The best Irish bars in Manchester

Levensulme’s Stockport Road is not only a melting pot of urban life, but is also home to some amazing places to eat and drink. One of which is Bia Cafe, which celebrates Celtic cooking at its finest. The Irish Fry is a must try, traditionally including white pudding and tattie scones. Elsewhere, you’ll find treats like Irish Jambons, small plates served through to the evening using specially selected deli ingredients, freshly made soda bread, and a fully licensed bar offering a great pint of Guinness.

Chorlton’s Duffy’s bar is an institution, known for the sterling quality of its Guinness, and top tier craic. A load of fun whichever night you might decide to attend, though it truly comes into its own on St Patrick’s Day, with live music and general scenes of pandemonium.

Kiely’s is nestled just off Peter Street, in the bottom of a tower block. Perhaps not the obvious place for a great Irish boozer, but it does the job just the same. Pretty much everything you’d want in an Irish pub, expect a lively atmosphere with live music and sports on the TV, as well as Guinness on tap.

Another of the modern style of Irish bars, with a nod to Boston and New York, Mother Mary’s leans heavily into the music – with pre-and-post gig shows, traditional music nights, rugby and racing on the telly and dead good beers from the obligatory Guinness to excellent brews from Cork’s Franciscan Well brewery. There’s even free pizza (not hugely trad, but anyway) during happy hour.

Famed for its £2.50 pints of Murphy’s Stout (you won’t find Guinness here), this NQ boozer is Nancy Spain’s first northern outpost for the London-based brand. Its namesake was the first Irish landlady in the capital. Taking over the old Corner Boy spot, Nancy’s boasts ‘authentic Irish hospitality’ – including live music and plenty of whiskey.

One of Manchester’s most stately Irish pubs, O’Sheas is shrine to the black stuff, with Jack Charlton pouring the very first pint when it opened its doors in 1994. It’s served well over two million jars of it since. Sitting slap in what was known at the turn of last century as Little Ireland, there’s great live music and sports, as well as a proper Irish fry served up every morning, with proper Clonakilty black and white pudding.

Under the arches of Oxford Road, in the spot formerly housing the infamous Thirsty Scholar, O’Connells is packed full of authentic reclaimed furniture, including the bar itself, which has been fashioned from a counter from a bank in College Green in Dublin. There’s a huge selection of Irish whiskies, as well as the huge rarity of a terrace outside covered from the elements.

This impressive Alty bar has only been around for a few years, but it already feels like part of the furniture – an established cornerstone of the town’s nightlife. And speaking of corners, it seriously dominates this one on Greenwood Street. The handsome red and black frontage, covered in foliage, has already doubled in size once, while the even more recent addition of the adjoining Irish Deli completed the line-up. Inside Kennedy’s you’re likely to find a party vibe every night of the week, live music, Guinnesses both baby sized and full sized, and home cooked food. Over in the Deli you can find real Irish groceries including beloved snacks and fizzy drinks, as well as chicken fillet rolls to eat in or take away.

The platonic ideal of an Irish bar, and the city’s oldest, Mulligans is widely thought to have the best pint of Guinness in Manchester (though there’s a significant crop of newcomers coming for the title). There’s live music, impeccable pints, live sports and infectiously good craic, so much so that they had to recently double in size, expanding into an additional bar upstairs. Even so, you might struggle to find a seat on the weekend, but it won’t spoil your fun one jot.

An Irish pub with a contemporary slant, the Wayfarer occupies an enviable spot on the border of the Northern Quarter and Ancoats. They always have Guinness on, as well as beers from big names and indie favourites alike. There’s a thoroughly decent happy hour, and the gin and whiskey selections are impressive. The decor is homely, but a little bit cool too – all wooden stools, green tiling and vintage orb lighting. Plus, there are loads of screens dotted around the space, so it’s almost impossible to find a bad seat.

Avid followers of online Guinness influencer (Guinfluencer?) Prime Mutton will know that The Salmon of Knowledge was a game changer when it opened. The Northern Quarter spot quickly gained a reputation for pouring some of the best pints of the black stuff in the city, quite a tall order for a brand new establishment. They serve up some thoroughly decent grub too, provided by The Last Stop, which is fitting because there’s been many a Stevenson Square night where our last stop has been The Salmon. Excellent times guaranteed.