in Ireland, but keep in mind that not all Irish pubs in Ireland are alike. Just like in America, a roadside tavern out in the sticks is going to be a lot different than a bar in a bustling urban neighborhood.

[Woof]

Oh, I found one in Seattle some years ago that I imagined to be authentic. It had some shabby old overstuffed chairs along one wall, and the barkeep took more than 5 minutes to pour some very delicious, thick ..... ahh, Beamish Stout if I remember the name correctly.

[colleen13]

Hi there s_dot1985. I'm new to Boston, just moved here and I noticed your post about being able to find Barry's tea here. Would you mind telling me where I could buy it? I live in the West End near Haymarket and Government Center and work in the financial district. Thanks!