McCarthy’s Irish Bar

On South Upper Street, a short walk from the old courthouse plaza, McCarthy’s sits in a downtown district where offices, historic buildings, restaurants, and the University of Kentucky’s activity meet. The Lexington Celtic Association includes it among the city’s Irish pubs and describes a schedule built around Gaelic sport: it shows GAA and rugby matches and may open early when fixtures fall at unusual hours. The pub also advertises seasonal celebrations and private gatherings without a room-hire fee, useful for groups looking to meet in a pub setting rather than reserve a formal event space.

Google feedback for this address includes favorable mentions of Irish beers on draft, including Guinness and Magners, attentive bartenders, and a rear patio divided into cabana-style areas. Reviews describe a lively room, particularly on weekend nights and during matches; we did not find a current full menu in the institutional source checked, so we do not list dishes or prices. A practical step is to check the pub’s linked page for the match calendar and confirm any early opening announced for a particular fixture.

The association lists 117 S Upper Street and the phone number 859-258-2181; the public Google listing shows daily hours from 11 a.m. until 2:30 a.m. LexPark’s public garages, including Courthouse Garage, provide a downtown parking option for drivers, although availability changes on event nights. Visitors who want more than one pub can make the short walk toward North Limestone and include Molly Brooke’s, without treating the two venues as next-door neighbors. The best time depends on the plan: midday for a quieter pint or early match, later evening for the social and sports atmosphere described in reviews.

Use the local Irish-pub guide to choose a stop and check current details before heading out: read the Lexington guide.