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Stoke Newington · Hackney

The Auld Shillelagh

Stoke Newington's Irish local, and the borough's best-poured Guinness

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About The Auld Shillelagh

A Grade II-listed building — a dairyman’s shop before it was ever a pub — that has traded as an Irish local since 1991, with live trad sessions most weeks.

The building was originally a dairyman’s shop recorded by 1848, becoming the Horse & Groom pub by 1871 and taking its current name and Irish identity only in 1991; it was Grade II listed in 1975. Live Irish traditional music sessions alternate Thursday and Friday nights, GAA and football play on the screens, and it was named Time Out’s best boozer in the city for St Patrick’s Day 2026 — largely on the strength of its Guinness pour, which regulars rate among the best in London.

On tap

A famously well-kept pint of Guinness.

Food

No kitchen; a beer garden out back.

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