[CalRobert]

Where in Ireland? And to be fair there's loads of Spanish and Brazilian students here (they tell me it's a good place to practice English, or was before the housing crisis), which does help keep the place lively

I don't go out a lot but in fairness I remember back in the day seeing plenty of post-60 people up late and out and about.

[AlecSchueler]

I meant Belfast specifically, and across Ulster more generally (Derry and Donegal would be hotspots), but I know there's good and multi-national craic in at least Cork and Galway as well. Might be less in the Pale but I don't really know; I just take my not knowing to mean it must not be there as strongly or otherwise I'd hear about it.

Re: the students, that's true but there are also plenty of students from other parts of the world (Britain, China, India, and France especially) and it's been my experience that they tend to focus more on their studies than having the craic, and that they return home immediately after their studies, whereas I see more and more of the aforementioned either settling down in Ireland or taking a romantic partner away with them if they do return home.

This is all anecdotal of course and I know this is HN where data is king, but sure it's good to spin a yarn for the sake of it sometimes as well.

I live in the Netherlands myself these days and I always find it striking when I go to bars or cafes that all of the tables are filled with people who all look like each other, same ages and social backgrounds etc., even gender, and that the people from one table rarely mix with another -- this is just about the polar opposite of what I grew up expecting a drinking establishment to look like.

[DonHopkins]

If/when you're in Amsterdam and into punk rock dive bars, Cafe The Minds is mixed and diverse and inclusive, unlike the other boring uniform venues you describe. It's not the only exception that proves the rule, but some of the other wonderfully mixed venues like Korsakoff have closed long ago or during Covid, unfortunately. In the gay scene, de Trut is still going strong every Sunday night, and is totally welcoming and inclusive to different types, genders, ages, social status, etc!

[AlecSchueler]

Thanks for the tip, I'll be sure to check it out if I'm up that way!

Didn't mean to suggest that the Netherlands didn't have friendly or inclusive places, hope it didn't come across that way.

It's just that in Ireland I know I can go out alone and end up back at someone's house at the end of the night. In most "normal bars" here (doe normaal hoor!) out even just at a bus stop, say, when I try to talk to strangers they look at me like I'm interrupting them. Which is fair enough, just a cultural difference.

[CalRobert]

Wow, that's very different to my own experince. The midlands at least seem quite insular.

[floren]

I remember sitting in a bar in Dublin and getting absolutely put to shame by a few little old ladies. I think they sank at least two beers for every one of mine. The bartender would just look over when their glasses got low, they'd give a tiny nod, and he'd start pouring more.

[nibbleshifter]

Galway and Cork at least.

Haven't been out in Galway for a while, but used to run into all ages and nationalities at various music events, licenced and unlicenced.