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Irish in Sydney: Where to Find Your People (Pubs, GAA, Trad and Events, 2026)

By: Author Stephen Palmer

Posted on Last updated:

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The first week in Sydney is great craic. Then the jet lag wears off, your housemates are on night shifts, and you’d love a pint with someone who knows where Mullingar is.

The good news is that the Irish community here is well organised and easy to find once you know where to look. This guide covers the pubs, GAA clubs, trad sessions, events and Irish-recommended businesses, plus where to get help if things get tough. Only just landed? Sort the basics first with our first week in Australia checklist.

Short version

  • Join the Irish Around Sydney Facebook group (157,000+ members) for rooms, jobs, recommendations and meet-ups.
  • Check the events calendar for trad sessions, GAA socials, gigs and community nights.
  • Find a tradie, mechanic or hairdresser in the business directory.
  • Want to play? Message one of the NSW GAA clubs below.
  • Struggling? The Irish Support Agency is on 1800 186 966.

Join the community

The Irish Around Sydney Facebook group is where most people start. As of October 2026 it has more than 157,000 members and close to 5,000 posts a month: rooms to rent, jobs, lifts to the airport, “anyone know a good dentist?” and people looking for a five-a-side team.

Search before you post, since your question was probably asked last week, and read the rules before posting about a business. If you’re new, say so. Everyone in there was new once.

Heading to another city later? Here’s our list of Irish groups in Australia.

Irish history on your doorstep

The Irish Famine Memorial at Hyde Park Barracks on Macquarie Street remembers the more than 4,000 young women, most of them orphaned teenagers from Irish workhouses, who came to Australia under the Earl Grey Scheme between 1848 and 1850. A commemoration is held there every year, and it’s worth a quiet visit any time.

Irish pubs

All of these were checked as trading in October 2026. Hours change, so check the venue’s own site before you go.

City and The Rocks

  • P.J. O’Brien’s, 57 King St, Sydney. Classic city Irish pub with live music Wednesday to Sunday.
  • The Mercantile, 25 George St, The Rocks. Reopened in March 2026 after a long renovation, now with a rooftop bar facing the Harbour Bridge.
  • Frank Mac’s, 83 George St, The Rocks. Gin bar styled like an old Irish general store, with trad sessions and cúpla focal nights on its programme.
  • The Doss House, 77-79 George St, The Rocks. Underground whiskey bar a few doors down.
  • Maloney’s Hotel, 81 Goulburn St (corner of Pitt St), Sydney. A pub, not a hotel, despite the name. Open late.
  • Scruffy Murphy’s, 43-57 Goulburn St, Haymarket. Three levels, very late hours, and GAA among the sport on the screens.

Inner suburbs

  • The Gaelic Club, 1/64 Devonshire St, Surry Hills. Irish club with a bar, dance floor and the Friday trad session.
  • The Trinity (Trinity Bar), 505 Crown St, Surry Hills. Irish pub and sports bar with a rooftop bar, Tilly May’s.
  • Kelly’s on King, 285 King St, Newtown. Late-night Irish pub with live music, karaoke, pool and a spice bag on the menu.
  • The Green Room Broadway. Sunday lunch and a trad session from 2pm.

East and north

  • Tea Gardens Hotel, 2-4 Bronte Rd, Bondi Junction. Big heritage pub that has been a favourite with the Bondi Junction Irish for decades.
  • Jimmy’s Bar and Restaurant, 50 Frenchmans Rd, Randwick. Irish bar and restaurant run by Ezanda and Sean Queally.
  • The Dubliner, 350 Military Rd, Cremorne. Cosy Irish pub opened in 2022, with Guinness on tap and pizzas. Closed Mondays.
  • Rag & Famish Hotel, 199 Miller St, North Sydney. Heritage pub rather than an Irish pub, but with live sport and an Irish spice bag on the specials.

West and further afield

  • Penrith Gaels Irish Club, 75 Richmond Rd, Kingswood. The Shamrock bistro, live music, darts and Irish classes.
  • O’Donoghues, 99 Great Western Hwy, Emu Plains. More of a big local pub than an Irish bar these days, but handy out west.
  • Dicey Riley’s, 329-333 Crown St, Wollongong, and The Northern Star Hotel, 112 Beaumont St, Hamilton, Newcastle, if you’re down the coast or up the Hunter.

The business directory lists more pubs and bars recommended by the group, from Parramatta to Rouse Hill.

GAA and sport

A GAA club is one of the easiest ways to make friends here, even if you haven’t kicked a ball since school. Clubs run football, hurling and camogie, and the social side is half the point.

These are the New South Wales clubs listed by the Australasia GAA:

The 2026 NSW finals were played in Blacktown on 9 August, so now is a good time to get in touch before pre-season. Cormac McAnallen’s, for example, start training again on Tuesday 12 January 2027 at Booralee Park, Botany, and welcome new players of all levels.

Irish events this season

All of these are on the Irish Around Sydney events calendar, updated as new events come in. Click through for times and tickets.

Every week

Coming up

Further ahead: Laneway with Fontaines D.C. (12 February 2027), Niall Horan (16 February), Celtic Thunder (19 March) and The Mary Wallopers (21 May).

Irish businesses and services

The Irish Around Sydney business directory has more than 300 listings, recommended by members in the group’s weekly business posts. Search by name or suburb, or filter by category. A few to get you started, from their listings:

  • Lets Bundle: a marketplace connecting people arriving in Sydney who need to furnish a place with people leaving who need to sell.
  • Royston Finance: finance brokers founded by migrants, for migrants, with access to 30+ lenders.
  • ARC Staff: labour hire and recruitment for industrial, office, property and event work.
  • DG Auto Electrical & Mechanical (Marrickville): Irish mechanic and auto electrician with 18+ years in the trade, pink and blue slips included.
  • Five Star Auto (Hillsdale): repair workshop with 10% off servicing for members.
  • Ivory Dental Co (Maroubra): family dental practice.
  • Ali Fit Coaching (online): an Irish coach who builds training and nutrition plans around your life.
  • Murnane Carpentry & Constructions: renovations, second-storey additions and carpentry in the Eastern Suburbs, Inner West and Lower North Shore.
  • The Lost Backpackers (Bondi Junction): Irish session band for pubs, parties and pop-up shows.

Looking for work? Live jobs go up on the Irish Around Oz job board. And before you sign a lease, read our cost of living in Australia guide.

Support if you’re struggling

Moving to the other side of the world is hard, and plenty of people find the first few months tougher than they expected. You don’t have to sort it out on your own.

  • Irish Support Agency, based in Surry Hills (the team mostly works remotely, so ring or email first). Welfare support, mental health workshops and referrals, help with Australian health and legal systems, and seniors programs. Phone 1800 186 966 (9am to 5pm weekdays, with an on-call emergency service 10am to 1pm at weekends) or email [email protected].
  • Lifeline: 13 11 14, any time of the day or night.
  • Emergency: call 000.

For businesses: get listed

Run a business in Sydney? A listing in the Irish Around Sydney directory is free, and free listings stay free. Running an event? Gigs, GAA, comedy, trad sessions and community nights go on the calendar for free through add your event.

For more reach, Irish Around Sydney Premium (AU$59 a month) puts you at the top of the directory with a Premium badge and member offer, and lets you post promotions straight into the Facebook group, pre-approved.

☘️ List your business free

Add your business to the Irish Around Sydney directory and get in front of the Irish community in Sydney. No cost, no catch.

Add your business →

Spotted a pub that’s closed, or a club we missed? Tell us in the Irish Around Sydney group.

Last checked October 2026.

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