A traveler returns to Ireland to revel in two of the nation’s beloved institutions.

I’d come to Ireland in part to visit pubs and bookshops. In other countries, that might seem an odd pairing, but in Ireland, where Guinness and literature reign supreme, doing so makes perfect sense. Here, stout and prose are inextricably linked and offer a gateway to the best of Irish culture. Put another way, the tradition of the seanchaí—the Irish storyteller or “bearer of old lore”—lives on in watering holes. After exploring the country for the last 15 years (and marrying a Dubliner), I’ve learned that what tempts me back year after year isn’t found in castles, museums, or religious sites, but in pubs and bookshops.

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