By Madi Cloutier
Although an unlikely location, the pubs in Galway serve as the key to building their close-knit community. Regardless of ethnicity, nationality, or age, a Galway pub is guaranteed to provide friendship, grand conversation, and of course, craic. Two of the most prominent locations, Monroe’s Tavern and Taylor’s Bar & Beer Garden, function as the prime models for the theme “Galway at Play.” While these pubs have very different ambiances, they have one common goal, to supply a sense of joy to their entire audience, the city of Galway.
Monroe’s Tavern has been in the business of creating this atmosphere for over 50 years. Patrick, a regular at Monroe’s, has been going there almost every day for 57 years. He explains that “Monroe’s feels like home to me.” This sentiment rang true for many other regulars as well. Monroe’s has created an environment so welcoming that much of the Galway community has associated it with the sense of home. Much of this is due to, as Malcolm says “Monroe’s providing everything you want; Good food, good beer, and great music.” They truly cater to their audience in a way that is unmatched by bars across the world. When asked to give a few words to describe the atmosphere of Monroe’s, our interviewees, Malcolm and Madi both articulated the same words, “Craic, Lively, and everything you could want in a pub.”
Monroe’s creates this atmosphere in a variety of ways. Their staff builds relationships with the customers, which automatically brings a sense of comfort to the pub. Without this sense of safety from the staff, the people of Galway would not be able to fully experience the craic that they seek. Additionally, there are live music shows seven days a week, ranging from Latin music to traditional Irish to Green Day, there is something for everyone. Music is one of the most powerful ways to create joy, thus the inclusion of music every day of the week encourages customers to choose Monroe’s over other pubs. Furthermore, the space in the pub creates a certain atmosphere as well. From the dance floor to the multiple stages for live music, the Irish decorations, and the seating, customers feel like they ‘have it all’ at Monroe’s. The joy of music, the ability to build relationships, and the space itself, are what make this pub the perfect model of “Galway at Play.”
With the number of pubs throughout Galway, it would only make sense that there exists a lot of competition between them to rise to the top. However, one of the most beautiful parts about Galway is how the businesses support one another. Thus, although Taylor’s Bar & Beer Garden is just down the street from Monroe’s Tavern, each business thrives with support from the other. They both serve a different crowd of people, Taylor’s Bar & Beer Garden is geared toward a younger crowd, while Monroe’s is the opposite.
Taylor’s Bar & Beer Garden is one of the first beer gardens in Galway, it began as a meeting place for the west end community here. To this day, it still serves this purpose for the local community, organizations such as the ukulele club meet here weekly. Aoife, a long-time employee at Taylor’s explains that “The draw to this pub is the community that is created here.” Socialization is a key part of Irish culture, which makes pubs like Taylor’s central to building community in a city like Galway. Unlike Monroe’s and many other pubs in Galway, Taylor’s is divided into two separate sections. Walking into Taylor’s there is a spacious whiskey bar, the walls covered with different kinds of art and candlelit tables, however outside the back door is the beer garden, containing live music, a cocktail shed, barrels to stand around, and mural paintings. This makes Taylor’s the prime meeting location for truly, any community group.
As Dave and Simon, employees at Taylor’s say, “It has its own vibe, it’s not as commercial as other pubs around here, we have our own identity.” An aspect that is unique to Taylor’s is that it is dog-friendly! These qualities that Taylor’s possesses are what make their atmosphere so special. The staff truly enjoys coming to work, which in turn makes the customers happy. After asking the staff for three words to describe the atmosphere at Taylor’s, three words rang true for every one of them, “Buzzin, Craic, and Community.” These three words truly capture the theme “Galway at Play.”
Monroe’s Tavern and Taylor’s Bar & Beer Garden are exemplary examples of what Galway truly is, a community where its people are valued over anything else. The regulars, employees, and tourists who come to these establishments have agreed; that if you’re looking for craic, this is the place to be. Galway works hard but plays harder.