Can not believe what an amazing time we had. If you are looking for an authentic Irish pub experience, and longing to feel all the charm the Irish locals have then this is your place. The bartenders Paul, and Brendan "Dougie" (sorry if I spelled any of that wrong) where amazingly welcoming and the stories that the whole bar's patron's joined in on and embellished kept all the infectious laughter going. I have to say that the people we met in this bar had the most welcoming and inclusive manner. I felt instantly at home and encouraged to join in the conversations. One of the bartenders in fact told us that they intentionally kept the bar TV and Wifi free to encourage camaraderie and real human connections. Later in the evening there was a band playing an acoustic set of Irish Country music, that was really a treat. We want to go back. Our trip from Texas to Ireland was long, the journey arduous and expensive for us, but Sean's made the whole thing worth it. We had only allotted a short time to Athlone, and now we want to return just to stay there and spend a few more nights laughing around the peat moss hearth fire.

We visited the pub in May 2019; sorry for delayed review. The town of Athlone is worth a quick walk-about for the walls, church and old buildings. Sean's is supposed to be the oldest pub in the world or at least in Ireland dating back to 900 AD according to the Guinness book of records. It was originally known as Luan's Inn. It is small, dark, low ceitlinged and cozy, and could easily become crowded. We visited as part of a small tour group (8 people) and enjoyed a bit of history provided by I think the owner, which was interesting plus one free drink (Irish coffee). Bought a T-shirt (if you do, get the next size up from your regular size) and a separate shot of Sean's Whisky which is distilled by the pub. If you believe the story, the first whisky ever was distilled in a nearby monastery, and the distiller uses a recipe as close as possible to the original monk's recipe. This whisky is surprisingly mellow and easy to drink. If they sold it on the west coast of Canada, I'd would definitely purchase. Sean's is definitely worth a quick visit for the stories and a drink.

Sean's Bar dates back to AD 900 and bills itself as "Ireland's Oldest Pub." Before arriving, our fears were that this would be a tacky tourist trap. Those fears were completely unfounded. Inside is a small, cozy tavern with friendly bartenders and century's worth of charm: dim lights, low ceilings, small tables. I'm sure there are dozens (hundreds?) of similar pubs in similar towns in Ireland, but there's only one that's the oldest :) The town of Athlone is colorful and cute, with the River Shannon splitting it down the center. So glad we made the trek out there.