Irish Pubs are recognised across the world as centres of fun and entertainment. Within their walls locals, expats and tourists are always sure of conversation and laughter in great company. This is particularly true on St. Patricks Day as Irish people everywhere celebrate their patron saint. The problem for those away from home has always been finding the Irish pubs in the town they are visiting. The Irish Pubs Directory helps solve this problem by providing visitors to its website at a comprehensive list of Irish Pubs around the world. The information is categorised by city and includes information provided by the pubs themselves as well as reviews and ratings provided by previous visitors.
While easily accessible on the web site, most people will probably not have access to access the web at the moment they’re looking for a pub. It was with this audience in mind that The Irish Pubs Directory decided to develop uniquely portable editions. The first fruit of this effort was a PDA version released earlier this year. This made it possible for anybody with a PocketPC or PalmOS device to instantly check for a good Irish pub no matter what town they found themselves in. Now the same service is available to the millions of iPod owners.
The Irish Pubs Directory iPod Edition makes use of the Notes feature of the iPod to make the listings both readable and easy to browse. All the user has to do is select the country and town they are visiting to be presented with a list of Irish bars in that location along with a rating provided by independent users of the web site. By selecting an individual premises the user can go on to see more detailed ratings. And, if the pub has chosen to provide them, there are also a description and contact details. All the information is extracted directly from the Irish Pubs Directory web site and is a growing resource, created by the visitors and pub owners themselves.
Speaking in Cork about the new iPod Edition, the Chief Executive of The Irish Pubs Directory, Brian O’Connell said how delighted he was to be able to bring this to the public. “With the release of this service we not only benefit travellers - who can carry a worldwide list at their fingertips, but also the pubs who can now reach a mobile, affluent audience at the exact moment they are choosing an Irish pub to visit. And this advertising is available for free simply by entering their details on The Irish Pubs Directory web site.”