BEST SPORTS BARS AND PUBS IN BELFAST

Searching everywhere for the best sports pubs Belfast has to offer? This page has everything you'll need. We've done the heavy lifting and chosen a bunch of the very best sports bars that Belfast has to offer, everything from the most atmospheric GAA pubs to the very best bars to watch Ulster rugby in. It can be a bit complicated when it involves selecting the very best bars nearby so we've done the research for you in terms of excellent bars showing live sport on television. Whether you're looking for the lavish or the local, you will certainly find what you need below. If we've left out one of your faves why not drop us an email and say so at [email protected].

Best sports bars and pubs in Belfast

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Best Sports Bars in Belfast

Franklin's Sports Bar

3.5

0.2 km Belfast

Belfast's first and only dedicated sports bar, situated at the heart of our city centre. We offer the best facilities to enhance your sporting experiences. With 14 large screens and the biggest indoor screen in N.I. we offer a wide range of sports on show. Including, our local teams such as the Belfast Giants and Ulster Rugby. We also show coverage of GAA and Irish Premiership games. Where better to watch your favourite sport and enjoy a few refreshing pints and a game of pool or two?

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Best Sports Bars in Belfast

The Garrick Bar

4.4

0.1 km Belfast | €€

It has been said that the famous 18th-century Shakespearean actor David Garrick – who coincidentally was involved in the wine trade before he succumbed to the lure of the stage – once visited this bar for a drink, but that seems a highly unlikely notion. Garrick did visit Ireland on a few occasions, mostly performing in Dublin, but he died in 1779, around a century before the Garrick bar was founded. It’s possible, however, that the 'Garrick' name could have been inspired by the Garrick Club, a fashionable London rendezvous which was founded in 1831 as a place where ‘actors and men of education and refinement might meet on equal terms’. The Garrick Club was a favourite watering hole of the author William Thackeray, who visited Belfast in 1842 and for all we know he may have planted the suggestion in someone’s head at that time. Around the time of Thackeray’s visit, the site of the Garrick was occupied by the marble and stone yard of William Low, who later ran a unique combined enterprise of spirit dealer and cement merchant in Victoria square on the site of what is now The Kitchen Bar. At some point during the 30 years that followed, a tavern was established at the corner of Chichester Street and Montgomery Street, and in 1870 McCauley, McCashin and Co, who described themselves as rectifying distillers and wine and spirit merchants, were dispensing drinks at this location. The Garrick name was in use by 1892 at the latest, when W.J. McCoy ran the Garrick Bar and Billiard Room. Before the turn of the century, the bar became the second licensed premises to be acquired by the burgeoning partnership of Braithwaite and McCann and for many years had served as the firm’s head office in the city. Recently owned by the O’Neill family, who were proprietors of Robinsons in Great Victoria Street for some years, designed the interior with a smart combination of tiling and woodwork, which has earned the venue the accolade of Belfast’s Best Kept Small Building on a number of occasions. The Garrick was bought by Beannchor Ltd in May 2006 and in February 2007 was taken over by the manager Colm Oates.

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Best Sports Bars in Belfast

Rusty Saddle

4.1

0.2 km Belfast | €€

The Rusty Saddle is a modern twist on the traditional Belfast venue, focusing on everything great about Irish culture

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Best Sports Bars in Belfast

Fountain Lane

4.3

0.2 km Belfast | €

One of Belfast city centre's best known venues, serving fantastic food within a warm atmosphere.

Best Sports Bars in Belfast

Sweet Afton

4.2

0.2 km Belfast | €€

Open 7 day's a week Sweet Afton is the perfect spot for some drinks or a spot of casual pub grub. Named after the poem Sweet Afton by Scotland's favourite son Robert Burns, Sweet Afton is bringing it back to the traditional side of things. Showing all major sporting event's on our large screen's with lunch and dinner menu's along side our SA Curry Club and Weekend Brunch Menu's... and don't forget the beer.... we're pretty proud of our selection of draft, bottled and tinned beer... And if you like a beer, or a cocktail or two call down on a Friday or Saturday night and be entertained by our resident DJ's playing vinyl only til the wee hour's.

Best Sports Bars in Belfast

The Mermaid Inn

4

0.3 km Belfast | €€

City centre pub with a traditional vibe, join us for a pint a bit of grub and catch what game is on.

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Best Sports Bars in Belfast

Whites Garden & Beer Hall

4.4

0.3 km Belfast | €€

Join us in our brand new beer hall at 18 High Street for live sports, great beer and outstanding pub grub. We've got the fire lit, come on in.

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Best Sports Bars in Belfast

Henry's

4.5

0.3 km Belfast | €€

Public House on Joys Entry, serving pub grub, cold beers & plenty of craic

Best Sports Bars in Belfast

Pug Uglys

4.3

0.3 km Belfast | €€

Great bar in Belfast for great food and great pints. Also visit the Boneyard

Best Sports Bars in Belfast

The Jailhouse

4.4

0.3 km Belfast | €€

Long thought to be the building where our entries namesake was held as a prisoner before being hung in Cornmaket, The Jailhouse as it is now known has been frozen in time for the last 70 years nearly forgotten about completely. Restored as part of the Joys Entry project, the aim was to keep as much of the original character of the building as possible. Brick walls, inscribed beams and original windows, take a closer look and see what history and tales you can find while you sip on tipples and nibble on rations. Time Served Well.

Best Sports Bars in Belfast

The Hercules Bar

4.2

0.3 km Belfast | €€

Hercules is a busy city centre bar which serves pub food and is often a place to find traditional Irish music on Saturday nights. The Hercules bar takes its name from Hercules Street, the previous name for Royal Avenue which itself was named after Sir Hercules Langford.