Visiting an Irish pub is like stepping into James Joyce's Ulysses without dealing with molemen, teenage detectives, and heavy-handed NASCAR references. Read the CliffsNotes with today's Groupon: for $15, you get $30 worth of authentic Irish fare and drinks at Fionn MacCool's Irish Pub, located in Jacksonville Beach.

A lively, friendly atmosphere underscores the Irish flavor at Fionn MacCool's, which is located just 100 feet from the beach. Topping an expansive menu of domestic and Emerald Isle–inspired delights is pub grub such as the savory ha'penny boxty ($9.99), a potato-pancake pillow stuffed with comforts of tender corned beef, buttered cabbage, and mustard-cream sauce. Sit atop the comfy pub furnishings, some of which are imported from Ireland, and corral your appetite into a conveniently placed pen with the shepherd's pie ($9.99 pub-grub menu, $10.95 entree), a hodgepodge of precious minced sirloin beef with baked veggies (carrots, onions, celery, and peas), crust, and tangy gravy. Alternatively, fully digest the pleasing, percussive potato-sausage rhythms of the bangers and mash ($9.99 pub-grub menu, $10.95 entree).

The spacious interior at Fionn MacCool's is dappled in dark hues and Celtic decorative touches for an extra dose of Emerald Isle sensations. Swim along with the conversational crowd and affable bartenders, who serve up tongue-loosening libations such as Irish coffee and a cache of wines in addition to draught Guinness and bottled Killian's. Live entertainers, including dancers and musicians, strike chords and cut rugs within MacCool's amber-colored walls nearly every night of the week.

Reviews

CityVoters named Fionn MacCool’s Irish Pub and Restaurant the second-best Irish pub of 2008. Yelpers give the restaurant an average of 3.5 stars, and four TripAdvisors give it an average of four owl eyes:

• This pub is awesome. Great food, great atmosphere, awesome service, great bands!! – tlm512, CityVoter
• This pub is warm and cozy inside and family friendly. We found it walking back to our car from the beach. Our server was great and the food was fabulous. You have to try the boxtie [sic] wedges (little potato pancakes that are fried like tortilla chips) with cheese dip; they are divine! Great little find among all the touristy funk – FloridianTreeHugger, TripAdvisor