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Shenannigans

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

It's a little hard to fathom how seriously to take an Irish pub that features a Schoolies Night in their regular line-up of events. Of course, any night can be ??schoolies-themed' if you wish, but this one comes with female staff wearing skimpy skirts and short-cropped school shirts. Hmmm. Perhaps school uniforms are a little different in Ireland? With the amount of Irish backpackers making their way through the place, you could probably just ask one.

Besides that, Shenannigans remains one of Darwin's most popular ?fun' nightspots. Irish tap beers include Guinness, Harp and Kilkenny, mixed in with the usual suspects - Stella, Tooheys New, VB, Carlton Draught and even XXXX Gold. Two unnerving additions to this lot are Bundaberg and Cola Draught, and Johnnie Walker Draught - yes, on tap. This should give you ample idea of the calibre of punters you can expect propped up at the bar.

And like all good Irish pubs, Shenannigans have the obligatory 100 Point Club. Sure, it may seem like an excuse to get blasted every weekend, but it's more about spending enough time in the hotel to become one of the barflies, and be surrounded by your new barfly friends. And who said drinking was a lonely man's hobby?

Although the food may not be terribly Irish, the interior wood panelling, sandy finished walls and green swatches of fabric here and there (more token than fixtures) sees the venue tilt its hat to the Eire Isle. And with the live music on offer, it's no wonder this place is packed - sometimes a little to so - most nights of the week.
Karen Jessop, January 2008