The Irish nightlife...

I realize that not everyone who reads this blog is going to ever have the chance to experience the night life in Ireland, but I figured I'd share some of my insight as to what to expect if ever you do find your self in Cork. There are a few things that everyone should know ahead of time about the pubs, clubs and bars of Ireland:
#1 Simply put, the most important thing to understand is pre-gaming, drink early with friends of your own alcohol, the wine over here is very modestly priced compared to all other varieties and often the stores have great deals for lower end brands, such as yellow tail. The bars will charge heavily for everything, beers range from 3.50 euro to 4.50 euro and the mix drinks are usually 6 euro and up (with the conversion rate these prices are ridiculous...)
#2 Next is timing, most people don't really start to head to the clubs until 10:30 /11:00 or later, but with the more popular clubs you may want to sneak in a bit earlier, not only will you avoid large lines (sometimes ridiculously large) but you may also avoid the cover charge which can be as high as 15 euro (which is just silly)
#3 Age, don't be surprised to find yourself chatting with a nice 28 year old or even a mid-thirties, it is much more socially acceptable to go out and drink at bars in Ireland than it is in the U.S. these people never seem to tire of the bar scene. Also, since some pubs are 23 and up, it's just common sense the you'll have quite the mix, the clubs are usually kept to a smaller age range, but everywhere else, you might want to ask their age.
#4 Walking, you should walk everywhere. The taxis are great, but after a few trips they'll bleed your wallet dry. Buses are a great alternative on your way out, but it's a might harder to catch them after a long night of dancing, socializing and well, drinking.
#5 The Irish in general, they are without a doubt friendly, why is this important to know? Well, because it's not unheard of to be invited back to a person's home/apartment for more drinking and fun. Surprisingly this isn't limited to the opposite sex, like it usually is in the States, but make sure you've got a group with you. Simply because most Irish are hilariously friendly people doesn't mean they all are.
#6 Don't tip. It is not necessary at any bar to tip, they simply don't do that here. Some bartenders will even get offended by you trying to give them a tip, if you want to repay your bar tender in some way, buy them a drink or include them in a round of shots. Besides, with as much money as you're spending on drinks you probably won't have any money left for a tip.

Hopefully I've some how enlightened you all in the ways of the Irish nightlife, oh and one last thing, the drink "Irish Car bomb" is not that big over here, especially in Northern Ireland... You may just want to for go that one, ask instead for a baby Guinness, they are delicious.