TOPIC:

"a_friend_in_mead":c4a1q69a wrote: If you venture to North East Donegal there is a legendary drink called "football special" you frequently see men down for the GAA wandering round Dublin looking for it.

One beer that isn't craft but is worth looking for is Guinness foreign extra.[/quote:c4a1q69a]

Football Special is made by McDaids in Rathmelton, which is 4 miles from my Grannys house. Many a tooth was rotted on it growing up.

They are also planning on opening a brew pub in 2010. They are currently renovated Conways pub on the Quay to house it.

As for going into the north. My wife is from Enniskillen, so we will be spending half the time there, are the craft beers more available there?

Cheers

"VaBrewer":xxbhmsv8 wrote: are the craft beers more available there?[/quote:xxbhmsv8]Whitewater have a distribution deal with Sainsburys so are easy enough found in NI, but I don't think the Carlow ones are seen much in NI apart from M&S Irish Stout.

Carlow and Whitewater are pretty much the sum total of Irish craft beer sold in off licences at the moment. Hilden bottle as well, but I've never seen their beers in a shop.

And then there are the plastic paddies like Time Lager, Árainn Mhór and Strangford Lough -- the latter of which is also sold in Sainsburys -- none of which are Irish made.

"VaBrewer":32xdnap8 wrote:
As for going into the north. My wife is from Enniskillen, so we will be spending half the time there, are the craft beers more available there?

Cheers[/quote:32xdnap8]

Craft Irish beers? Besides the Northern ones, no. You might get a selection of UK ones though (which, I realise includes Northern Ireland).