Kilt night in NC?

[Avonlea22]

That's Awesome Magnus. Congratulations!

So then, I guess you'll be attending Raleigh's St. Paddy's Day parade? I'm planning to, as long as I can get the day off.

[GMan]

Magnus,

I certainly am glad to hear that bit of good news, CONGRATULATIONS!

[Tartan Hiker]

Well you guys have got all of us in the highlands worked up about a kilt night, so Freedomlover and I are going to try and set one up in Asheville. We'll post the time/date when we get it together.

Bill

[JBfromBS]

Well you guys have got all of us in the highlands worked up about a kilt night, so Freedomlover and I are going to try and set one up in Asheville. We'll post the time/date when we get it together.

Bill

Sounds good to me! Keep us updated

Joe

[Magnus Sporrano]

Well I am settled into my apartment in Durham now. Last weekend I went out for a few pints with some non-kilted friends (though one of them has an order in with Rocky & Kelly!). Yes, I was kilted.

It ended up turning into a Raleigh pub crawl. I was looking at the Raleigh venues with a kilt night in mind. Some thoughts:

Flying Saucer - INCREDIBLE beer selection. I don't think I've ever seen a pub with more great beers on tap, and even more in bottles. I think they had 82 beers on tap when I was there. But the layout of the place is like a feeding trough, not well geared towards socializing, and they had nothing in the way of music. I had a club sandwhich there, too, and it was good. Partway into the night it got overrun with the "Couch Trip" drunk bus gang, followed by the Bud Light girls trying to get everyone to wear these tacky party beads with a big Bud Light medallion. Ugh. I think the feeding trough layout and lack of music leaves this place out of the running, IMO.

Ri-Ra (or whatever the new owners are calling it) - What a disappointment. I love the layout of this pub. It's really homey. Reminds me of the downstairs pub inside of Finnigan's Wake back home, that goes all the way around, giving you a quiet end and then the other end is in front of the stage. Bartenders were really friendly and chatty with the patrons. But then the DJ came on and that killed the place. We hastily finished our pints and departed. I won't bother you with a description but it felt like something out of Napoleon Dynamite. Turns out the same DJ is there every friday night. They almost never book any Irish bands. Beer selection was poor.

Hibernian - I love this place. No room for dancing or music. But it is really tight & homey, and I met a lot of really nice people there. The bartenders were pretty overworked and getting a refill could be a waiting game. Overall though I like this place quite a bit and I'm sure I'll be going back there.

Tir na nOg - WOW! This place is made for kilt nights. I was shocked to see that Seven Nations plays there, in the pub, on a semi-regular basis (and disappointed that their nearest appearance had just passed). They had some kind of a retro jazz thing going but the band was really good regardless. The place was surprisingly underpopulated for its size. I think at least three Irish guys approached me at various points in the evening to find out if I was from Scotland or Ireland so we now know where the Irish expats hang out. Anyway, they have a great layout for a gathering and socializing, they bring in Irish bands from time to time, and I think they would be a great place to consider for a future Raleigh kilt night. There is room to dance. Room to hang out without being cramped. There are sofas and overstuffed chairs around to relax in.

All of the above places seemed to be cigar & pipe friendly (I smoked my pipe in all of them, and saw cigars being smoked in the last two).

[furrycelt]

Well I am settled into my apartment in Durham now...

Awesome! Welcome to the Triangle!

I am still wanting to do a KiltNight for NC, and one for the Triangle. I have taken a break from planning because my schedule turned ugly on me. My work is requiring mandatory overtime (no less than 48 hours per week).

-ian

[Avonlea22]

I'm all for Tir na nOg! I work downtown, about three blocks from the place, and visit it quite frequently in the afternoon. Tuesday is Pint night, and they have I think $2.50 pints. Wednesday is Whiskey Wednesdays. I've never been at night (although I had intended on going to see Seven Nations).

Hey Magnus...maybe just Myself, Ian and you and your buddies could get together some time.

BTW, glad that you're all settled in!

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Dang, I wish I was still in Raleigh! Of course, who knows if I would have been wearing a kilt now if I were! Anyway, Tir Na Nog is awesome. And if you want a decent dinner, there is (or maybe was) a brewpub just across the square on the south side. The name escapes me, but they served a great shepherds pie.
Planning a trip back to see friends sometime. Will try to meet up with folks if we get it setup.

[Magnus Sporrano]

The brewpub (Greenshields) is gone (fire). They are not rebuilding.

I'm all for a local gathering sometime soon, though at this point, maybe we should be discussing a St Patty's Day gathering?

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

YES! Greenshields! When did it burn down (we've been away awhile)? It was a great place to meet for some good brews and dinner, then some more festivities down town.