Eight Mayo venues make the shortlist of the Square Bar awards
Nevin's Newfield Inn has been nominated in seven categories.
Eight different Mayo venues are among pubs, restaurants and venues from across the country to have been shortlisted for the Square Bar awards.
Establishments from Castlebar to Cong, Westport to Ballina and Ballinrobe to Tiernaur are all in the reckoning.
Pride of place goes to Nevin’s Newfield Inn in Tiernaur, between Newport and Mulranny, who have been nominated in no less than seven categories.
These include Best Five Star Hotel Bar, Best Gastro Bar, Best Innovative Bar, Best Staff Personality, Best Tourist Bar, Best Visitor Attraction and Most Outstanding Customer Service of the year.
The Porter House in Westport have been shortlisted for Best Staff Personality, Best Tourist Bar and Best Traditional Bar of the Year.
The Barrel & Castle in Castlebar are in the mix for Best Bar Food, Best Outdoor Space and Best Late-Night Bar/ Nightclub of the Year.
Henahan’s in Westport has been recognised for Best Bar to Watch the Match, Best Newcomer and Best Outdoor Space of the Year.
Flannery's Bistro located in Ballinrobe is in contention to win Best Wine Bar and Best Restaurant Bar of the year.
Bar Square & Time Square Night Club in Ballina is up for most Outstanding Customer Service of the Year while Paddy Mac’s Ballina is also among the finalists for Best Bar for Watching the Match.
The Prince of Wales at Ashford Castle in Cong, right on the Mayo/Galway border, has been nominated for Whiskey Bar of the Year.
Connacht have entered the last stage with an impressive 65 finalists in the competition, ranking third out of the four provinces. Leinster leads with 182, Munster with 133 and Ulster (Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal) with six finalists.
The Square Bar Awards celebrate the excellence of Ireland’s licenced hospitality industry, while recognising outstanding bars, bartenders, managers, teams, and pub groups. There are over 30 categories for contestants with over 1,000 entries from across the country.
After intense judging and evaluations, only the highest-performing bars have been selected as finalists. The range of finalists include the best of traditional pubs, luxury bars, five-star hotel bars, cocktail venues and gastro pubs.
Mayo has successfully reiterated the West of Ireland’s reputation for authentic and traditional hospitality.
This year’s final event will take place onâ¯Monday, August 24 next, in the Clayton Hotel on Burlington Road, Co Dublin. There will be an eagerly anticipated awards ceremony where the deserving winners will be announced. Nominees and guests will celebrate the Irish bar scene with the best of the best in the country attending.
As well as that, all the finalists will be considered for the 2026 People's Choice Award, which will be voted by the public.
