Chronicle
Irish Folk Pub Munich
The Irish Folk Pub was opened on August 6, 1977 by Heidi and Ede Martin, who ran it until 2014. It was the first Irish pub in Munich and is now the oldest in existence in Germany. After his beloved wife Heidi died a few years earlier, Ede Martin decided with a heavy heart to sell his pub in 2014 after almost 40 years. To the delight of the loyal pub visitors, a successor was found in Quirin Schartner, himself a "second generation" regular, who will continue to run the pub in the spirit of the founding couple with the same focus on cosiness, tradition and quality.
In addition to the best pint of Guinness in the city, if not east of Dublin, various other Irish and German beers are also served. A special whiskey menu offers a constant rotation of between 150 and 250 different Irish whiskeys and Scotch whiskeys, including some real rarities. In summer you can also enjoy your Guinness outdoors, and for some time now, in addition to the terrace, you can also enjoy it in the spacious bar garden. The dishes on offer are largely based on Irish bistro cuisine, such as “Beef in Guinness”, Irish stew or smoked salmon, as well as toasts and sandwiches.
Since the Pub opened, musicians from all over the world have regularly played live, especially traditional Irish folk music, on Thursdays, especially in the winter months. Among others, some greats from the Irish folk scene have been guests here, such as The Dubliners, Rory Gallagher, Sean Tyrell, Clannad, Boys of Sligo, Mary Begin, Tiger Lillies. Sometimes musicians who like to visit the pub as guests unpack their instruments and get together for a classical session. The chances of this happening are not bad, especially on Sundays.
The Pub is not only a meeting place for many artists, but has also made a name for itself in sports. In 1979, the "Irish Folk Pub Dart Club Munich e.V.", one of the oldest and most successful dart clubs in Germany, played here for the first time. In addition to dozens of Bavarian championships and countless cup successes, the club won the German team championship title in 1997. Many German national players and Bavarian and German champions emerged from his ranks. With its success, the club also grew in numbers and eventually exceeded the pub's capabilities and had to move to a larger training facility. This means that at the actual place where the dart was founded, one of the unfortunately very few real steel dart boards in Munich is thrown at just for fun.
The monthly whiskey tastings have been very popular since the 1990s. For each tasting, five “drams” with relevant information about the respective distillery and bottler are usually served, with a hearty stew in between. Absolutely new products are always available for tasting. Since 2010, the in-house whiskey festival has also taken place every Pentecost weekend. All the fine drops that are otherwise hidden behind the bar are presented on the counter and guests can browse to their heart's content and get extensive advice from the innkeeper.
The corona pandemic was certainly a very young but even more difficult chapter in the history of the “Old Irish”. Due to repeated closures and strict requirements that made lucrative operations impossible, the continued existence of the pub, like that of many small restaurants in Munich, was seriously endangered. With great personal commitment and the support of numerous loyal regular guests, this hurdle was overcome and we are looking optimistically towards the fiftieth anniversary in the summer of 2027.
