Eats
The very best Irish pubs and bars in Manchester
Irish bars are just the best, aren't they?
Danny Jones -
12th March 2026 
Be it picking out the best places for Paddy’s Day, finding a green-tinted gem that pulls a proper pint of the beloved black stuff, or just wanting to find an authentic Irish boozer that reminds the ex-pats amongst you of home, Manchester has pubs to meet every requirement.
There’s been a big Irish population in 0161 ever since the 1800s, and with nods to our neighbours in Manc corners like ‘Little Ireland‘ and countless drinking spots in particular all over the city and beyond, there is a lot of love for all aspects of the green and gold culture, but especially the pubs.
With that in mind, we thought we’d round up some of the very best Irish pubs in central Manchester, and while there’s only a handful here in the city and its outskirts, the good news is that you can make your way through all of them quite easily — and we highly recommend you do.
Let’s not waste any more valuable drinking time, shall we?
14 of the best Irish pubs and bars in Manchester
1. Mulligans – Deansgate
@the.manc How do they get their Guinness so perfect? 👀 #themanc #guinness #stpaddysday #irish #irishpub #guinnessdrinker ♬ original sound – The Manc
Where else to start other than the holy grail? Famous not only for the greatest Guinness in Manchester but renowned up and down the country for one of the very best pints of the black stuff you’ll find outside of Ireland, full stop: Mulligans of Deansgate is pretty much the undisputed GOAT of Manc Irish pubs.
Located just off the main strip and over the road from Spinningfields, Mulligans is no stranger to a queue (especially on St Patrick’s Day), fight nights or other big events – and is always packed to the rafters but in the best way possible.
With the full range of sports on the box at all times, live music every night and some seriously good beer and whiskey on offer if you’re not a stout person, there aren’t many things we love more than stomping our feet and slapping tables as we sing along to Irish classics all night. It’s also now bigger than ever.
2. O’Sheas – Central
Speaking of dancing like prats well into the early hours, there aren’t many better pubs to enjoy a proper Gaelic reel or a few belting covers than O’Sheas Irish Bar on the corner of Princess Street. A proper stage and plenty of room for all of our terrible moves certainly help.
With regular live music from the likes of Joe Keegan — who’s been at the forefront of the Irish music scene in Manchester for years now — as well as the usual live sport, a really great all-day menu with proper filling portion sizes and even Taytos crisps behind the bar, it’s always a good time here.
A decent pint of Guinness, too, of course, but they’ve also got their sister site and sun trap beer garden over in Mayfield, which is the perfect spot for big tournaments and big parties. A great Irish pub.
3. Kiely’s Irish Bar – Great Northern Warehouse
From one local favourite to another, Kiely’s over on Great Northern is comfortably one of the best Irish pubs anywhere in Greater Manchester for our money. Also, when the barrels outside the door are painted like big chunky pints of Guinness, you know they put effort into pouring it.
Always boasts a great crowd on matchdays, and with plenty more seating towards the back of the bar, there’s a lovely feel to the place with the fairy lights and old sporting memorabilia hanging from the walls. It’s no wonder people pile in to soak up the live bands and the black gold in here for hours on end.
It was Manchester’s first new Irish bar in 10 years when it opened back in 2017, but it has very quickly become a go-to for many drinkers on a night out, and it feels like it’s been around for well over a decade in its own right. Time flies when you’re having fun, as they say.
4. O’Neill’s – Printworks
Next up is one of the biggest chains of Irish bars in the UK for a reason: it’s always a good time. We’re of course talking about O’Niells over in the Printworks, which also opened up back in 2017, but feels like it’s been around forever now.
With the legendary Waxy O’Connors having closed its doors after nearly 20 years back in 2021, O’Neills is now the only Irish pub located within one of Manchester city centre’s most popular and best-known entertainment and leisure destinations.
A very solid pint of Guinness, plenty of room with lots of tables, benches and booths for groups of all sizes; there’s nothing to moan about here. The huge multi-screen set-up in the middle is perfect for watching the game too, and with a boozy pop-up or two throughout the year, it’s always a good time.
5. Lass O’Gowrie – Oxford Road Corridor
Quietly one of the best pints of Guinness in Manchester after Mulligans, the Lass O’Gowrie on Charles Street and just off Oxford Road is one of the most beloved boozers anywhere in the city centre and popular with everyone from old boys and after-work regulars to the uni students and out of towners.
Appearing on maps as early as 1844 and having undergone a serious six-figure refurb back in 2022, this place caters to everything from quiz, comedy and open mic nights, to anyone just looking for a proper pub grub meal and even now has a mini-cinema that can seat up to 20.
While not technically an Irish pub, having been originally opened by a Scotsman (we won’t pull anyone up if you don’t), it’s still one of our favourite places to watch the footy or just chill on the balcony terrace, which hangs gracefully over the River Medlock. A truly top little pub — with great Guinness too.
6. The Salmon of Knowledge – Northern Quarter, Salford Quays and Didsbury
Manchester, pay attention: The Salmon of Knowledge has some wisdom to bestow upon you — mainly how to pour a proper Guinness and have a grand auld time. 🇮🇪☘️
— The Manc (@TheMancUK) September 21, 2024
NQ's newest opening is an instant hit as far as we're concerned. 😍#manchesterirish #Guinness #northernquarter pic.twitter.com/BFdbiw2I1E
Opened in September 2024, The Salmon Knowledge not only replaced legendary late-night student and pizza spot PLY but was arguably the start of a fresh boom of Irish pubs here in Manchester, all claiming to do the best pint of Guinny, Murphy’s and so on.
Decked out with mosaics of Irish icons like Shane MacGowan and more, not to mention serving up New York-inspired bar classics by local vendors, The Last Stop has been an instant hit with locals and is as busy as its predecessor was.
It’s since opened up locations in South Manchester and Media City in Salford Quays after replacing the old Dockyard site along ‘The Didsbury Dozen’, if you fancy heading out of the city limits for more lessons in good craic.
7. Dirty O’Sullivans – Albert Square
@the.manc @Dirty O'Sullivan's ♬ original sound – The Manc
One of the newer Irish bars in Manchester, something has finally taken the place of the old beloved Red’s True Barbeque building (which closed permanently back in 2023), and you guessed it: it’s another Irish bar with a name not easily forgotten.
Dirty O’Sullivans is certainly a title that catches the eye, and with live music, brunch and proper breakfasts down the Irish, pour-your-own Guinness, and plenty more, they now have one of the most ambitious offerings in town.
It’s still too early to tell exactly where it will rank among the very best Irish pubs in Manchester – this being the inaugural year in the city and not even having had a Paddy’s Day party under their belt yet – but we know plenty of people who’ve made it their new go-to already.
8. O’Connell’s – New Wakefield Street
Quite literally just next door, you’ll find one of the most increasingly popular Irish pubs in Manchester, which replaced the old Thirsty Scholar under the Oxford Road archways in February 2025, once best known for its Northern Soul nights.
You’ll be glad to hear that the new proprietors have every intention of carrying on that live music tradition, as the simply named O’Connell’s has expanded on the previous space significantly, as well as opening the upstairs to create all manner of corners to nestle into.
Decked out in authentic timbers and heritage from both Manchester and Dublin, it’s a meeting of two closely-knit cultures in the heart of the cobbled street known as ‘Little Ireland’, and we love it.
9. The Freemount – NQ
This one would have felt like a slightly off-kilter inclusion were it not for the recent relocation and refurbishment, which has seen The Freemount (yes, the one with the mile-long queue) every weekend finally live up to its reputation as an Irish bar.
It was always a lively and fun place to visit, but anyone would tell you they needed more square footage, and now they have, after taking over the old Dry Bar unit.
Now looking more Irish than ever, gilded with gold and glass mirrors, warm wooden colours and with two proper Guinness pumps installed on the bar, the Northern Quarter favourite has levelled up.
10. Duffy’s Bar – Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Last but not least on our list is the one furthest from the city centre, but still only a tram ride away and well worth the journey if you believe what the regulars tell you.
Currently busier than ever amid the Guinness and Irish pub boom, Duffy’s Bar on Barlow Moor Road has been around longer than most in the contemporary era of openings, and while the Chorlton natives have been frequenting it for a good 15+ years, it’s gained an entirely new following over the past 12 months.
There’s only one pub we ever hear people talking about as truly rivalling Mulligans for the best Guinness in Manchester, and it’s this one. With a simplistic, cosy, neighbourhood feel where you’re welcome as if you were a local, even if you’re not. Give it a try for yourself and see where it ranks.
11. Nancy Spains – NQ
Here’s another one over in NQ known simply as Nancy Spains, which used to be known as Corner Boy, which was, technically, an Irish bar itself, but never quite fully managed to embrace that tradition and the Gaelic culture.
Jump forward to know, though, and it turns out Spains isn’t just another bar in the green and gold boom: they’ve learned even more into the traditional side of things and made this a pretty simple, no-nonsense Irish pub – and in an age when lots of people are trying to do a bit of everything, it’s a breath of fresh air.
That’s not to say that we don’t love lots of the venues on this list that offer more than just really good Guinness in Manchester and that unmistakable feel you get when you walk into one, but sometimes it’s good to get back to basics and let the people help make a place what it is. Give it a try.
12. O’Malley’s – Portland Street
Our penultimate pick of the bunch is O’Malley’s over on the busy main road of Portland Street, but if you do happen to want a break from the hustle and bustle of traffic and passersby along the key Manc thoroughfare, this is a great place to do exactly that.
They do great deals all week long, not to mention the fact that they have live music, dancers, sport on the telly, and a pretty solid food menu, too.
Honestly, that’s pretty much all there is to say on this one; they quite literally let their pints and the punters do the talking… and singing, and dancing, etc. You get it.
13. Katie O’Briens – Peter Street
Katie O’Brien’s is the newest spot on this list, an enormous two-storey venue that’s taken over and transformed the former Peaky Blinders bar.
Inside, there are three bars pouring both Guinness AND Murphys, a huge elevated stage on its own mezzanine level, which will host live musicians seven nights a week, and walls packed with decor transporting you to the Emerald Isle.
The makeover they’ve given this massive unit really is quite something, creating all sorts of cosy corners and snug areas where you can nurse a pint of stout.
Faux fireplaces, leather booth seating, and low ceilings all set the tone for a relaxed pint in the snugs. Or if you want something a little livelier, head to the heart of the bar, where you can dance the night away to the live entertainment above your head.
14. Kennedy’s – Didsbury Village and Altrincham
Last but not least, we couldn’t finish this thing off without tipping our hats to one of the best and booziest Irish pubs in the game – especially now they’ve ventured out from the borough of Trafford and borders of Cheshire and made a real mark on Manchester.
We’re talking about Kennedy’s Irish Bar on Wilmslow Road, their second sister site along the main stretch of the suburb’s ever-busy restaurant and bar district. Having started in Altrincham, which also opened the adjoining Irish Deli back in October 2024, they’ve since moved even more central.
Once famous for its strict no under-25s policy in an attempt to prevent crowds of less-seasoned youngsters who maybe can’t quite handle their booze, they’ve now become one of the first places people swap a couple of stops on the main Didsbury Dozen list for – and for good reason: it’s a craicer.
Read more:
- The best Guinness in Manchester
- Mother’s Day 2026: the best deals, offers and freebies in and around Manchester this year
- The best cosy pubs in Manchester city centre to hide away on a winter’s day
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Featured Images — The Manc Group
