Two Brits travelled to Ireland to visit what they called the “world’s oldest pub” before being floored after trying an Irish drink they had never had before.
Danny, who runs the Honest Places channel, was in Athlone, a quaint but vibrant town bordering Westmeath and Roscommon, with his pal Scott. And while there, they popped into one of the town’s most famous attractions — Sean’s Bar.
The bar, which has been open for more than 1,100 years, is widely considered the oldest in Ireland — and is believed to be one of the oldest in the world.
And speaking outside it, content creator Danny said: “Dublin claims to have one called The Brazen Head as the world’s oldest — but I think Sean’s Bar in Athlone is the oldest one.
“I have been in before but I can’t remember it that much because I was proper twisted — that’s why I have come back. I don’t even know what the decor is like inside to be fair.”
Once inside, Danny ordered a pint of Beamish whereas Scott asked for a pint of Irish Murphy’s Red — a red ale brewed in Cork.
Before trying their beers, Danny asked his friend: “Before we rate it out of 10, what’s it like being in the oldest bar in the world?”
Scott said he felt like a “spring chicken” before Danny continued: “I feel like the outside, you can’t really compare this to be fair, but I do like it.
“It’s a nice bar, with football on and you’ve got a bar there, but the inside is quite nice.”
The inside is packed with Irish culture and there are displays of wattle-and-wicker walls dating back to the 9th century along with old coins from the 1600s. Kings, Chieftains, Vikings, Poets and Saints have all said to have been welcomed there over the years.
But after taking in the history, Scott took his first sip of Irish Murphy’s Red, and the clearly surprised visitor said: “That is ridiculously nice.”
Asked why, he continued: “That is ridiculous. It’s got a little bit of fruitiness like you get from a cherry beer or a strawberry beer, but in a Guinness with all the flavours of a stout, a proper stout.”
He then said it was “better” than the more common Murphy’s before adding: “That is too good. That’s a dangerous beer. That’s a solid 10. I could drink that in any Wetherspoons and it gets a ten.”
Giving it a sip, Danny said: “There’s something about that. I can’t make my mind up. The after taste is amazing. I don’t know what the aftertaste is though.”
As for his pint of Beamish, Danny said it was an average 6.5/10.
The friends visited Athlone after previously being in Limerick and Danny asked Scott for a comparison.
And he said: “I’d like to speak to a few more locals to get a proper feel for it but I think so far, it doesn’t feel quite as rough and ready, it feels a little more upmarket.”
Danny meanwhile agreed and said Athlone felt like a more “authentic” representation of Ireland.
After posting the video, which you can watch in full here, one person replied: “Looks like a decent town. Gonna have to try a Murphy’s Red now if I ever see one.”
Another said: “Murphy’s Red is lovely. Next time order a Guinness and back it’s fairly common in my area — basically a pint of Guinness with a dash of blackcurrant juice.”
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