Ireland – Ennis – Knox’s Pub

I’ve been to many pubs in Dublin over the years, but this is the first pub that I’ve visited in Ireland outside of the capital city. It claims to be the oldest pub in the town of Ennis and was also well reviewed and looked like it had plenty of character.

Looking down from the first floor down onto the bar, a mix of contemporary style without removing the character and historic charm of the interior.

There was plenty of character in the pub, it felt all very Irish, which it should since it’s in Ireland. So it was just what I’d hoped for in terms of the general ambience. And the welcome was equally friendly, a swift acknowledgement and then an engaging and really helpful staff member. Indeed the service was friendly and welcoming throughout, so I can see that both visitors and locals would be content visiting here.

Later on the staff member asked politely why I’d opted for this and not Guinness, but much as I like Dublin’s finest, I prefer Murphy’s. I think there’s a debate about this matter across the whole country, but this has a more chocolate milk and sweeter flavour for me. So it’s Murphy’s in the day and Guinness in the evening.

Fish and chips, well presented and everything was hot and of a decent quality. I suppose the chips could have been cooked for marginally longer, but they still had a pleasant taste. The batter on the fish was rich and is apparently made using Western Herd beer, which I think explains the darker colouring. It was crispy and the hake had a subtle flavour. The salad element had some mustard dressing on and had a variety of tastes and textures.

The bill came to around £15, which I felt was reasonable given the quality of the food and drink, as well as the friendliness of the service. For my first visit to a pub in Ireland outside of Dublin, I was though very satisfied and it met my quite high expectations. I can only hope that the other pubs on this trip will be equally as charming and welcoming.