J. Conneely’s Restaurant and Pub

My wife and I spent one very enjoyable evenngs in this establishment during our visit to Clifden last week. The first night was simply because there had been reviews of the restaurant and we stayed the entire evening because of the entertainment. J Conneely’s is a big restaurant/​pub by our experience in Ireland and there were lots of tables reserved for diners ordering food up through 9:00. After 9:00, the pub was for typical Irish drinking of Guinneess and Smithwicks (my favorite Irish Ale). The place was packed (standing room only by 9:30 so if you want to eat, come early). The restaurant and bar are nice and clean, well lit, and friendly. There was a heavy dose of local Clifden and Irish natives there and virtually no Americans (for a change)(not too many in any of Connemara in our experience). We both ordered fish and chips which was fresh cod done very well. Servings were large and tasted as it should. Menu was not extensive and offered typical Irish selections. Both my wife and I enjoyed the meal. The bar poured a nice tasting pint of the standards. There were two young fellows working the bar who kept up with the heavy demand during peak hours. They ran a tab and accepted credit cards.
What made the dinner particularly noteworthy was the house entertainment. From about 4:00 to 9:00, two «twenty something» Irish kids played background music, but at 9:00, they added a third member of the group (Mick MacNamara), who added commentary and jokes to the act. The two young guys were both fantastic musicians. One was named David Hurley and David played the guitar, banjo, and mandolin. David looks like he is about a 10^th grader but just has a baby face. The second younger member is Fergal Scahill who initially played fiddle and then guitar. Both of these guys are fantastic musicians. Both played non-​stop all evening and I didnt hear a missed note in the set. David and Mick sing and even Fergal sand later in the night. Saying a musician is really good is probably said a lot, but these guys are both accomplished musicians and ARE REALLY GOOD! Each has earned top honors at all-​Ireland music festivals and contests, and you can tell it. They are an electrified (amplified) traditional Irish music band. The next night, we visited a traditional 7 member Irish band across the main street and it just wasn’t the same. We stayed all evening at j Conneely’s the first night and bought several CDs of the band to take back home for personal use and as gifts.
Put the whole experience together and it was a very grand time. Highly recommended if you like good food and good entertainment. !!