The island is said to have more pubs per capita than anywhere in Ireland, and perhaps the British Isles. It also has a nightclub run by two OAPs that opens on demand
Every June, hundreds of teenagers descend on Pub Island.
The youth of Donegal leave their hilltop farms, hop on a ferry and head to this mythical land of pints and pork scratchings.
On the busiest days, when Coláiste Árainn Mhóir’s summer Irish course is in full, céilí-practising swing, hundreds of teenagers fill the island’s youth hostels, B&Bs and campsites. In the evenings, once lessons end, they head for the pubs.
The island, actually called Arranmore, is said to have more pubs per capita than anywhere in Ireland, and perhaps the British Isles.
Alongside the hordes of youngsters, the island’s 480 permanent residents, mostly sheep farmers and fishermen, sustain six pubs and an iconic nightclub that opens at midnight if the boozers close.
Smugglers is an institution on Arranmore, introducing generations of islanders and visitors to disco at its late-night parties. Opening hours are irregular.
Partygoers either check Facebook for a “disco this Friday” post or knock on the door at the witching hour and hope. The OAP pals who run it have been known to give in and open up.
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An unusual quirk of the island is its lack of police. That leaves plenty of scope for debauchery and no need to call last orders until everyone is done.
“The morning after is like D-Day,” one mainland resident told me, recalling teenage nights on the island before her group caught the ferry home, trying to hide seasick hangovers from parents waiting at the other end.
In the UK, the miserable state of the pub industry is well known. Rising costs and falling demand mean hundreds close each year. The Republic is faring little better. More than 2,100 pubs have shut since 2005, about a quarter of the total. An average of 112 close annually, rising to 128 a year between 2019 and 2024, leaving 6,498 licensed pubs.
Against this backdrop, I travelled to Arranmore to see why this Atlantic community is bucking the trend.
Before arriving, the ferry weaved through an archipelago of islands that narrowed the channel to a handful of meters, providing a view of the derelict Rutland. The once-booming island of over 1,000 was deserted when the herring fisheries collapsed, leaving a crumbly but intact high street. Although officially population-less, it is possible to rent a holiday home on the abandoned island.
Aaranmore hoved into view a minute later, a patchwork of fields dotted with sheep rising up on the hill above Leadgarrow port. The island’s main attraction is the lighthouse, which stands on the western cliffs above sea whipped into a deadly froth. It’s a striking scene, but one that requires a fair tolerance for cold and wind.
Unlike the main strip over in the east, which is protected from the worst of the weather. Here you will find the pubs.
My crawl began up the hill at the charming pods at Aaranmore Glamping, my home for the weekend, which came complete with an incredible sea view and a hot tub. From there, a short walk took me to Neilys.
The only inland pub, it has two sides. In winter, it serves locals dropping in for a quick drink after work. In summer, it caters to tourists with cocktails, craft beer and a pizza van.
Next was Early’s, closest to the ferry and opening onto the beach. A three-generation family business spanning 60 years, it is now run by sisters Kayla and Aisling, who recently took over from Jerry. It is the place for generous plates of food and a chat with the owners, whatever the weather. On quiet evenings, the refurbished band and darts hall sits empty while punters gather around the fire.
At 9.30pm, I made my way to Phil Bans, roughly 10m down the road. It was packed to the rafters with well over 100 people of all ages, many of them wearing football jerseys in support of the national team. Even Ireland’s eventual penalty heartbreak wasn’t enough to kill the good vibes in the cheery room.
Sadly, that was all the pubs I was getting for the night. Smugglers wasn’t opening, and the other pubs have given way to Phil Ban’s superior big-screen setup.
So how does a place support so many pubs?
Being a beautiful island with a lot of weather means many visitors come and are then pushed inside for a warming tipple.
But more than that, Aaranmore is just a very friendly place. In 2017, the community council wrote an open letter to the world, urging people to move there to stop the dwindling population from falling even further. Many, from across Ireland’s 80 million diaspora and beyond, answered the call.
It’s a place that’s used to people from all over coming and staying for more than a quick drink.
Book it
Pods at Aaranmore Glamping cost €150.00 a night.
The Aaranmore Ferry charges €15 for adults, €10 for students, and €7 for children.