You'll like this pub, in short. It is great atmosphere, dark enough, but not pitch black. I enjoy coming to Tir na nOg as a meeting place to catch up with good friends to have a drink and good food, which are essentially my requirements for a fun evening.Now for a quick history lesson about Tir Na Nog. A clan of the most skilled hunters in Ireland, Fianna, were hunting in Killarney. Ossian, part of the group and great soldier and poet, saw a beautiful woman on a white horse approaching. The lady was Niamh, from Tir na nOg. She informed the clan that she came to the mortals because she had fallen in love with Ossian and wanted him to return to her fanciful world of castles, kingdoms, horses, etc. She also promised him that time would stand still, bliss was eternal, and he would never age.
Now, to the food. I have tried the Boxty (bac-stai) and it's great. Boxty is a traditional Irish pancake stuffed with your choice of fillings. I always choose the Donegal, marinated portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and herb cream cheese. It's tasty, but not overpowering.
I've also had the spinach & artichoke dip. It's not any different from what you've probably had elsewhere, but a good appetizer anyway. And I like that the restaurant offers items that are not "very Irish." One of the staff told me that they realized early on that the pub wouldn't do well if they relied heavily on just Irish foods. So it's a good mix and you don't have to fear that you "don't like Irish food."
The salads are good--I hear from others in my group--but I didn't have one. They offer spinach, Caesar, salmon, fried oyster, and teriyaki chicken salads. You can also order soups and choose from cream of potato, soup of the day, or French onion.
Sandwiches include The Immigrant--grilled marinated whole chicken breast served on a kaiser with bacon, lettuce, tomato, with a Mary Rose sauce. Sorry I can't help you with any of the non-vegetarian dishes. You can also get a corned beef sandwich, grilled reuben, angus burger, or sliced steak.
Traditional Irish foods include shepherd's pie, fish and chips, Irish beef stew, corned beef and cabbage. Again, another Raleigh restaurant passes my stringent test of satisfying vegetarians. They offer a good selection from which to choose--pasta, chef's vegetarian special (the day's selection), the Donegal, penne pomodoro. And desserts are necessary to sweeten up your taste buds afterwards.
Tir na nOg offers live Irish music and regional bands monthly. They also have a Sunday brunch buffet ($10.95 at last check), complete with a "make your own" Bloody Mary Bar, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Check out their Web site, http://www.tirnanogirishpub.com for more info.