Moylough and Milltown pubs win regional awards

TWO North East Galway pubs have won Connacht titles in their respective categories in the Irish Pub Awards 2026.

O’Boyle’s of Laught in Moylough has been named as the Best Local Pub in Connacht, while Sheridan’s Bar and Restaurant in Milltown has picked up the regional award for Innovative Pub of the Year.

The two pubs will have a chance at being crowned national champions in those categories at the Irish Pub Awards gala dinner on November 18 at The Mansion House in Dublin.

“We’ll get a bus load going up to the awards. It will be a night out with the staff,” said Cathal Sheridan, proprietor of Sheridan’s Bar and Restaurant.

“We won it for the golf simulator we have in the pub. It was my daughter Cora’s idea. She came home from America with the idea.

“It’s doing something different trying to attract customers. People are coming into the premises to play the golf simulator, and they’re coming to eat on Sundays. We find now that we’re getting more christenings and communions from people who have started coming here because of the golf simulator.”

Sean O’Boyle is the fifth generation of his family to stand behind the counter of O’Boyle’s pub near Moylough village.

“It’s nice to carry on the business and continue the hard work of my parents, Pat and Dympna, before me,” said Sean O’Boyle, who runs the pub with his wife Dalva.

“We’re delighted to have won the award. It’s thanks to the hard work of the staff. The pub is a community pub.

“We’ve had good support from the community over the last four years since we took the pub over. It’s offering another choice for people if they want to go for a drink.”