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Irish Pub
Ideas and Free Downloads for Pub Shed & Basement Irish Pub Enthusiasts
☘ FluteandFiddle.com ☘
☘ Fáilte! (Welcome)
Welcome to Flute & Fiddle, a site dedicated to helping home Irish Pub enthusiasts improve their pub space. Whether you have a cozy pub shed, a basement pub, or a unique space elsewhere in your home—or even if you run a commercial pub— we’ve got you covered. What you’ll find here are ideas, examples, tips, downloads, and buying leads, all geared to inspire and guide you in elevating the authenticity of your pub. The “you get it” tab provides some beer humor if you need a break.
I’m from the Boston, MA area and I started my build a little over ten years ago. I knew very little about the “intricacies” of Irish pubs early on. All I knew was I liked going to them, I liked a good stout, and I liked the music you often find at the good ones. Naturally, as you take more of an interest and visit more and more of them (with an ever-increasing critical eye), – and just talk to people, you learn a few things. Trips to Ireland and watching the pub-item market also help to build one’s know-how on the topic. I figured what I learned could help others, so that’s the purpose of this site – sharing what I can, all in good fun. I’ll mention also that I’m just a regular guy and not a website designer, so nothing fancy here. I also do freely admit I’m not god’s gift to Irish pub knowledge. Your creativity may far exceed mine.
Update note 9/24: Thanks to all who have visited so far. This site is now over 5 years old and it has humbly developed an ever-growing audience of nearly 500 visitors per month. It’s good to know people are getting something out of it – and I had no idea so many pubsters were out there! I raise my glass to all of you. It has also been a pleasure communicating with those who have reached out. I especially enjoy seeing the before/after pics you flip over. Nice work everyone. Thank you again my friends. I’ll keep adding to the site as often as I can.
cad a líonann na súile líonann an croí
(What fills the eyes fills the heart)
Here are a few videos that show my buildout. The first one is a bit old now, it’s been up since 2020. The pub has gotten noticeably better since the video was posted (I’ve spent $thousands since then). The opening is from 2001: A Space Odyssey if you don’t recognize it:
Here’s a quick video I did in Jan 2022 with a few updates:
Here’s kind of what it looks like now, with a few new signs and the beams/green ceiling. I’ll try to do an update video in late 2024. I keep changing things, so I can never get to that spot where it’s finished and I can present it properly. (The countdown clock is now gone btw. I just didn’t like the red lights and plasticky look.)
Mura sábhálann aon rud sinn ón mbás, is fiú an saol a chaitheamh san ealaín
(If nothing saves us from death, art makes life worth living)
In my pub space, I endeavored to create something that was both comfortable and practical. I didn’t want to replicate a commercial bar per se, with tables, multiple beer taps, glassware, dozens of liquor bottles (that I would never use), gaming tables (also would never really use and they take up considerable space), random beer signs, flashing lights, etc. – I wanted just enough to make it feel like a cozy pub. The one constraint I had to work around was that the space was already a recently finished family room/den. It just didn’t make sense to me to spend more money on major changes, such as flooring, wall treatment, furniture, and bar location. My focus (and money) therefore naturally turned to collecting & décor. (I have to say, I might rethink this a bit more in the future. While I like my pub, I know it can be better.)
Keeping things authentic was particularly important to me. Everything I added had to either come from Ireland or it had to have some really special meaning. Hanging up Red Sox banners, random mancave stupid stuff, Bud Light signs, etc. etc. would not achieve the look I wanted. I also stayed away from flags, football/hurling shirts & scarves, police & fire patches (I absolutely hate that look in “US” Irish pubs), beer tap handles, coasters/mats on display, and Guinness knickknacks (for the most part), due to space constraints and again, a desire to create a certain authentic feel to it. I became particularly interested in vintage items to help make the pub look old and quaint (though these are a bit pricey).
For me, as I mentioned in the video, the pub space I have is kind of my art gallery. I find peace being surrounded by everything and ~kind of ~sort of feeling like I’m in an old village pub. A pint or two of Guinness makes it even better (particularly when the drive home is a flight of stairs). When friends come by, there’s nothing like having this space. I’ve had fleeting thoughts of opening up my own commercial pub, but my spouse (aka Dreamkiller) won’t go for that, so this is it for me. I poke around playing the Irish flute and whistle, so another part of the practical nature of my pub is it doubles as a very comfortable and inspiring practice space. A typical night for me looks like this:
I do tend to be very careful now what I buy. I really don’t have any space left, so that’s part of the reason, but it’s more than just that. You’ll probably find out just as I did that you go through these phases – first you start buying the generic stuff because you don’t know any better (hopefully this website keeps you from making too many mistakes); then you start replacing (and selling) just about all of it when you realize there are much better things out there; and then, over time, you start to replace the less valuable of these replacements when you see something that works better in the space. Experience has just made me much more selective. What I really like now is either just impossible to find or absurdly expensive.
Ní bhíonn an rath ach mar a mbhíonn an smacht
(There is no prosperity without discipline)
An observation I’ll make is that I see many basement and backyard pubs online and they are just loaded with stuff, ceiling to floor. While I too have a lot, I believe there is a certain “feng-shui” to a pub. Too much makes it tacky looking, and the lack of design balance emanates a “trying too hard” impression. I try to be very cognizant not to cross that line. My closet is filled with items that I like but I know I just can’t put out (which I’ll eventually sell-off). Being aware of that line is worthy advice to pass on to you. The Duke of York pub in Belfast is a good example of how to have a lot up but done in a way where it’s just amazing to take in. It’s almost a mecca for Guinness aficionados. The trick is that the Duke of York has vintage, original material. That’s really the key – search out and put up the good stuff. Don’t litter your walls with everything and anything.
I do however recognize budget does matter when fitting out a pub. It’s certainly possible to create a pub that makes you happy with mass-produced items in it. (as Thoreau would tell you: “That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.”) I’ll suggest however that before you just start buying things, spend some time getting to know all the creative possibilities out there. Poke through this site, hopefully, it will give you some direction and help you avoid making some rookie mistakes. Visit pubs or visit pub websites to see what’s inside Irish pubs across the world. The best Irish pub around today that I know of is May Kelly’s Cottage in North Conway, NH. Have a visit there if you’re local or check out their website: May Kelly’s Cottage – North Conway, NH Irish Restaurant (maykellys.com). It stands apart from all others in being close to authentic and just a fun place to go (they even have an Irish traditional music seisiún there on Sundays). The Fields in San Diego is another decent one that I can think of (design-wise, not necessarily for the feel & craic). It’s one of those pubs where they hired an Irish pub company to design and bring over materials from Ireland. You can even Google Street View a walkthrough inside it. The Field Irish Pub – Google Maps. A similar one is Conor O’Neill’s in Ann Arbor, MI. Conor O’Neill’s (conoroneills.com). Both are a wee bit sterile looking, but at least they put significant effort into making them look kind of authentic. I would have recommended my favorite pub in the US, the Brazenhead Irish Pub in Dublin, Ohio, but alas, that place is no more. I read it closed down a few years ago and it was turned into a fern bar. Honorable mentions go to the Brendan Behan Pub in Jamaica Plains (Boston), the Full Shilling Pub in NYC (another one moved from Ireland), and the Swift Hibernian Lounge, also in the city. Definitely check out the tab above called “Cool Home Pubs” and see how others have built out their home Irish pubs. If you have a pub shed, pay particular attention to the information on a company called “My Little Pub.” They have one of the best design styles to follow.
Another tip is to Google image search “authentic Irish pubs” and poke around there. You’ll get some good ideas and a sense of direction. I’ll say this – just nailing up tin-tacker Guinness signs and painting the walls green is something any monkey can do. Be creative and do more. You’ll quickly grow tired of the cheap look. Progress [with the good stuff], not perfection. Keep thinking like that.
Quick Pro Tip#1: If you see these signs (and others like them) – RUN! Don’t buy. You’ll be wasting money and just giving them away in the future. You might as well just hang up Chinese beer signs.
I provide you with much better options under the “Buying Help” tab.
Quick Pro Tip#2: Stop with the bright Kelly or Shamrock green wall paint. Under no circumstances should you be using these colors. All they do is signal to your mates that you are an amateur and you have a fake pub. Might as well put your leprechaun collection on display if you go this route.
Ar bhailiú (On Collecting)
I’ll mention this too if it helps any – I’m somewhat starting to sense the era of finding cool stuff on ebay, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace is slowly coming to an end. I just don’t see the quantity and quality of objects that were in the market even 10 years ago, and competition has certainly increased. Timing is everything, so look around often. Don’t feel too bad paying up for something (as long as it’s not too ridiculous), as there are few real bargains out there anymore. I do regret passing on a few things because of the price; I wish now I wasn’t so cheap.
Another tip is to expand your Craigslist or FB search area to maybe the next state over if that’s not too far to drive. You’ll soon forget you were an idiot driving 3 hrs for a stupid sign once it’s hung and it fills the space nicely.
btw1, there are a couple of FB Guinness collector “Communities” that I am aware of – check out:
Guinness Memorabilia “Spes mea in Deo” Dublin 52161
I also provide a link on the buying help tab to a collector database/site
btw2, if you think going to Dublin and stocking up on memorabilia from the Guinness Storehouse is an option, you’ll be sadly disappointed. They have this huge gift shop area, but it’s just filled with touristy garbage. There is nothing worth buying – and I really wanted to buy at least something. (In fact, even the tourists weren’t buying anything, there were no lines.) If you go, do make reservations for their “connoisseur’s tour.” The tour gets you briefly away from the crowds and it slows things down a little so you can enjoy the experience more.
As you start collecting, you might start to think you have an obsession with all things Guinness and Irish Pubs. That’s ok, and remember, “obsession” is a word that lazy people use for “dedication.”
The other thing you learn as you start in on this is that when you visit real pubs for a pint, just about every Irish pub out there (in the US & CAD and in the tourist spots in Ireland) is a ‘shite’ pub. Tin signs, leprechauns, an overwhelming amount of dusty police/fire patches, and just total junk are on their walls. A lot in the US are just sports bars that grab hold of the “Irish Pub” theme because it’s good for business. (The kind of places that serve Guinness in a Budweiser glass and knows nothing about serving anything close to a perfect pint.) It’s somewhat understandable, as the commercial pub’s objective is to make money and not be an art museum, but some are so lame that I just have to walk right out. You might get like this too, the ability to recognize if the pub owner knows the essence of an Irish pub and puts the effort in. A good Irish pub in the US is very, very rare unfortunately. Maybe 1 out of 100.
Éirinn go Brách (Ireland Forever)
I did pass by dozens of antique stores in the various small villages in Ireland I traveled through. While I didn’t have time to stop and look hard, the few I poked my head in had some incredible finds. I think that’s the next horizon – going there with a large empty suitcase and picking up things directly. The other option, particularly for vintage porcelain signs and framed antique advertisements, is to participate in online auctions. Some great stuff (see my buying help page), but you generally pay a 25%-29% auction fee (but no VAT premium), and then you have to ship (roughly $75-$100 per sign). Anything larger than 47″ long is almost impossible to ship back so be careful with size.
Speaking about porcelain signs, I have noticed that a new wave of them seems to be hitting the market right now. Maybe I just wasn’t paying as much attention before, but maybe the [India/Pakistani] repro-fakers have found a new niche. These signs are all quite nice (even the fakes), but they are expensive – $400-$700 + at least $50 shipping. Most are cigarette/tobacco-related, rarely will you see Guinness ones. A few of these hung up will go a long way in helping your pub look authentic. I have links to a few good vendors on my buying help page.
Go raibh do theach i gcónaí róbheag chun do chairde go léir a shealbhú
(May your home always be too small to hold all your friends)
So enjoy and happy drinking/building/collecting. Send a note to admin@fluteandfiddle.com if you have any questions or suggestions. You can also leave a YouTube comment if that’s easier.
Sláinte!
With the help of the real Tullamore Dew dogs:
“Your video has inspired me!”
"Awesome job!"
"I must have watched your video several times. Slow motion to catch all the good stuff. You did a bang up job."
"Thank you for your video and site, it’s extremely informative and helpful."
"Your pub is stellar. I’m doing the Irish pub thing in my garage and am definitely going to use your site for ideas. Thanks for sharing."
"I stumbled across the video when I was designing my Irish pub a few years back and it was inspiring. Keep up the good work."
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