And lo,it came to pass that 2025 was a record of Irish Pub visitations. Over 50 pubs from over 6 Countries; from the Balkans to Brixton and Ballymac; a first TV appearance on RTE, the Irish Times, Chicago News, and a podcast recorded live from a pub with Brinsley McNamara , a trip to the Largest Chain of Irish Pubs owned by Russians, a pub owned by an Antarctic explorer and a return to the very first pub I visited in 2005. And Marty Morrissey said I was his hero. In the midst of it all, there was time to sample some fine foods – see top 10 here, and taste the very best of pints – here. That list in full, from Jan – Dec is as follows; Deep Breeeeatthhhh…….

Mad Murphys, Kennedy’s, The Dubliner, The Shamrock( all Tallinn), The WB Yeats, (Finsbury Pk) The Blythe Hill Tavern, (Catford),The Raglan, (Walthamstow),The Dog and Bell, (Deptford,)The 12 Pins, (Finsbury,) Tir Na Nog, (Wandstead), The Devonshire, O’Neills, ( Central London) ,The Ship, (Southwark), Brendan the Navigator, (Archway),The Tucan’s, (Bergamo),Pogue Mahone’s, (Milano),Trinity, (Lugano,) Coach & Horses, (Covent Garden),The Boot, (King’s Cross), Philomenas,(Covent Garden) ,The Rising Sun, (St Pauls), Nancy Spains, (Monument),The College Arms, (Bloomsbury,)The Railway Tavern ,( South Tottenham),The Faltering Fullback, (Finsbury,) The Wheatsheaf, Ryans ( Stoke Newington) , Annies, (North Finchley), The Dog (Whitechapel) , Dicey Riley’s ( Edmonton),The Half Crown ( Hackney),Molly Mc’s, (Southwark) , The Ramble Inn (Tooting), The Lamb (Highbury) ,Howl at the Moon (Hoxton) , The Marquis of Granby, ( New Cross),Betty’s Bar ( Tralee) , The South Pole Inn,(Annascaul), Murphys Meeting Point (Trieste),Harat’s (Ljubljana), Biddy Milligan’s, (Olimpia), The Parish Bar ( Wembley), The Old Dispensary ( Stockwell) , The Little Crown ( Deptford), The Shanakee, (Ealing) , The Old Eagle (Camden), Ye Olde White Horse, (Holborn) ,Maggies,(Kensal Green),Angies x 2 , McGoverns ( Willsden), The King’s Head, (Finsbury),The Army & Navy,(Dalston)., Grogan’s, Kehoe’s, The Gravediggers (All Dublin)

10. Murphy’s Meeting Point, Trieste, Italia :

Trieste is the James-Joyceiest place on earth, being his spiritual home for many years; alongside James Joyce street, you had the James Joyce Hotel ( where we stayed) , the James Joyce Statue and the cafes where he’d hang around all day mulling over the one coffee cause he was skint. Tragically, there was no Irish Pub in his day, but had there been you know he couldn’t have resisted a sup of porter, of which he was a fan. In this case, Murphys Meeting Point would have sufficed-they pull a decent Murphys alongside a range of Irish whiskeys. While not reaching the levels of his former haunts in Dublin city, it was a pleasant stop off in this most Slavonivc and Germanic part of Italy. Read the full story here.

9. Trinity Irish Pub, Lugano, Switzerland

Home of the officially 2nd most expensive pint of my life ( after Singapore), is the Trinity. Located in what looks like a University outbuilding/ druglord’s Hacienda, the inside is pleasantly wooden and spacious, and offers the best craic to be found in the Italo-Swiss paradise of Lugano, of which admittedly there is little. Ideal for a day trip from the craic superior Italy. More here.

8. Mad Murphy’s, Tallinn, Estonia :

Amid some poor Irish pub fare in the wonderfully medieval old town of Tallinn, Mad Murphys, despite it’s crudely drawn leprechaun wall murals, is both a decent pub and a decent pint. Overlooking the majestic fairytale main square with it’s massive Christmas tree- quite the sight in Winter as you look out the window from your pub perch. Controversially not my favourite pub in Tallinn – that title must fall to the unchanged-since – the -fall- of -Communism Valli Bar, which is Irish in its essence- ham sandwiches, bar-staff in waistcoats and some fella bashing a guitar in the corner. Read more here !

7. South Pole Inn, Co. Kerry:

On a quick return to the motherland, I venture to the legendary South Pole Inn, located not in the Southern Antarctic but actually in West Kerry. Established by famed taciturn explorer/ survival artist/ dog- handler par excellence, Tom Crean, the place is a living pub museum, with reports of his exploits, his boats, his life dotted around the pub. A great story, and a very good pub. Full story here

6. Howl at the Moon, Hoxton:

Young, dumb and full of fun , Howl in Hoxton is a good time every time. Great for music, for sport, for people-watching, communal singalongs, deaths, births, you name it; come here and experience every facet of humanity pushed to its limit. Excellent choice of pints and some of the finest wall tat ever seen. A young gun in the Irish Pub game, it’s lunar connotations apt for the hi-jinks found within.

5. Brendan the Navigator, Highgate:

Located halfway up Highgate hill with a vantage point of London Town, Brendo’s is a classy affair. It looks the business with its murals, its famed music sessions and its impressive pint. Named after another legendary Kerryman St Brendan, who undoubtedly was the first man to discover America, as I proved conclusively here .

4. The Dog & Bell, Deptford :

Hipsters and Pub-lovers alike agree on Deptford’s finest; a beautiful pub with good vibes galore. Hosting legendary events like their Pickle festival, serving all the stouts and for being an all-rounder looker, the Dog and Bell looks and feels as if it’s been lifted out of Shop Street Galway and plonked in South East London. No finer praise for a pub.

3. The Tucans, Bergamo :

”Is it IRISH though??” This year has been a tumultuous one for the Irish identity, as we come to terms with what Irishness means in 2025. The Tucan’s is that Irish pub abroad that purists, or more accurately pendants, or more possibly borderline racists would say cannot be Irish. To me, I always felt that being Irish means having a respect and fondness for Irish Culture, which is something that is open to all. Case in point is this gem, up in the old town of Bergamo in a low lit cellar, decked out with Toucan and Guinness art gathered over years by the owner. As you enter , a tricolor linking the local Team Atalanta to Dublin stands proud, the Guinness is well poured , and live Irish music played by enthusiastic locals livens the bar as sounds spill out into the windy streets of the Citta Alta. I didn’t see a single Irish person in there, but everyone was drinking Guinness and singing along to the Cranberries.

2. Pogue Mahone’s, Milano:

Shane McGowan liked a pint, that we know. And he also liked this particular spot in the south of Milan. Boasting some of the finest Irish Pub wall tat ever seen, you can wander around looking at all the clutter accumulated over years in the city’s finest and most authentic Irish pub- that has a distinct Italian character but also sponsors the Milan GAA team. Always a good sign. Outside on the street, punters horse into the Guinness in an un-Italian manner. This being Italia, we are left with the picture postcard moment of heaps of Guiness glasses stacked atop the many Vespas parked outside.

AND THE WINNNNERRRR ISSSSSS…….

1. THE BLYTHE HILL TAVERN

What is it about certain pubs? Pubs that have remained relatively much unchanged for years, but have a magic formula that keeps people coming back year after year? I’m used to travelling to pubs ( see ; everything I’ve ever written) , but this was quite a trek without leaving London, and not to go to a delightful scandi destination but to Catford. But there is much to enjoy here. Outside, brightly coloured Guinness Murals beckon you inside. The interior boasts an instant cosiness and familiarity, with an extensive beer garden , large enough to successfully record a Podcast in. Which I do with fellow traveller Brinsley McNamara of Weird Ireland Fame, going guerilla and whipping out his kit to record a 1 hr 15 min romp through pub visiting. The staff are smartly dressed in a touch of old world class, the pint is fresh, the crisps tayto, the decor classic pub. A worthy worthy winner of Irish Pub of The Year . Read the full review here ! And you can listen to the Podcast we recorded here!