Kelly's Bar on the Green
The Green, Birr, Co. Offaly, R42 A627
About
A hundred metres from the gates of Birr Castle and the same again from Emmet Square, which makes it the obvious stop after a morning in the demesne. Four generations of the Kelly family have run it for over 140 years and it is currently father and son, John and Eoin. The kitchen is led by head chef Sam and runs from pub classics to an a la carte menu; the bar is dog friendly and stages live music regularly, with a trad session on Thursday nights and bands at weekends. It is also an official stockist of Birr Castle Irish Whiskey, a single pot still bottled at 46 per cent and finished in Oloroso sherry and rum casks, sold by the glass or the bottle. Pub hours are posted on their site; restaurant hours vary and the pub asks you to phone.
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