The Home
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—there is likely something here for you. What you’ll find on this site 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 out almost fifteen 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 more authentic 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 10/11/25: A sincere thank you to everyone who has visited the site. It’s hard to believe this site has been up for over five years now, and I’m humbled to see our community grow to more than 1,000 visitors a month. I truly enjoy connecting with those who reach out, and I’m grateful for the photos you continue to share—keep them coming! Thank you for your ongoing support; I’ll continue to update the site as often as possible.
New for 2026: Free to download is this “pub essentials pack” containing everything you need to print out and make your home pub official (in your eyes). Download this pdf, print the 5×7’s on a decent printer, and put them in inexpensive frames. Nothing fancy, just as a commercial pub would do it. (If you want the separate .jpg’s, just send a note.) Go raibh maith agat.
cad a líonann na súile líonann an croí
(What fills the eyes fills the heart)
Here’s the latest addition (4/1/25) – hanging flying toucans! I’ve been after these for years. I finally found a source. More on my Buying Help page.
Here’s what our pub looked like on October 22, 2024, the night the Boston Celtics 
raised Banner 18. (These pictures are dated already; I’ve added at least 20 new things this past year alone. You can never keep up):
An older picture of my “zoo” corner:
I provide plenty of other pictures of home pubs under the Cool Backyard Pubs tab. My pub is just one example.
(The pub videos I used to have in this spot I moved to a new video tab. It was just too much here.)
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. (Update #3162, I may have talked her into it, we’ll see. I have a place in mind.) 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.
If I were to do it over, I might be inclined to create one of these amazing old-school pubs, just plain and simple. (Hopkins in Enniscrone and Murphy’s in Kilkee below. Matt Malloy’s in Westport, Frawley’s in Lahinch, and Curran’s in Dingle are three other well-known classic old pubs, but there are many dozens of them around (like McGing’s and Toby’s, also in Westport)). Do your home pub planning “research” by just renting a car and getting out there. There are at least four good pub books to use as research guides that I mention in my original 2020 video. There’s tons of material on the internet as well, but the books get you past the “travel influencers” who often have not put the time in that’s really needed to study what’s out there. If you want, you can also message me with your itinerary for some suggestions.
There are really six different pub “styles” out there. Below is an excerpt from a video mentioning the six. (A link to the full youtube video from NPR/The Irish Pub Company is here.) The “Shop” and “Country” are what I fancy.
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. (Some think the Irish Pub look is to fill every square inch with something.) 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 a known 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.
Local to the Boston area is Mick Morgan’s in Sharon, Ma. The owner definitely has an eye for the really good stuff, and I would consider his place a “must visit” for anyone in the pub enthusiast field. It’s the museum of fine arts (MFA) for memorabilia. The pubs in the Boston, Cambridge, and South Shore areas are great for the music and craic, but none have the real historical signage and advertising material this place has up.
Note that MM’s is more of a high-volume restaurant than quaint little pub, but it presents itself well.
On a Budget? 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. (Below, the Merry Ploughboy, Dublin.)
Quick Pro Tip#1: DO NOT BUY tin-tacker signs, EVER!
Quick Pro Tip#2: 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#3: Also, under no circumstances, should you be using bright Kelly or Shamrock green wall paint. All they do is signal to your friends that you are an amateur and you have a fake pub. You might as well put your leprechaun collection on display and hang “Póg mo thóin” signs up if you go this route.
Quick Pro Tip#4: I think we all probably start with the same dream – having a home pub where it is so good, all the neighbors want to come over (a shebeen (síbín) if you will – an unlicensed pub). A friend up in Manchester Center, Vermont has one, I mention it on my Cool Home Pub page. (On Friday nights, if the green light is on, people are welcome to come over.) This is an interesting video of a secret pub in Ireland that may give you some inspiration. There’s also a video out there of a group of friends in NJ who each have their own neighborhood garage bars and they share the craic. The tip is to think big. Don’t load up with mancave crap where there is no place to move around. Think access, spacing, seating, musician space, lighting, and keg options right from the get-go. You don’t have to go at it all at once, but have a long-term goal and work towards it. Slowly acquire the materials that will make your pub look authentic.
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. (Update July 2025. I did the tour a second time (the first was in 2016). It’s not as good as it used to be. Cobwebs hanging in the pub area, speaker not that interesting, choices of the 4 Guinness types not as good. They don’t even give you a “Poured a Perfect Pint” certificate anymore. It is now some lame-ass dumbed down certificate (that I tossed)). I get it, a stop at the brewery is like touching second base, you just have to do it as a Guinness drinker not living in Ireland. Do it once, do the connoisseur’s tour, and just get it out of your system and never look back. Frankly, I would just completely stay away from the brewery. It is just one large tourist trap that is getting a little worn around the edges. Rent a car or even just take a bus to anywhere outside of Dublin and find some of those quaint old village pubs that are out there.)
On collecting -as you do 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!
“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."
"Thanks for the great website and number of great ideas"
Well done! Fantastic job
"Your website has given me a lot to think about! Thank you for the inspiration."
Youtube & website comments