The Official Irish Rugby Thread

[PornDog]

It might make things a little awkward for Munster though - he'll be NIQ now

Like Cooney for Ulster?

BB is on the other bored Fester - you can't fish for Marlin in a river!

[CM11]

It might make things a little awkward for Munster though - he'll be NIQ now

Like Cooney for Ulster?

Ah, you do love us after all!

Anyway, as I said over there, I'll be delighted if he can make the WC squad for SA. Unlikely but I'd say he'd value one Bok cap over the few he's got from us.

[Uncle fester]

I'm confused?
(Even more so than usual)

[CM11]

I'm confused?
(Even more so than usual)

Just that you lurk still.

[Uncle fester]

Madigan retired. An absolute magnificent player not fully appreciated by savages and knackers

It's he the chunky lad who couldn't get ahead of Billy Burns?

[Uncle fester]

Threw an intercept to end Leinster's season in Europe one year of I recall correctly?

[Uncle fester]

Earls confirmed as retired.
What a fabulous career he's had. Will be a great highlights reel.

[PornDog]

Good man Keith

I thought he said he was going to stay on with Munster though?

[Uncle fester]

Good man Keith

I thought he said he was going to stay on with Munster though?

His body is held together with duct tape.

[Uncle fester]

Surprised POM is playing on.
He's got a lot of miles on the clock.

[Uncle fester]

Surprised POM is playing on.
He's got a lot of miles on the clock.

Raging at the dying light

Good pres boy like him will appreciate the literate reference.
Needs more Latin though.

[Blackmac]

Sorry to butt in but I'm coming to Dublin on my future son in laws stag next Saturday and I'm looking for advice on the best, cheapest and least problematic places to go drinking other than the usual haunts. We have a couple of things booked for the evening but looking for pubs during the day that will cope with a dozen or so drunken Scots and a few of us less pished and likely, highly embarrassed elders.

[PornDog]

I'm fuck all use I'm afraid - haven't been a regular Dublin drinker in a couple of decades. Stay well clear of Temple Bar is as far as my advice goes.

[laurent]

Avoid temple bar

Not been drinking in Dublin for a long while but the above is always correct (unless you like being gouged).

[Peripheral]

Sorry to butt in but I'm coming to Dublin on my future son in laws stag next Saturday and I'm looking for advice on the best, cheapest and least problematic places to go drinking other than the usual haunts. We have a couple of things booked for the evening but looking for pubs during the day that will cope with a dozen or so drunken Scots and a few of us less pished and likely, highly embarrassed elders.

Up around Merrion Row is very good - O'Donoghues, Doheny & Nesbitts, Toners & then round the corner to FX Buckleys.
Also Neary's, Kehoe's & McDaid's off Grafton street.

[Uncle fester]

Sorry to butt in but I'm coming to Dublin on my future son in laws stag next Saturday and I'm looking for advice on the best, cheapest and least problematic places to go drinking other than the usual haunts. We have a couple of things booked for the evening but looking for pubs during the day that will cope with a dozen or so drunken Scots and a few of us less pished and likely, highly embarrassed elders.

Georges Street
South William Street
Dame lane is good for outdoors if it's not raining or super cold

[Camroc2]

Where are you staying ?

As Fester says, the Sth William Street area is probably trendiest at the moment, and has still has some old style boozers such as Grogans, The Old Stand, The Stags head and The Long Hall as well as a myriad of other places.

Temple Bar, for all its faults, still does exactly what it says on the tin.

Richmond St/Camden Street is also very popular, and on the edge of the rapidly being gentrified Liberties, where some of the pubs may be a bit more edgy, but have a Michelin Bib restaurant around the corner.

More traditional rugby pubs are on Baggot Street, both Upper and Lower, and Ballsbridge, and there's also Ranelagh/Rathmines walkable from the centre, or LUAS, which is a whole centre of entertainment of its own.

Further afield, especially on a Sunday, try a DART to Howth or Dun Laoghaire, either end of Dublin Bay, lots of pubs and Restaurants around both, and lots of opportunity to take the sea air.

\Northside, avoid if possible.

[Blackmac]

Where are you staying ?

As Fester says, the Sth William Street area is probably trendiest at the moment, and has still has some old style boozers such as Grogans, The Old Stand, The Stags head and The Long Hall as well as a myriad of other places.

Temple Bar, for all its faults, still does exactly what it says on the tin.

Richmond St/Camden Street is also very popular, and on the edge of the rapidly being gentrified Liberties, where some of the pubs may be a bit more edgy, but have a Michelin Bib restaurant around the corner.

More traditional rugby pubs are on Baggot Street, both Upper and Lower, and Ballsbridge, and there's also Ranelagh/Rathmines walkable from the centre, or LUAS, which is a whole centre of entertainment of its own.

Further afield, especially on a Sunday, try a DART to Howth or Dun Laoghaire, either end of Dublin Bay, lots of pubs and Restaurants around both, and lots of opportunity to take the sea air.

\Northside, avoid if possible.

We are staying at the Maldron Hotel, Parnell Square. Mainly just interested in pubs that will let us in and won't get offended. I've met a few of his pals and they are absolute bomb scares so I'll likely put up with them for a while and then is older entourage will head off and leave then to it.

[Uncle fester]

That's more or less ground zero for the excitement a few nights ago. Stay on main streets north of River, avoid side streets and keep your wits about you.

Place will probably have more guards per square meter than an old firm game but caution is advised.

[Camroc2]

That said, if any of your lot are interested in art, there is a very decent Warhol exhibition, in association with the Warhol museum in Pittsburgh, on in the Municipal Gallery around the corner. I don't expect to see so many Warhols together in Dublin again in my lifetime.

PS The LUAS tram runs close to your hotel for quick escape to the Southside.

[Blackmac]

That said, if any of your lot are interested in art, there is a very decent Warhol exhibition, in association with the Warhol museum in Pittsburgh, on in the Municipal Gallery around the corner. I don't expect to see so many Warhols together in Dublin again in my lifetime.

PS The LUAS tram runs close to your hotel for quick escape to the Southside.

That's good to know about the tram. I see there is video of a knife/machete fight doing the rounds. Looks close to our hotel.

[Blackmac]

Well as expected we had a brilliant time. Ireland really does hospitality well if not a bit expensively if you hit the tourist spots.
One thing I found odd is how randomly unreliable Uber charges are.. I don't think I have ever had an Uber fare, anywhere in the world, exceed the upper estimate but in Dublin it seems commonplace. It's obvious the traffic is insanely busy but that is usually factored in.

[Uncle fester]

What places did you end up in? The young uns behave themselves?

[Camroc2]

Well as expected we had a brilliant time. Ireland really does hospitality well if not a bit expensively if you hit the tourist spots.
One thing I found odd is how randomly unreliable Uber charges are.. I don't think I have ever had an Uber fare, anywhere in the world, exceed the upper estimate but in Dublin it seems commonplace. It's obvious the traffic is insanely busy but that is usually factored in.

Uber drivers in Dublin are regular taxi drivers. Irish legislation doesn't allow Joe bloggs to use his/her car as a taxi. You need the requisite driver chit (taxis are deregulated so all you have to do is apply), but much more importantly have to show that you have the requisite insurances.

[Blackmac]

What places did you end up in? The young uns behave themselves?

Generally made Murray's at the top of O'Connell street our base at it was close to the hotel. Also spent an afternoon in the Camden Bar and a couple of random pubs on the same street. Popped into Lombards, Temple Bar Hotel and the Lafayette and a couple of other ones on one of those beer bike tours. Inevitably we headed down to Temple Bar area and my Apple Pay appears to have been financially rogered in The Temple Bar Pub, John Gogarty's and the Thunderoad Bar.
I held my own until about 0100 both nights and then did a strategic retreat to let the youngsters get on with it. They seemed to roll into the hotel around 0500 both mornings.

In Gogartys some fat, bullet headed English prick told my 74 year old father in law, who had a ball of a time, that he would fuck him up bad if he spilled his beer. You can imagine his surprise when I tapped him on his shoulder and told him in no uncertain terms that if he wanted to fuck him up he would have to fuck me up and the 20 other Scots lads standing grinning behind me.

No one ended up in hospital, no drama and only one of the young lads fell foul of the Garda for have a pee up an alleyway, so by the standard of some of the stags I went on in my younger days, quite tame.

It really is always a pleasure drinking in Ireland. Great pubs, great staff, chilled bouncers and Guinness definitely tastes better.

[Blackmac]

Well as expected we had a brilliant time. Ireland really does hospitality well if not a bit expensively if you hit the tourist spots.
One thing I found odd is how randomly unreliable Uber charges are.. I don't think I have ever had an Uber fare, anywhere in the world, exceed the upper estimate but in Dublin it seems commonplace. It's obvious the traffic is insanely busy but that is usually factored in.

Uber drivers in Dublin are regular taxi drivers. Irish legislation doesn't allow Joe bloggs to use his/her car as a taxi. You need the requisite driver chit (taxis are deregulated so all you have to do is apply), but much more importantly have to show that you have the requisite insurances.

Yeah, that was clearly the case but probably half a dozen Uber charges were challenged over the weekend and all upheld. Generally you would be quoted between €8 to €12 but the final fare would be around €16, that wasn't an issue however a few landed in the €30 mark. On the way back to the airport we ordered 4 Ubers and virtually rolled in a convoy to the airport. The fares were quoted between €28 to €34 (which seemed cheap given the distance) but the final fares ranged from €42 to €56, typically mine being the most expensive. I challenged it and they have refunded €18. It's just not something I've experienced anywhere.

On lad even tried to claim a cash fare when I had ordered through Uber.

[Uncle fester]

What places did you end up in? The young uns behave themselves?

Generally made Murray's at the top of O'Connell street our base at it was close to the hotel. Also spent an afternoon in the Camden Bar and a couple of random pubs on the same street. Popped into Lombards, Temple Bar Hotel and the Lafayette and a couple of other ones on one of those beer bike tours. Inevitably we headed down to Temple Bar area and my Apple Pay appears to have been financially rogered in The Temple Bar Pub, John Gogarty's and the Thunderoad Bar.
I held my own until about 0100 both nights and then did a strategic retreat to let the youngsters get on with it. They seemed to roll into the hotel around 0500 both mornings.

In Gogartys some fat, bullet headed English prick told my 74 year old father in law, who had a ball of a time, that he would fuck him up bad if he spilled his beer. You can imagine his surprise when I tapped him on his shoulder and told him in no uncertain terms that if he wanted to fuck him up he would have to fuck me up and the 20 other Scots lads standing grinning behind me.

No one ended up in hospital, no drama and only one of the young lads fell foul of the Garda for have a pee up an alleyway, so by the standard of some of the stags I went on in my younger days, quite tame.

It really is always a pleasure drinking in Ireland. Great pubs, great staff, chilled bouncers and Guinness definitely tastes better.

So all the places we told ye not to go.

[Camroc2]

What places did you end up in? The young uns behave themselves?

Generally made Murray's at the top of O'Connell street our base at it was close to the hotel. Also spent an afternoon in the Camden Bar and a couple of random pubs on the same street. Popped into Lombards, Temple Bar Hotel and the Lafayette and a couple of other ones on one of those beer bike tours. Inevitably we headed down to Temple Bar area and my Apple Pay appears to have been financially rogered in The Temple Bar Pub, John Gogarty's and the Thunderoad Bar.
I held my own until about 0100 both nights and then did a strategic retreat to let the youngsters get on with it. They seemed to roll into the hotel around 0500 both mornings.

In Gogartys some fat, bullet headed English prick told my 74 year old father in law, who had a ball of a time, that he would fuck him up bad if he spilled his beer. You can imagine his surprise when I tapped him on his shoulder and told him in no uncertain terms that if he wanted to fuck him up he would have to fuck me up and the 20 other Scots lads standing grinning behind me.

No one ended up in hospital, no drama and only one of the young lads fell foul of the Garda for have a pee up an alleyway, so by the standard of some of the stags I went on in my younger days, quite tame.

It really is always a pleasure drinking in Ireland. Great pubs, great staff, chilled bouncers and Guinness definitely tastes better.

Glad you enjoyed yourselves and got home in one piece.

I take it you didn't make the Warhol exhibition......

[Blackmac]

What places did you end up in? The young uns behave themselves?

Generally made Murray's at the top of O'Connell street our base at it was close to the hotel. Also spent an afternoon in the Camden Bar and a couple of random pubs on the same street. Popped into Lombards, Temple Bar Hotel and the Lafayette and a couple of other ones on one of those beer bike tours. Inevitably we headed down to Temple Bar area and my Apple Pay appears to have been financially rogered in The Temple Bar Pub, John Gogarty's and the Thunderoad Bar.
I held my own until about 0100 both nights and then did a strategic retreat to let the youngsters get on with it. They seemed to roll into the hotel around 0500 both mornings.

In Gogartys some fat, bullet headed English prick told my 74 year old father in law, who had a ball of a time, that he would fuck him up bad if he spilled his beer. You can imagine his surprise when I tapped him on his shoulder and told him in no uncertain terms that if he wanted to fuck him up he would have to fuck me up and the 20 other Scots lads standing grinning behind me.

No one ended up in hospital, no drama and only one of the young lads fell foul of the Garda for have a pee up an alleyway, so by the standard of some of the stags I went on in my younger days, quite tame.

It really is always a pleasure drinking in Ireland. Great pubs, great staff, chilled bouncers and Guinness definitely tastes better.

Glad you enjoyed yourselves and got home in one piece.

I take it you didn't make the Warhol exhibition......

Walked past it on the way to the pub and it crossed my mind but sadly no. Did have a wander around the Garden of Remembrance and visited Kilmainham Jail before the youngsters fell out of their beds on Sunday morning though.

[Tichtheid]

Google tells me a pint of Heineken is €9.95 in the Temple Bar, €8.95 for a Guinness.

That's more than I paid at the British Film Institute bar in the Southbank Centre in London last week. Mind you I paid nearly eleven quid for a pint and a small bag of nuts in the middle of Brighton in the summer, it was an old local that took me unawares after it had been done up.


edit, when I was in my old home town rugby club in August I bought a round of three pints and a coke for twelve pounds

[Blackmac]

Google tells me a pint of Heineken is €9.95 in the Temple Bar, €8.95 for a Guinness.

That's more than I paid at the British Film Institute bar in the Southbank Centre in London last week. Mind you I paid nearly eleven quid for a pint and a small bag of nuts in the middle of Brighton in the summer, it was an old local that took me unawares after it had been done up.


edit, when I was in my old home town rugby club in August I bought a round of three pints and a coke for twelve pounds

We were €10 to €12 for a Guinness. Madness but it's a bit of a must do because of the atmosphere in some of the better pubs. Walk 500m in any direction and a Guinness is about €6.50. You will pay £8 a pint in many city centre pubs in Edinburgh as well. I really can't understand how people can afford it week in week out.

[Camroc2]

Temple Bar is tourist central for drinking, and prices to match.

[Sandstorm]

Temple Bar is tourist central for drinking, and prices to match.

Same with Amsterdam. Centraal is €8 a pint. Walk 15 mins to De Pijp and it's €5.50.

[fishfoodie]

The ritual sacrifice to the pagan gods succeeded !

Caelan Doris re-signed on a 3-Year contract with Leinster.

[SaintK]

Mack Hansen out of 6N. Shame, I like watching him play

Ireland wing Mack Hansen has been ruled out of their Six Nations campaign after dislocating his shoulder.
His club Connacht announced that Hansen will be out for three to four months.

The Australia native is undergoing surgery on Monday for the injury which he sustained in his side's win over Munster in the United Rugby Championship on New Year's Day.
Hansen, 25, has won 21 Ireland caps and played an important role in their Grand Slam success last year.

[PornDog]

Ah bugger, he's so important to us as a secondary playmaker.

I would imagine JOB, Nash and Stockdale are the main pretenders at the moment. Wish Balacoune would rediscover some form.

[Uncle fester]

Ah bugger, he's so important to us as a secondary playmaker.

I would imagine JOB, Nash and Stockdale are the main pretenders at the moment. Wish Balacoune would rediscover some form.

Think he's out as well.

Zebo is the most like-for-like alternative, just saying...

[laurent]

A lot of injuries this month (all countries)

[fishfoodie]

A lot of injuries this month (all countries)

I'm expecting a shit 6N & HEC for the Irish

Leinster will probably get thru to the last few rounds again, but fuck it up because they've still not sorted out a replacement for Sexton

[salanya]

Ah bugger, he's so important to us as a secondary playmaker.

I would imagine JOB, Nash and Stockdale are the main pretenders at the moment. Wish Balacoune would rediscover some form.

Think he's out as well.

Zebo is the most like-for-like alternative, just saying...

Don't even think it