It was in 1997 when I visited Ireland for the first time. I was 30 years old then, and had lived in metropolitan cities (Chicago, Providence) for most of my adult life.

Even then, I was fairly well traveled for my age: three continents, 40+ states. And, like many 30-year-olds, I was well acquainted with local nightlife, its various charms and debaucheries, and especially, its demographics.

Through years of travel for business or pleasure, I had come to the realization that most bars (or pubs or haunts or dives or whatever colloquialism you prefer) aimed at a certain clientele. That customer base varied by the place, but in general, there were the bars and clubs for the younger crowd, the pubs for the middle aged, and the lounges for the older set.

Every so often, of course, we “young ones” might venture into the territory of our elders, be it out of curiosity or convenience. Likewise, the “parents” might wander into the joints that were typically the provenance of the college crowd – on football game days or alumni weekends, for instance. But for the most part, each generation generally stuck to its own designated spots.

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