McNickels

This is much more than the Irish version of the popular “Quarters” game (where drunks try and bounce dirty coins into perfectly good glasses of alcohol). In this version, if you bounce your nickel into the glass you actually drink the nickel too. And in this case it pays to win, because if you hork it all up… you get enough change for another drink! Genius!

Fisty Kisses

Up to five people can play and the rules are real easy. Everyone applies a heavy coat of lipstick (men included) and drinks from a communal pitcher in a clockwise fashion. The last person to get the pitcher pretends to be angry and yells, “Hey! There’s lipstick on my glass! Who did this?!” The first person to laugh gets punched in the mouth. Socko!

Seamus Heaney Trivia

One person is designated “Quizzer,” the rest are “Quizzees.” There are twenty questions per round, twelve rounds per game. After the Quizzer has asked a question, the first Quizzee to consume an entire beer and then answer correctly wins another beer. Anyone who guesses incorrectly is designated an intellectual inferior and asked to leave. Anyone who professes ignorance of Seamus Heaney or his poetry is asked to leave. Anyone who pronounces his name “See-muss” is ridiculed… then asked to leave. In the event that only two players remain (Quizzer and Quizzee), a lightning round of Indian leg-wrestling will determine the winner. Complicated!

Bono O’ Bingo

This game is exactly like Bingo, except when you win, you yell “Bono!”… and take a drink. Lame!

Blarney Ball

Bring a green softball to your favorite drinking spot. Keep drinking until you have the courage to throw the ball at somebody. Head shots are worth 100 points. Bar mirrors are worth 1000 points. And off-duty police officers will get you 5000 points. Whoops!

The Belfast and The Furious

After drinking heavily, challenge someone to a one block “drag race” in the street. But instead of using a car, you race on foot. If you’re a man, you must borrow a pair of high heels. Action-packed! See Also: “Too Belfast, Too Furious” and “The Belfast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift.”

Shamrock Paper Scissors

Now that I think about it, this Irish variation of “Rock Paper Scissors” was invented by the IRA and is actually more of an interrogation technique than a drinking game. Sorry.

Leprechaun Lawn Bowling

This game is exactly like “Midget Bowling” except the designated little person is dressed in all green and you have to toss them on the grass. Instead of bowling pins, your goal is to knock over bird fountains, mail boxes and yard gnomes. The game is easy, but finding a midget may take some time. Using children instead is discouraged. Magically delicious!

Colin Farrell vs. Liam Neeson

Best played in the parking lot after last call. One player is Farrell, the other is Neeson. No eye gouging, groin shots or sharp objects. Accents must be utilized at all times. Last player conscious is the winner. Bloody hell!

Pot O’ Gold

This game is best played at home with several friends. At the beginning of the night, one of the house toilets is designated as a “Number One Only/Non Flush” toilet. Consume drinks as normal, celebrate and urinate frequently. At the stroke of midnight, the partygoers meet at an agreed upon location to vote on the most annoying person of the night. That person’s keys are thrown into the toilet. Hilarious!

Fobber Me Shupshaw!

The classic Irish nonsense game! Two players sit at a bar and take turns consuming alcoholic beverages. Once both have downed four apiece, they begin arguing about sports and politics. The arguments continue, growing more heated as the empty bottles pile up. By the tenth round, each is listening closely to the drunken babbling of the other because as soon as one utters the phrase, “Fobber Me Shupshaw,” he or she is forced to pick up the tab for the evening. In the event of a Vomit Forfeit or Blackout Foul, a tie is declared. Exciting!

Angela’s Ashes

Stay home and rent the movie “Angela’s Ashes.” Watch it with some close friends and a bottle of Irish whiskey. Every time a poor, hungry child cries, you drink. Angsty!

Circle of Death/King's Cup (3+ People)

Items: Deck of cards, cup of booze or beer

Circle of Death (or King's Cup) is an easy-to-play drinking card game with various regional differences. Here you will find the version played in New York City. All you need is a deck of cards and booze. To set up the game you will need a full deck of cards, without the jokers, and either a cup full of anything alcoholic or a can of beer. Put the beer or drink in the center of the table and arrange the cards face-down around it. Decide who goes first and start drawing cards.

Here are what the cards mean (remember, this is regional): 2 - "Two for you" - Give out two drinks 3 - "Three for me" - Take three drinks 4 - "Whores" - Girls drink 5 - "Bust a jive" - Do a dance move, the next person then does that dance move and adds to it, and so on. The dance moves keep going until somebody can't execute them in the correct order. That person drinks. 6 - "Dicks" - Guys drink 7 - "Heaven" - Everybody reaches to the sky immediately. Last person to do so drinks. 8 - "Pick a date" - Pick somebody to drink with you. Every time you screw up or have to drink, they have to drink, too. But if they drink, you don't have to (unless you both are "dating" each other.) 9 - "Bust a rhyme" - The person who draws a card says a word to rhyme.

Orange, purple, and silver (and any other non-rhyming English words) are illegal. The people then go around in order trying to rhyme with that word. No repeats. If someone can't think of a rhyme or accidentally repeats, they drink. Note: For more advanced people, rhythm can be kept. 10 - "Categories" - The person who draws the card picks a category, like "farm animals" or "brands of cereal." The people then go around in the circle naming things within this category. No repeats. If someone repeats or can't think of something to contribute, they drink.

Jack - "Never have I ever" - Everybody puts up five fingers. The person who drew the card says something they've never done, and anybody who has done it has to put a finger down. It can be as dirty or as clean as you like. The person who loses all five fingers first drinks. Queen - "Question master" - This person is now the question master. Until the next queen is drawn, this person can ask anyone a question. If they fail to answer the question with a question, they drink. King - "Make a rule" - A rule is made that lasts until the end of the game. Rules can be compounding, so after all four kings are played, there will be four rules. Anytime a rule is broken, and a person gets called on it, they have to drink. Ace- "Waterfall" - Everybody drinks until the person who drew the card stops drinking. The last person to draw "Waterfall" has to drink the cup or beer at the center of the cards.

Shot Potato

Put on some Dropkick Murphys, grab yourself a god damn potato. Dub the shortest person in your group of friends as the Lucky Charm DJ, and have him control the music. Sit in a circle or however the hell you want with your buddies, and start throwing the potato around. When the music stops, the person holding the potato takes a shot. No one gets eliminated, so as the game goes on institute a new rule: if someone fumbles and drops the potato, they take a shot regardless of the music.

Irish Poker

My personal favorite Irish drinking game, also called Up and Down The River if you’re a huge pussy. Again, dub the shortest person in your group the Lucky Charm and they’re now officially the dealer. The game pretty much is divided into rounds. On round one, the dealer asks each person to guess whether their card will be red or black, then deals them that card. If they’re correct, they give out two drinks. They can split em up, or ideally, start colluding with your buddies and gang up on one person. If you’re incorrect, you take two drinks yourself.

In round two: The dealer asks you to guess if the next card delt to you will be higher or lower than your first card from round one. This is worth four drinks.

In round three: The dealer asks you to guess if the card will be outside or in-between the value of the first two cards. This is worth six drinks.

In round four: the dealer asks each person which suit the card will be. This is worth eight drinks.

After, the dealer puts 2 rows of four cards face down on the table, and you go “up and down the river:” one row is to “give out” drinks, the other is to take them yourself. The dealer flips over the cards one by one, and you either give out or take drinks if you have the card that was flipped. If you’re a real badass, each card follows the rules for number of drinks: first card flipped = 2 drinks, next = 4, third card = 6, and fourth and final in each row = 8. Needless to say, this game fucks you up.

Heany Questions

Just played this one for the first time last week, and it’s more of a spin on a traditional Irish Drinking Game. It’s best when you have a decent amount of people to play with. You first start by making sure everyone knows who Seamus Heaney is. Anyone who doesn’t know should be publicly shamed or asked to leave the party. Next, to actually start the game, pick out one Chief. The rest of the people are the Minions. To set up, there are twenty questions per round, and twelve rounds in a game. After the Chief has asked the first question, the first Minion to chug an entire beer then answer the question correctly wins another beer. If you answer incorrectly, you’re out. Keep going until it’s down to the Chief vs the Last Minion Standing, and do either a lightning round of trivia, or a game of Beer Pong to decide the winner.

Chase The Leprechaun

This one has to be sneaky. When you’re with your buddies drinking, randomly spring this game on everyone. Politely ask the shortest person you know to put on something green: a hat, shirt, etc. Then just drop the bomb that the game is called “chase the leprechaun” and watch him lose his shit. First person to tackle the leprechaun gets to chug a beer.

Irish Dodgeball

Irish dodgeball is a great Irish Drinking Game for day drinking. Head outside, and bring something green, like any sort of green ball (as long as it’s hard), or a green frisbee if you’re an asshole. Also bring a 30 pack of some sort. Drink up until you feel the urge to throw the ball as hard as you can. Designate a point system based off of the following template:

Hitting a person = 30 points
Head shot = 100 points
Anything that breaks = 50 points
Cop Car = winner (then run)