As a warm-up to St Patrick’s Day on 17 March, Laura Dannen takes a tour of local Irish watering holes, one Guinness at a time 

St Patrick’s Day has always been one of my favourite holidays, a close second to Christmas. When I was growing up, my friends and I would go on leprechaun hunts around the neighbourhood – never found any little green guys, but we netted a squirrel once accidentally. Nowadays, I celebrate Ireland’s national holiday as many Irishmen and women do – with pints of beer. This St Pat’s Day will be no different. It’s not hard to pub-crawl in Singapore; just check out the route TOS plotted in advance. And don’t forget the pub-crawl rules: games must be played, silliness must ensue.  




Shamus O’Donnell’s, 5.30pm
This hole-on-the-wall on Tras Street was the first and most authentic Irish pub on our crawl – and hence, the winner of our unofficial ‘Best Bar’ award. How can you go wrong with a native Irishman behind the taps? The pub was empty when we arrived, save for bartender Pat Grennan, his wife and one other man – granted, the night was just starting. With its signed football jerseys hanging on the walls, pool table, long wooden bar, 16 types of whiskey, tasty fish ’n’ chips and casual atmosphere, it’s hard not to feel relaxed here, which is the key to any good pub. ‘We’re going to keep it simple for St Patrick’s Day,’ Grennan says. No big promos in the works, but a crowd of regulars should pack the place anyway. 
Drink No 1: Guinness ($14.50; $12 happy-hour pints) 
Pub game: Warm up with a casual drink and chat – you have a long night ahead of you. 

Molly Malone's, 7pm
Say hello to Molly Malone, the red-cheeked bar-matron figurine guarding the entrance to this pub on Circular Road. She looks like she knows how to have a good time, so we venture inside. Low ceilings create a nesting effect for anyone looking to escape life for a post-work drink, and private rooms make this place conducive to group outings. Malone’s holds the title of the first Irish pub in Singapore (open since 1995), and boasts the ever-popular Gerry Cox playing folk and contemporary tunes Monday to Friday. Beyond that, its location is ideal – right behind Boat Quay – and although the bartenders are Singaporean and Filipino, the attitude of the place is distinctly Irish. Case in point: they let us have a hula-hooping contest inside the bar. Try the hamburgers and french fries – we weren’t hungry at this point, but they looked amazing and it’s our one regret of the night that we didn’t tuck in.
Drink No 2: Kilkenny ($14.50, $12 happy hour)
Pub game: Hula-hooping contest – who can go the longest? 

Durty Nelly's, 8.30pm
After the success of the first two pubs, we had high expectations for Durty Nelly’s, one of the newest bars on the Irish block. We’re also starting to feel kind of warm and tingly after our first two drinks. Unfortunately, our good mood was curtailed by the pub’s vibe; it’s Irish in name, but not much else. In fact, it’s more a gastropub than a true pub, with high ceilings, a shiny veneer and big-screen TV – perfect for an upscale happy hour, but not for our crawl. To the staff’s credit, a group of 20 showed up wanting dinner and they responded quickly. Unfortunately, the food was overpriced ($10 for a small hot dog, and no burgers on the menu). We chose outdoor seating so we could play trivia – too bad the patio is right along Raffles Link, with car exhaust and a flyover adding to the ambience. We had to raise our voices to hear ourselves over the traffic, but when the staff closed the door to the patio (and our conversation), we took that as our cue to leave. The bill, please! 
Drink No 3: Old Speckled Hen ($14, $12 happy hour)
Pub game: Trivial Pursuit pocket edition (from $20, Amazon)  

The Dubliner, 10pm
Okay, I’ll admit it – we’re starting to get rowdy at this point. ‘Loud’ and ‘sloppy’ also work. Luckily, Rajj – the friendly assistant manager of The Dubliner – didn’t seem to mind. We pack the place, taking over its high wooden tables and stools to play Pass the Pigs. (This game, adapted for drinking, is a must-try: it’s like playing dice with little rubber pigs that roll into somewhat compromising positions, either earning you points or sending you back to the bar for more drinks.) The place’s decor is inviting: it’s a 20th-century colonial home with an interior made of stone, brick, wood, copper and marble; a cosy courtyard is out back. Prices are steep, and its location awkward (on Penang Road), which might explain why it was nearly empty on a Saturday night at this time. Still, it’s well worth the stop on any pub crawl.
Drink No 4: Little Creature (Australian) ($13.50, bottle, happy hour)
Pub game: Pass the Pigs (adapted into a drinking game) ($12.95, Amazon)

Muddy Murphy's, 11.30pm
Umm, don’t remember much here; was still in the right mind to take notes, though. I’ll just copy them here verbatim: ‘Muddy Murphy’s, below Orchard Hotel. Beer-barrel decor. PACKED. Low ceilings, hobbit-style. Middle-aged crowd dancing to live music, lots of ang mohs (makes sense, it’s an Irish pub). Happy bartenders. LOUD. Hula-hooping again, dancing, beer-spilling, Guinness plus Jameson plus more Guinness equals end of night.’ The second Gaelic Inn pub of the crawl (Durty Nelly’s was the other) proves a satisfying place to close out the evening. No one will notice if you make a fool of yourself here, since everyone seems to be doing the same thing. And in the end, I’d like to think that Saint Patrick would have wanted it that way. 
Drink No 5, 6, 7…: Guinness ($14, $12 happy hour), Jameson whiskey ($12), Guinness…
Pub game: Ball in the cup. If someone drops the ping-pong ball in your cup, you have to finish your drink. Then, drop the ball in someone else’s cup. Repeat. 

TIP: Since the bars are spread out, the pub crawl is much easier by cab. Ask the bartender to help you call for a taxi for your group.