Ireland is famous for its pubs, and you’ll find few better than those in the southwestern town of Dingle. It only has 1,500 or so residents, yet over 50 individual pubs. One of them is called Foxy John’s – by day it’s a hardware and bicycle repair store, and by night it’s a charming local boozer.
There are two bars when you walk into Foxy John’s. On the left, you can order a Guinness or one of Ireland’s fine whiskeys. On the right, you can find nails, screwdrivers, tape and anything else you need to patch up your belongings, or even rent a bike. This might just be the most useful pub in the world.
There is an outdoor area, but most of Foxy John’s character is in its wooden interior. There is a small snug beside the bar, and several stools dotted around the bar area. Through the back, a newer room dominated by a fireplace increases the small bar’s capacity, though it is still a pretty intimate affair.
On the ceiling above the repair shop in the main room, they put the hardware tools to use with a number of lights and other goods hanging down and adding to the atmosphere.
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Live music is never far away from an Irish pub, and musicians can squeeze behind the hardware counter to play the fiddle, guitar or sing.
Come the weekend, it’s hard enough to find an area to stand inside Foxy John’s main bar, let alone take a seat. This all adds to the character of the space, however, and if you get in early enough you can find yourself a stool, or maybe even the snug.
If you’re a fan of Guinness and charming watering holes, there are surely few better places in the world to spend an evening than at Foxy John’s and Dingle.
Ireland has a storied history with beer, but the drink has changed over time. One man trying to recreate these ancient ales is Travis Rupp, a classics professor at the University of Colorado, who reckons the best way to bring ancient civilizations back to life is in a pint glass.
Check it out in the video below!
