An Beal Bocht Cafe

➜ From the outside, The Punch Bowl (5820 Broadway at 238th St, Bronx; 718-884-7322, punchbowlnyc.com) appears to be a dive. The inside confirms it. Paper shamrocks from St. Patrick’s Days past line the walls, and the bar top shows signs of more than a few thousand pint glasses. Slide up next to a local barfly and listen to righteous tales from the old country.

➜ Rose, the Punch Bowl’s barkeep, regularly hikes up the steep staircase at the western end of 238th Street to enjoy a crock of hardy Irish stew and a pint of Guinness at An Beal Bocht Café (445 W 238th St between Greystone and Waldo Aves; 718-884-7127, anbealbochtcafe.com). On Sunday nights, traditional Irish music will make you forget you’re not in Galway.

➜ Catching a game of rugby at Gaelic Park (4000 Corlear Ave at 240th St, 718-548-0009) is one of An Beal Bocht Café manager Bernie’s choice pastimes. Manhattan College uses the pitch for its games, but so do local teams—and many draw a large crowd of supporters. Of course, the adjoining boozery with its famously long bar (seriously, it runs the length of the room) draws a few fans itself.

NEXT STOP: A to Ozone Park–Lefferts Blvd