GALWAY A DRINKER'S GUIDE

Such is the close proximity of most of the well-known pubs to each other and to other central locations that Galway could quite conceivably have been designed with the pub crawler in mind. The sheer abundance and variety of pubs that Galway has to offer the thirsty reveller is one of the big attractions of the City of The Tribes. Galway pubs are renowned for their unique and friendly atmosphere, mighty craic and impromptu traditional music sessions.

Eyre Square, which is the point of entry to the city, is probably the best place to begin any pub tour of Galway as most of the pubs are situated within the artery of narrow streets that leads down to The Spanish Arch.

At High Street The Kings Head, one of Galway's most popular pubs, is also one of the official venues for this year's Galway Arts Festival.

Regular visitors to the Festival will know that the King's Head has, for several years played host to some of Galway's best comedy acts and shows. Tommy Tiernan made his debut there and has performed at the King's Head lunchtime and evening shows for the past number of years. The Flying Pigs, one of Galway's best known local comedy troupes, first made their mark there as mere piglets and have been making regular appearances ever since!

The pub is an excellent music venue with live bands playing seven nights a week. It features many of the best local bands as well as guests down through the years such as The Hitchers, Mesner, Bass Odyssey, The Garrett Wall Band, Inner Sense, The Saw Doctors, The Undertones, The Moondogs and Henry McCullogh.

The line-up at The King's Head for the 21st Galway Arts Festival features many of Ireland's best known stand-up comedy acts including Tommy Tiernan, Barry Murphy, Mark Doherty, Gerry Mallon, Joe Rooney, Eddie Bannon, Colin Murphy, Brendan Dempsey and John Henderson.

Other highlights include La Troupe Tempete (comedy group from France), Peter Weir's one man show, Robin Hood, and Sins And Sensibility by McGuire and McBride.

Shows in The Kings Head during the festival take place at 1pm, 3pm and 8pm in the theatre on the top floor (see Galway Arts Festival programme for more details).

At the corner of Cross Street and Quay Street is one of the most famous pubs in Galway and also one of the smallest. Tig Neachtain - or Neachtain's as it is better known locally - is a century-old family-run business in the heart of the medieval quarter of the city. Always packed to capacity with the crowds occasionally spilling out onto the streets, Neachtain's is never uncomfortable largely due to the friendly atmosphere. With its numerous cosy snugs, Neachtain's is famous for its creamy pint and traditional music sessions, while upstairs, the new seafood bistro The River God Cafe provides a perfect dining environment in heart of the old town.

Right across the road from Neachtain's is The Quays Bar - another legendary Galway establishment and now a major live venue. Dating back to the 17th century, The Quays is one of Ireland's oldest pubs and stands in the heart of Galway's Latin Quarter surrounded by medieval buildings. The main bars downstairs are split into library and mezzanine.

Synonymous with good music, The Quays regularly features Irish traditional, jazz, blues and pop.

Also at The Quays is a superb restaurant serving traditional Irish and International cuisine.

Dominick Street is an area which is a fast becoming one of the liveliest stretches in Galway for night-time entertainment. (To get there, cross the Wolfe Tone Bridge at the end of Quay Street, take the first turn on the right and stroll a few paces up by the canal.) One of the best known pubs in Dominick street is Taylor's Bar, an inviting establishment with traditional decor and one of the largest beer gardens in Galway City. Taylor's have music on tap most nights which can vary between traditional, folk, country and even cajun.

Monroe's Tavern - also situated on Dominick Street - has been in the Monroe family since 1964. Having been leased out for some years it is now back under the direct control of the Monroes again with the running of the premises overseen by four of the Monroe brothers. Over the years Monroe's has become famous for its traditional music sessions and more especially for the Tuesday evening set-dancing session. "Normally, we have to move the tables right back to clear the floor for the dancers," explains Gary Monroe. "We're the only bar in the city doing set-dancing with no cover charge and they come here from miles around." Having re-vamped the large double room upstairs, Monroe's has now opened its doors to rock and other more contemporary brands of music.

Of course, no visit to Dominick street would be complete without calling in at The Róisín Dubh - not only Galway's premier live venue but one of the best known in the country. Over the years it has played host to the cream of local, Irish and international talent - just some of the acts who've performed at The Róisín Dubh include The Saw Doctors, Aslan, Something Happens, Mary Coughlan, Sharon Shannon, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, John Martyn, Steve Forbert, Bruce Cockburn, Hazel O'Connor, Roy Harper and Hugh Cornwell.