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4.7

Based on 329 opinions finded in 2 websites

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Nº 16 in 173 in Ballymena

Nº 1 of 4 Irish in Ballymena

CUSTOMERS TALK ABOUT DISHES WITH..beautifuloldmust

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What an amazing experience. Delicious food good drinks and excellent music if you’re in Ireland, this is a must do. Located in Northern Ireland, south west of Belfast.

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Keith S . 2024-10-09

MORE AT TripAdvisor

A real Irish Pub, with a real history! (Just look at the paintings, publications and decoration). Place recommended by our host, we met a super welcoming owner. In short, if you pass in the area, go and make your own opinion and hope that there will be a music group at that time. The regulars were also very friendly. A great vacation memory for our family!

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Erwan Lamandé . 2024-09-07

MORE AT Google

What a great evening! First local musicians play Irish music while you sip your drinks. Then a delicious meal (cookout) simple food, then more music, gift shop available. Great atmosphere and a family run business.

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mapbckwrds . 2024-08-30

MORE AT TripAdvisor

We go back in time. Very kind. Highly recommended

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Francesca Lezzi . 2024-08-28

MORE AT Google

Mythical experience! A journey through time. A wonderful pub impeccably run! Frequented almost exclusively by locals. A real pearl. Even beer has a different flavor in this particular setting! Highly recommended

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luca manni . 2024-08-26

MORE AT Google

Stunning little ancient pub. Fab to have live music on a Saturday evening, but do book a table in advance as the music room is very small.

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Jon Mason . 2024-08-18

MORE AT Google

What a wonderful evening!! We were with a tour group and Vincent and his team provided a great experience for us. The atmosphere is everything you could want in a pub. The music was great and we all loved our time at Cross Key. The thatch roof has quite a history.

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Scenic769210 . 2024-08-17

MORE AT TripAdvisor

Excellent traditional Irish pub, it feels like going back in time. Advised.

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Maria Cecilia Galli . 2024-08-09

MORE AT Google

Beautiful people, very very friendly and welcoming. So much personality. Would definitely go back.

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Beverley Ffrench . 2024-07-31

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A fabulous Irish country thatched pub with a unique atmosphere Renowned for traditional music.

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Liz Weir . 2024-07-09

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Sadly no entertainment on the Sunday night visit

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Muriel Safroniuk . 2024-06-17

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An authentic Saturday evening, immersed in a unique and traditional atmosphere thanks to the decoration, music and beer 🍻🇮🇪 This is what we experienced during our visit to Crosskeys Inn! An exceptional boss, more than welcoming! Quite simply, an atmosphere that makes us want to stay there for much more than just one evening!

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Lau P . 2024-05-11

MORE AT Google

A must see if you're ever in the area, great Guinness and if there's music on this postcard perfect spot is sublime. Great whiskey to boot

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Martin McAuley . 2024-05-01

MORE AT Google

Fantastic experience! Wish we could have stayed longer.

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Roy Pointer . 2024-04-27

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My wife and I visited The Crosskeys Inn as part of a CIE tour. The hospitality at the pub was superb. The meal was wonderful, the beer cold, and the music hot. I enjoyed the music so much that I bought the "Closing Time" CD. You can't go wrong with an evening at The Crosskeys Inn.

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Douglas Hooper . 2024-04-23

MORE AT Google

Best Guinness we have had yet! The staff here is warm, welcoming, and give GREAT insider knowledge about the country. Our bartender Adrian was truly a joy to talk with all night. You couldn’t ask for better staff! Thanks for the tour, Adrian, and making a few Americans feel like they have a home away from home. See you again soon!

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Lindsee M . 2024-04-09

MORE AT TripAdvisor

Very friendly place. Bar staff are excellent 👌 😁 Guinness is the best around 😎

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Nigel Curry . 2024-04-01

MORE AT Google

Love place!! Great atmosphere 👌

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Ronald Henderson . 2024-03-23

MORE AT Google

Good service and the best point of Guinness in Ireland, Can't wait to get back there

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Tet Low . 2023-11-30

MORE AT Google

Amazing place that time has forgot.

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Paul Smith . 2023-11-23

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Imagine foggy roads and horse-drawn carriages.. candlelight and roaring fires, this place will take your imagination knocking on that door. Well worth the drive. Best Guinness!

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Craig Mcglinchey . 2023-11-16

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Where do I begin? This tiny pub has become one of my happiest places on earth. The music is always amazing and the Guinness is always the perfect pour. Off the beaten path and it's so WORTH the visit!

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Sandra H . 2023-11-01

MORE AT TripAdvisor

Exceptional family owned place, very pleasant atmosphere. Excellent food,even better whiskey.

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David Harris . 2023-10-22

MORE AT Google

Please be assured that this is the best place!!! From the family, wonderful employees to the food, one will not be disappointed here. The music was spot on 💕💕 Don’t miss this 🥰

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Kim Brannan . 2023-10-13

MORE AT Google

A real gem, family run, beautiful music. You couldn’t beat it, just mind the head.

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Ciaran Jordan . 2023-10-13

MORE AT Google

Wonderful pub! Excellent entertainment!

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Teresa Bailey . 2023-10-12

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Superbe accueil d’Adrian au bar du plus vieux pub irlandais. Après avoir parlé avec lui, il nous a fait visiter les lieux de ce bâtiment chargé d’histoire. À refaire

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Franck B . 2023-09-25

MORE AT TripAdvisor

Enjoyed this place tremendously, wonderful people who are maintaining true Irish tradition, language, music and fun. Couldn’t have better.

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John Mullen . 2023-09-16

MORE AT Google

Bus tour was great, CIE Tours did extremely well on this stop!!! Local musicians did a jam session with wonderful Irish Folk music.

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Bufford Skipper . 2023-09-15

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We are a group of 40 people and what a cool place and the food was great especially feeding 40 of us. Local music with harps, violins etc fantastic sound.

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Chrstopher Baker . 2023-09-10

MORE AT TripAdvisor

Great old Pub, lLive Music weekend, sitting at the open fire possible

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Joerg Feigl . 2023-08-26

MORE AT Google

Enjoyed a really good Gin Tonic in front of a lovely fireplace! Defenetly worth a visit!

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Raphael Feigl . 2023-08-26

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What a fun place. Had a good meal and an excellent "session ". Music was fun!

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Kim Dilky . 2023-08-22

MORE AT Google

Bar man very helpful and informative. A special place full of charm and character

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Anna-marie Poyntz . 2023-08-11

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WOW what an interesting place! Apparently there are two ghosts 👻 Very friendly people especially barman Adrian😊

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Virginia Ford . 2023-08-10

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Worth the journey to experience this historical place and its lovely local people, we'll certainly be visiting again 😀

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Neil Keen . 2023-07-27

MORE AT Google

Brilliant atmosphere 👏 staff are lovely and really friendly

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Siobhan McLaughlin . 2023-07-24

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I’ve been to Ireland 5 times and the Crosskeys Inn is the finest Inn/Pub I’ve visited by far (and I’ve visited many). The family and staff that run it are amazing. It’s the oldest thatched roof Inn/Tavern in all of Ireland and the atmosphere is all you could ever hope for in an authentic Irish Pub! The live Traditional Music is the best I’ve experienced here on this beautiful island! I highly recommend this place to anyone!

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Mike . 2023-07-06

MORE AT TripAdvisor

We came here for a couple of drinks. Like stepping into a time machine. Lovely atmosphere and friendly staff.

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Emma Monaghan . 2023-07-05

MORE AT Google

Beautiful, quirky, traditional Irish pub.

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kevin hatton . 2023-06-05

MORE AT Google

I was here with colleagues, and some international visitors. We were in awe of the building and it's history, and the friendliness of the staff and locals, and of course the very talented musicians. We chatted to everyone and had a great laugh and sing along, and one of the musicians even allowed my colleague to show his skills with her fiddle. A great night had by all of us

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Dominic O . 2023-05-31

MORE AT TripAdvisor

Was a pleasure to visit the crosskeys on a recent visit to Ireland. This place is everything an Irish pub should be , being irelands oldest thatched pub. It is steeped in history from the minute you walk in. The barman was very helpful and friendly and showed us around and told us a bit about the incredible history of this ancient treasure. Amazing artefacts and pieces of history all over the walls. A couple of old coal fires, great music and even better guinness which was to die for. It was made even more special to know that my irish ancestors originated from the area and had probably drank in the pub many, many years ago. I would recommend anyone to visit this place if they have the chance.

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dannygraham901 . 2023-05-16

MORE AT TripAdvisor

Traditional pub decor, good atmosphere, friendly staff, handy parking and good food that's reasonably priced. Ticked all the boxes. The all day breakfast options are class!

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317clairej . 2023-05-15

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Lovely old pub with friendly proprietors!

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Carrie Johnson . 2023-05-06

MORE AT Google

Oldest thatch pub around! Stop in and hear local music played by fantastic artists from around the area! If you have a tour, they have a brand new event building tucked away in the back where they can serve meals and more!

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Stephen Gillmore . 2023-03-29

MORE AT Google

Fantastic atmosphere with some of the best pints in Ireland. Friendly staff and locals. Very good bar, traditional music sessions are a must see.

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K Mc . 2023-03-24

MORE AT Google

Old Irish bar, a lot of historical features

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Angel Love . 2023-03-16

MORE AT Google

The Oldest thatched pub in N Ireland warm and friendly greeting lots of charm and cozy rooms live music in the bar unfortunately too early in the day on our trip, would recommend a visit if you are in this part of N Ireland with stunning scenery what more could you want.

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Dave Horsfall . 2023-03-14

MORE AT Google

Quirky place with lots of history, but drinks are very expensive. £6.50 for two halves of Guiness-so take plenty of dosh with you if you want a session

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Ellie Gormley . 2023-01-15

MORE AT Google

I have been remiss in writing this review. Our first day in Ireland after driving from Dublin. Our Airbnb host recommended this place. However, when we got there, we found out they did not have food. They were so warm and hospitable. When we said we were going to go get something to eat, they said give us just a minute. The gentleman came back and said they still had some food from a wedding and we were welcome to it. How awesome is it to find a place that pulls you in like family. We got to listen to some good music and we got to have some good food and even wedding cake. I had always heard that the Irish treated you like family. I found this to be very true. What a great welcome to Ireland for first time visitors!

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Just M . 2023-01-05

MORE AT TripAdvisor

Excellent service in a country pub

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Jonny Mcbride . 2022-12-24

MORE AT Google

Great spot, fantastic meeting Liam Neeson having a pint.

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Con Scullion . 2022-12-13

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This is where my family came from and Bovill’s still live around there ..

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Ritchie Bov . 2022-11-10

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Samstag Abend schönste irische Hausmusik. Beste Simmung. Super gastfreundlich.

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T Peters . 2022-10-24

MORE AT Google

This place was awesome. The atmosphere, food, drinks and live music were just the Best. What a nice family of owners.

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Linda Scagel . 2022-10-14

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Crosskeys is a must visit if you're in the Belfast area. Authentic, super good hosts, great food, amazing entertainment. Don't miss it.

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Caren Agueda . 2022-10-09

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Fantastic pub with great staff and music

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Gerry Mulvenna . 2022-10-08

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Incredible music, wonderful staff, incredible place!

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Micah Dewing . 2022-10-07

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Best Guinness, great whisky, amazing place to just sit and ponder the world whilst listening to trad music

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Haze . 2022-10-04

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Our friend & AirBnB-host took us to this amazing pub where we enjoyed a taste of real Irish culture. The place has not changed for decades or even centuries. The atmosphere is very hospitable and traditional live music really was the finishing touch. Definitely would recommend to visit!

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Matjasmatjas . 2022-09-25

MORE AT TripAdvisor

Stopping at the Crosskeys Inn was one of the highlights of my trip. The authentic environment was amazing and the owners and locals embodied the friendly Irish spirit.

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All Seasons Adventures from the 732 . 2022-09-23

MORE AT Google

We visited this pub with our tour group for drinks, lunch, and terrific Irish entertainment. It's a beautiful, well kept, historic building, that shouldn't be missed. The owner and his daughter were so informative & friendly, and really made us feel welcome. I highly recommend that everyone that visits Northern Ireland should put the Crosskeys Inn on the top of their list!

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Vacationer803291 . 2022-09-14

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We visited with Colmn our host and this was the high light of our holiday to Ireland .Beautiful music and atmosphere. The bar ladies were very friendly and the customers . We hope to return to Ireland and the Crosskeys Inn . A lovely experience.

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cons969 . 2022-08-28

MORE AT TripAdvisor

Good food and drinks,nice friendly atmosphere and good Irish music

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dave Fisher . 2022-08-24

MORE AT Google

We love the Crosskeys Inn. Living in Belfast, and being from Northern Ireland we know a good pub when we’re in one. The Crosskeys is a friendly, warm and welcoming family run pub, serving possibly the best pint of Guinness on offer in Ireland. You would be a fool to not check it out when you’re in the area!

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BWoods16 . 2022-08-21

MORE AT TripAdvisor

We love the Crosskeys Inn. Living in Belfast, and being from Northern Ireland we know a good pub when we’re in one. The Crosskeys is a friendly, warm and welcoming family run pub, serving possibly the best pint of Guinness on offer in Ireland. You would be a fool to not check it out when you’re in the area!

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Ben Woods . 2022-08-21

MORE AT Google

Family were visiting and took them to this bar. The bar is beautiful but the owner behaves like a a control freak. He patrols the place like a bouncer. The whole atmosphere is tense and not enjoyable. You can’t make any noise at all and he is telling you to be quiet. It is a pub, people are going to make some noise. We only had one drink and left. Get a life, if you are that uptight and controlling of peoples fun , you shouldn’t be running a bar.

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Hull66 . 2022-08-20

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So much fun to be in a truly ancient inn with a thatched roof and cozy low ceilings. I enjoyed the owners personal attention and recounting of the history of the place. The music was an added plus. Wonderful place, so glad we were able to go there.

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Margitta Hanff Potts . 2022-08-15

MORE AT Google

Nice historical place 👌 good refreshments and friendly staff 👌

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Nobby DeBlue . 2022-08-12

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Tolles Pub, tolle Leute, sehr netter Chef, super Whisky- ein oder mehrere 😉 Besuche Wert!!!!!

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Alexandra (Yasinara) . 2022-08-06

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Great service, very welcoming! Fantastic olde world feel. This place has a special charm which is amplified by the very warm welcome received from the owner and staff. A highlight to our trip!

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lyndasL3884EL . 2022-07-17

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I recently traveled from Canada and had a small event hosted here. The owner/manager made the experience very unpleasant from the get go. Hovering over all guests and seemingly patrolling the area at all times. A very uncomfortable experience for what was supposed to be a fun family day.

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468aislingf . 2022-05-22

MORE AT TripAdvisor

Best Pint of Guinness this side of the border, fabulous bar staff don't pass it buy if you're in the locality.

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Dominic Rankin . 2022-05-10

MORE AT Google

Was over at the crosskeys inn for a special occasion visiting from philadelphia Pa. The place was a beautiful historic venue but the owner was a absolutely disrespectful/ungrateful. The inn is small and absolutely lovely but for the amount of people spending money at an establishment the owner was ignorant and ungrateful for peoples hard earned money. He was yelling at the kids who were outside the booked venue. Seems to me that the owner would only want to be a tourist attraction with the notion of you buy one beer ,get out and head to the next bar. Other then being harassed by rude owner everything else was grand!

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Eamonn Downey . 2022-05-03

MORE AT Google

Was over at the crosskeys inn for a special occasion visiting from philadelphia Pa. The place was a beautiful historic venue but the owner was a absolutely disrespectful/ungrateful. The inn is small and absolutely lovely but for the amount of people spending money at an establishment the owner was ignorant and ungrateful for peoples hard earned money. He was yelling at the kids who were outside the booked venue. Seems to me that the owner would only want to be a tourist attraction with the notion of you buy one beer ,get out and head to the next bar. Other then being harassed by rude owner everything else was grand!

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eamonnd5120 . 2022-05-03

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Visited with friends and whilst the bar is nice, the staff/management were very rude to us. Created a horrible atmosphere where you felt uneasy and unwanted in the bar. No customer service skills, not willing to go the extra mile at all. Even though the...

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I4881HJsuzanneb . 2022-05-02

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Excellent Guinness and a friendly welcome even though they had a private function occupying most of the pub.

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Nicky Plant . 2022-05-01

MORE AT Google

Had a nice cup of tea there and a lovely chat with the staff. Gorgeous, historically interesting old pub, super friendly staff and all set in the wonderful landscape of Antrim. Well worth a visit.

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Francis Mc Shane . 2022-04-04

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This is the perfect Irish Pub. The pub was established in 1654 and now run by a wonderful and friendly family. Just 30 minutes from Belfast and we’ll worth the trip. Absolutely LOVE this Pub.

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Cathy Saar . 2022-04-02

MORE AT Google

Awesome pub authentic peat fire

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Thomas Evancheck . 2022-03-22

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Perfect place for an Irish pub experience Get in touch with friendly staff before visit as often many things happening in this magical setting. Great place for a guinness and whiskey boilermaker 🥃🥃

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Belfast Hidden Tours . 2022-02-06

MORE AT Google

Love this place, log fire, nice pint of guinness, nice whiskeys and good craic, what more do u need 😁😁

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Stanley Sung . 2022-02-03

MORE AT Google

Came here with a few friends on a Saturday night. The staff were very welcoming and the traditional music was phenomenal. I definitely plan to come back!

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Traveller47389184729 . 2022-01-25

MORE AT TripAdvisor

Visited with friends at the weekend. Staff was very friendly and accommodating. We were told a lot about the history and the local area. We will be back!

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A3921NUmr . 2022-01-23

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Went too the crosskeys fir a few drinks with friends. The staff where ignorant and unhelpful, (especially a women with an American accent) so much so we decided too leave, never too return.

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Martbhoy198 . 2022-01-12

MORE AT TripAdvisor

absolutely ponged on bud in there 😍😍😍😍😍😘😘😘😘😘

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Billy Fallon . 2021-11-29

MORE AT Google

My wife and I really enjoyed the day the bar man was a fantastic host hade lots of times for us and showed us all around

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Colum Mulholland . 2021-10-18

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Owners are such friendly people! We really enjoyed our time here, beautiful place with such a fascinating history.

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Eli . 2021-10-10

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Wow that an amazing wee find! The place is stunning. Great location and absolutely stunning inside. The owners were absolutely 100% welcoming and attentive. We cannot recommend this place highly enough!!! We will be back with our friends and family!! Love this place.

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444lynnettef . 2021-08-21

MORE AT TripAdvisor

Best night's traditional music in great company

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Joan . 2021-08-15

MORE AT Google

Incredible little gem of authentic Northern Irish charm and culture. But please, mind your head!

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Fraser J Walker . 2021-08-13

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Perfect atmosphere well worth a visit

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AJA Gibson . 2021-07-15

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Such great service, amazing history and the team have so much knowledge to share - thanks for having us

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Rachel . 2021-06-08

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We were given the warmest welcome I have ever received when entering a pub. It is completely enveloped by history and Irish culture. The landlord and her daughter could not do enough for us. I enjoyed the best Irish coffee ever! Thank you, we will...

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egeorge2016 . 2020-10-12

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myself and the wife travelled here on the recommendation from a guy i met at grogans bar in dublin. when we arrived the owner's wife sat us beside a turf fire and served us our drinks, she then asked us if we would like a...

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markjT4688KN . 2020-10-11

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Beautifully quaint. Lovely country pub 🍻

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Katrina McAdams . 2020-09-01

MORE AT Google

Real Ulster heritage Bar. Not only is it the oldest thatch roof pub but it also has great irish music nights. Traditional and off the cuff

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Michael Smith . 2020-03-07

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Friendly people great atmosphere

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Sean Mallon . 2020-02-25

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This place was amazing! The owners personally came and chatted with us. Atmosphere was so warm and cozy. It's a place a family could come to or a night out with your friends. A must visit for anyone in the area.

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Mcmandigigs108 . 2020-01-31

MORE AT Google

Transitional Irish pub. Music sessions at weekends. Well worth a visit.

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william mckibbin . 2020-01-14

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Absolutely stunning location for a really special break and first-class friendly staff. We enjoyed the spa. It was a little crowded on the weekend days, but not unpleasantly, so - there was still space in the hot tubs and saunas. We booked a private riverside hot tub for an hour, and I would absolutely recommend that. Sitting watching a heron fishing in the river while drinking a cocktail is really very cool. I would really recommend visiting on a weekday, though, to get the most. The spa cafe (Elements) is lovely, and the cake was delicious. There are enough different saunas and sitting areas, and hot tuns and pools that it is easy to spend a few hours a day in there and not get bored. We also had a golf lesson with Barry, and he was absolutely fantastic - really helpful and insightful and definitely improved both of our games. The TopTracer driving range is brilliant fun - if you have never used one before, it transforms your time at the range - definitely worth some time. The restaurants are very good, not quite gourmet, but good food, clearly carefully prepared and well presented. It's mostly simple but quite delicious. The highlight for us was the steak at the Castle (restaurant at the golf course). One criticism would be the wine selections - unless you want to drink an entire bottle, the selection is a bit uninspiring. The room was comfortable and clean, we had a river view, which i would definitely recommend the upgrade for. Unfortunately our shower drain wasn't very effective and there was a very slight damp smell in the bathroom. The final recommendation would have to be the afternoon tea - especially if you have a sweet tooth. The savoury items were much more creatively thought out than your standard finger sandwiches and the cakes were a delight. My only criticism was the balance, I could have done with one or two less cakes and one or two more savouries- but then I suppose an afternoon tea isn't supposed to be about the savouries. Overall- if you are looking for somewhere to take someone special I can't recommend it enough.