The Best Irish Bars In Ibiza

As any well travelled Irishman will tell you, there are very few bars outside Ireland that can be classed as true Irish bars in the classic sense of atmosphere and character. Irish bars are renowned for their warm welcome and personality, where everybody is there to enjoy themselves and leave their troubles at the front door. This in my opinion, is what makes a good Irish Bar, the ability to escape from the mundane, talk to people and enjoy the company of others - to have "the craic" as they say. Live music is another important element, as is the service, which has to be Irish if it is to hold any real authenticity.  The addition of an Irish owner, pool table and a darts board, along with the ability to show GAA and Irish Internationals games, can elevate it to real Irish Bar status. The only food a real Irish Bar should serve is Crisps or peanuts and maybe a pink snack to impress the ladies with a sweet tooth. I have been travelling to Ibiza for many years now and in my opinion the best Irish Bar the island ever had was, Murphys in San Antonio, which is now closed but the sign can still be seen outside, opposite the Little Mermaid Bar on Calle Colon. Of all the Irish Bars in Ibiza, not one flys the tricolour outside it. Below is a list, in alphabetical order of the Irish Bars in Ibiza and my rating of them;

Caseys Irish Bar, Puerto San Miguel, Ibiza.

Located in the small, All Inclusive resort of Puerto San Miguel in the quiet north part of the island, Caseys has a lot of character about it as its owned by an Irishman, Peter Casey, who has played on the live music circuit in Ibiza for many years. Always good fun with music playing inside this medium sized bar which is part of the Balansant Apartment complex and located next door to the famous Restaurante Balansant. A good drinking pub with a fun, holiday party crowd, not a traditional Irish Bar, but better than most.

Darcey's Irish Bar, San Antonio Bay, Ibiza.

This bar serves the best pint of Guinness on the island and is managed by an Irishman called Ryan who has been working in Ibiza for many years now. Great staff which ensures that the craic is always mighty. It ticks all the box's for being an authentic Irish Bar, pool table, darts board, GAA matches, live music and real Irish staff. Darcy's is about the closest you are going to get to a traditional Irish Bar in Ibiza and its personal feel and homeliness is what makes it a great Irish Bar - probably the best on the island.

Donnegans Irish Bar, San Antonio Bay, Ibiza.

This bar is attached to Bucaneros which was the first business that Cafe Mambo owner Javier Anadon opened in Ibiza. Not as popular as it used to be and is a little forgotten these days in the bay. Opened in 1999, it caters more to an English market and the plastic paddies and serves food - which is not indicative of a real Irish bar. As part of the Mambo Group, service is always good and so is the quality, but I would rate Darcy's well above it and I find it can be lacking in atmosphere at times.

Father Jacks Irish Bar, Craggy Island, Figueratas.

Not the easiest place to find and don't expect to locate parking if you do pass it by, but Father Jacks is well worth a visit. A place where you can sit at the counter and watch the world go by as you chat to the barman or watch a game on TV. Its a classic cozy bar with a long counter and a pool table and some, interesting good company to chat with. Shows all the Irish games on TV along with the English premiership matches. It opens all year round and serves as a local bar to the community around it. Not Irish owned, but it comes close and of all the Irish bars in Ibiza, I would rate Father Jacks as the coziest snug on the island.

Flahertys Irish Bar,  The Egg, San Antonio.

Located opposite the famous Egg monument in the center of San Antonio, Flahertys is the largest Irish bar in Ibiza. It is my least favorite Bar in Ibiza and in my opinion reflects very little about what a real Irish bar should be about. This place is just an over priced, large venue branding itself as an Irish bar - it has nothing to offer except for its size and quantity of TV screens, which give preferential treatment to English premiership games rather than GAA. It attracts a young British crowd from the nearby cheap All Inclusive hotels and Flahertys is a tourist bar that opens for the season. It does not have a pool table, or live music and serves cheap fast food from its busy kitchen (a reflection of an English Bar). Also check your change when leaving this bar.

The Huddle Bar, West End, San Antonio.

A small bar with lots of character due to its genial owner Sean, who runs this popular bar by himself. Its got the best prices in town when it comes to buying a round and the bar is a regular haunt for many of the workers in San Antonio. Its got a regular, cozy bar feel about it but I would class it more of a Celtic Bar than a real Irish Bar, as it doesn't show the GAA matches and due to its small size, there is no room for a pool table. During the Euro qualifiers last September, it was showing the Scottish game in preference to the Republic Of Ireland home game at Lansdowne Road which were both on at the same time. An ideal bar for a chat with friends and a quiet drink to warm up for the night.

Joe Spoons, Irish Bar, West End, San Antonio.

The oldest and most popular Irish Bar in Ibiza, located in the neon lit jungle that is the West End in San Antonio. Popular with Irish Holidaymakers, it always has a big crowd made up of Irish customers. A good sized bar with an outside terrace, a live DJ pumps out the Irish tunes after 10pm making it a lively spot until 4am in the morning. A real drinking pub, Joe Spoons could do with a makeover as its a little grotty inside and hasn't changed much in over two decades. But it does retain character and shows live Racing during the day taking bets on the races also. Alongside Father Jacks, Joe Spoons would be up there as the top Irish Bar in Ibiza and gets quiet busy during the months of July and August.  Was not showing all the GAA games this year which was a real disappointment. 

Murphys Irish Bar , Playa den Bossa, Ibiza.

One of the best know Irish bars in Ibiza, it has sadly in the last few years gone downhill in my opinion. More of a tourist bar these days, playing electronic music to the clubbers of Playa Den Bossa. However, when there is live music playing it comes to life again. A very mixed crowd and no real Irish identity about the place. It has a small nightclub downstairs that holds live music every now and again. My advice would be to go here when there is live music playing. Not sure if it even shows the GAA games anymore, it does however promote the Premiership and is a popular venue to watch those games. A very mixed crowd that use Murphys for the good drink deals and as a warm up venue for Space nightclub which is located across the road. 

Shennigans Irish Bar, West End, San Antonio.

This one is brand new for Ibiza 2016 and will be located in the old Capone Bar building not far from Joe Spoons on the main drag in the West End. If they can schedule live music in here and list all of the above requisites for a real Irish bar, this venue could do very well for itself. As a new venue it will be interesting to see what type of entertainment the new management run with.