Katie Vaughan
Katie Vaughan is a writer and marketing coordinator living in Portland. Read More
Best Irish Pubs in Portland
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at these beloved local Irish pubs.
Katie Vaughan
Katie Vaughan is a writer and marketing coordinator living in Portland. Read More
Portland may be thousands of miles from the Emerald Isle, but you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day year-round here. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly pub, live music or a pint of Guinness, check out these Irish pubs in Portland. Slainte!
Best Irish Pubs in Portland
Kells Irish Pub
A local chain founded in Seattle by an Irishman, Kells Irish Pub is a Northwest Celtic institution. In addition to hosting the city’s largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration, the bar attracts flocks of international sports fans. Stop by to watch a variety of rugby and soccer (or should we say football?) matches on the big screen. Cheer on your team while sipping a draft Guinness and snacking on lamb stew or a Ballycastle sausage roll. The snug Cigar Room offers the largest selection of single malt Scotch in the Northwest. Kells also brews their own Irish beers at their brewpub in Northwest Portland.
Paddy’s
Paddy’s Bar and Grill claims the distinction of being the oldest Irish bar in Portland. Opened in 1979 in the historic Powers Building, the bar features a wall filled with more than 600 kinds of liquor and humble Irish charm. Irish mainstays on the menu include lamb stew, bangers and mash, curry chips and a creme brûlée made with Bailey’s; on tap you’ll find Guinness, Harp, Smithwick’s and Magner’s cider. For Paddy’s annual St. Patrick’s Day festival fills the street with live bands, Irish dancers, bagpipers and whiskey tastings.
T.C. O’Leary’s
If an Irishman moved to Portland and opened an Irish-style bar with a Pacific Northwest attitude, you’d have T.C. O’Leary’s. Thomas Christopher O’Leary designed the pub to perfectly blend Irish hospitality and Portland cool. Alongside draft Guinness and Irish coffee made with Tullamore Dew, you’ll find Oregon wines and cocktails rivaling any mixologist’s creations. The Irish appreciate farm-fresh ingredients as much as Portlanders, and that’s reflected in classic Irish dishes made with local ingredients. The breakfast blaas (doughy rolls with your choice of filling) come with house-made sausage, black pudding and a fried egg. O’Leary’s also offers brunch on weekends and hosts live Irish music weekly.
The Rookery
Located in the former hayloft of the historic Ladd Carriage House, The Rookery at Raven & Rose is a casual pub with a full menu inspired by the British Isles, as well as billiards, weekday happy hours and single-barrel cocktails. The regular live music program frequently features traditional Irish music.
The Dullahan Irish Pub
Just south of Portland in the suburb of Lake Oswego, you’ll find an enclave of Irish charm at The Dullahan Irish Pub. This family-friendly spot boasts a spacious outdoor patio, live music and sports on the TV all summer long. Tuck in to corned beef with cabbage, bangers with mash and Guinness Irish stew, along with Irish beer or cider on tap. Sample from the long list of Irish whiskeys, including aged and single malts, with a generous whiskey flight.
Erin go Bragh!
St. Patrick's Day Events
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with these festivities and special events around Portland.
Kells Saint Patrick's Irish Festival
Thousands of locals and visitors will celebrate their Irish heritage with live music, traditional Irish dancing, food and libations at the annual Kells Irish Festival, the largest Saint Patrick’s Day Festival in the Northwest.
Stumptown LepreCon
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this annual costume-required celebration. Wear something blinky and illuminated (it has to be more than just a green shirt or a button). This is a participatory event, so bring something LepreCons will enjoy: toys, games, stickers, buttons, signs and a great costume. A portion of the proceeds from this year’s…
Téada: St. Patrick's Tour
Enjoy a night of music by one of Irish traditional music’s leading exponents, Téada, an Irish traditional band with a truly worldwide reach. Téada is driven by a fascination for the timeless, expressive force of music inherited from previous generations of musicians. Irish Music Magazine describes the band as “at the cutting edge of the…
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Join the 31st annual community St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Northeast Portland. The parade starts at Northeast 33rd nd Hancock and marches west until 17th where it turns north one block and heads back on Tillamook.
Shamrock Cruise
Join the annual Shamrock Cruise on board the Portland Spirit for a three-hour cruise on the Willamette with the music and dance of Ireland – all community. Each deck has live entertainment of music, dance, ceili and room to do your own jiggity. Performers are Crumac with Tom Creegan, Dale Russ, Cary Novotny, Dreos with…