The man who has made it his life's mission to sniff out the best pints of Guinness in Ireland has ranked the best and worst pints of stout in every county.
Daragh Curran, AKA the Guinness Guru, has amassed a huge cult following on social media for his reviews and now he's scored counties both north and south.
The subject of where to get a decent pint can be the source of bitter debate and huge local pride is at stake for the pub that can boast its humble servings meet Daragh's heady standards.
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Speaking to Casino source, the Guinness Guru said: “Ask me that 10 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'.
“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 in the Republic and £5.29 in Northern Ireland.
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.
Dublin scored horrifically compared to competitors, but this should be taken lightly.
The city 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 at 9.3, and Bowe’s Lounge Bar on Fleet Street at 9.
A total of 34 spots 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 and butter so I’d have to call for a VAR review on this controversial ‘bottom half of the table’ statement.
“For me, pubs such as The Gravediggers, Mulligan’s, Walsh’s and Bowes are the Guinness Gold Standard that’s set in Dublin and adhered to right across the country."
Derry is the cream of the crop in the north
Derry was the highest rated county on the table in Northern Ireland followed by Armagh – more famous for its cider tradition – then Fermanagh and Antrim, a disappointing second from bottom.
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…”
So where would you recommend for a pint of the black stuff? Let us know your favourite spot for a quiet pint in the comments below
You can see the full findings of the research here: Casino source.
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