The Guinness Guru has spoken and ranked the best and worst pints of Guinness in every county.
It is, after all, one of the things Ireland is famous for.
It may sound like a cliché but there is no denying that a large number of our population cherish a pint of the black stuff.
The iconic drink has become a staple of Irish society and has a home in most bars and pubs across the country and the world.
A pint of Guinness is part of Ireland’s culture, and without a doubt Guinness tastes better in Ireland.
One man who knows Guinness better than most, is Daragh Curran, AKA the Guinness Guru, who's amassed a huge cult following on social media for his reviews.
Speaking to Casino source, the Guinness Guru said: “Ask me that ten years ago I would say 'What cult following?'. Ask me now and I would tell you it’s down to social media - not blowing smoke up my own arse.
“Back in 2013, when I was a young budding 20-year-old, to order a pint of Guinness was considered odd. It was perceived as an ‘old man's drink'.
Pint man Daragh added: “If you sit and drink with a group of young lads now they will talk just as much about the Guinness as they will football and other general male topics."
The methodology used was the total sum of scores from surveys, Casino source have compiled the ratings out of 10.
Over 9 - the pint was excellent
8 and over – Great
Between 7-8 – Good
Between 6-7 – Mediocre/Average
Below – Bad
With this in mind, here are the shocking results of best and worst counties in Ireland when it comes to finding a good pint of Guinness.
Galway - 8.53
Limerick - 8.42
Kerry - 8.31
Sligo - 8.28
Donegal - 8.22
Cork - 8.2
Derry - 8.2
Wexford - 8.1
Kilkenny - 8.1
Dublin - 7.95
Waterford - 7.95
Armagh - 7.93
Louth - 7.84
Meath - 7.7
Fermanagh - 7.62
Antrim - 7.45
Kildare - 7
Guinness’ popularity is not just Ireland. It’s currently brewed in 49 countries and sold in over 150.
According to Business Plus, the average cost of a pint of Guinness is now €5.12.
Galway comes out on top as number one for a pint in Ireland.
Connaught did exceptionally well in the rankings, with Galway and Sligo in the top 5.
With no pub featuring a score less than 8, you will be unfortunate to find a bad pint of Guinness in Galway.
Featuring a score less than 8, Limerick placed second, followed by Kerry (third place), and Donegal (fifth) featured in the top 5.
The Guinness Guru said: "My rankings tend to only concern the pubs themselves. But when put into perspective, the standard of Guinness in Galway was absolutely top tier.
“For me, the city of Galway manages to mesh together the exciting feeling of being in the big smoke with the rural heartbeat of the West. If Dublin and Dingle had a lovechild, the child’s name would be Galway."
Dublin is in the bottom half of Irish counties for a good Guinness.
Ireland’s capital scored horrifically compared to competitors, but this should be taken lightly.
Dublin had by far the biggest sample size out of any county, so while an average score of 7.95/10 doesn’t hold up well against the competition, it’s most likely the best chance of getting a good pint of Guinness.
It’s not all bad news, as The Guinness Guru himself handed out two 9s with The Gravediggers nations frontrunner at 9.3, and Bowe’s Lounge Bar on Fleet Street at 9
34 spots in total delivered a less than satisfactory score of 6/10 – so if you’re wandering the streets of Dublin and a thirst comes upon you, be cautious of where you visit.
Responding to what he dubbed ‘slanderous claims’, the Guinness Guru said: “I can’t help but stand strong against these slanderous claims. This is purely down to the number of pubs. I’m no statistician but I reckon I’ve been to 20-30 pubs around Dublin City as opposed to 4-5 boozers in other cities.
“I would argue that if you took my best 5 reviews from Dublin it would most certainly rival Galway and the other top cities. Dublin is my bread & butter so I’d have to call for a VAR review on this controversial ‘bottom half of the table’ statement."
The Guinness fanatic added, “For me, pubs such as The Gravediggers, Mulligan’s, Walsh’s & Bowes are the Guinness Gold Standard that’s set in Dublin and adhered to right across the country."
Kildare is the worst place for a pint of Guinness
Kildare natives, we are sorry.
No country wants the crown for the worst average pint of Guinness but unfortunately they are ranked last place in the table.
Kildare averaged a lowly 7.3, a full half a point behind their neighbours Meath.
With dismay the Guru said: “Disappointing to read that about my beloved Royal county. Kildare not so much…”
You can see the full findings of the research here: Casino source.
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