By Fritz Hahn
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, March 17, 2006; WE05

On St. Patrick's Day, it's worth remembering that there are several dozen Irish (or Irish-themed) pubs in the Washington area, but have you ever noticed that they tend to stick together? Nanny O'Brien's and Four Green Fields sit across the street from each other in Cleveland Park, while the Dubliner and Kelly's Irish Times are side by side on Capitol Hill. There are pairs in Bethesda, Sterling, Foggy Bottom and around Verizon Center, too.

The area's highest concentration of Irish bars is in Arlington, along a stretch of Wilson Boulevard between the Court House and Clarendon Metro stops. Four Irish pubs sit a little less than a mile apart, making this the area's little Dublin. (Before you knock the name, remember that we continue to insist one block of restaurants, shops and an arch is equal to a Chinatown.) When Jimmy Fagan opened Ireland's Four Courts in March 1996 -- taking over from a pub called Tommy O'Carroll's -- it was the only "Irish" pub in the neighborhood. It remained that way until November 2004, when three partners launched Molly Malone's. A few months later, Danny McFadden split off from Molly's to create his own place, Kitty O'Shea's, a few blocks away. And last week, Ri-Ra, which owns seven pubs between Charlotte and Portland, Maine, lifted the curtains on its newest branch, which occupies the former Virginia Hardware store.

So how to tell them apart? Here's a guide to the pubs of Arlington, focusing on the essentials: pints, brogues and the all-important pub quiz.

2051 Wilson Blvd.; 703-525-3600

How much does a Guinness cost? $5.50; $4.50 at happy hour (4 to 7 Monday-Friday).

Is it poured properly? Yes, in a two-step process every time. One of the best pints around.

When is the pub quiz? Mondays at 7:30.

Does the staff have accents? Yes.

The Four Courts is a comfortable Irish American pub that provides the basics: forest green walls, Guinness posters and stained wood furniture; pints poured by staff with the melodious inflections of Derry, Cork or Dublin; a stone fireplace; a guy with a guitar singing tales of freedom and missing the old country.

Owner Fagan was a manager at the Dubliner downtown, and his experience shows. Pints are professionally poured, though the bartenders can seem a bit hurried. There's plenty of room to stand around and chat with your mates -- in addition to the bar, which is separated from the dining room by a high partition, there's a large area near the front window with barstools and counter space.

The pace is slower on weekends, when you'll see regulars sipping their drinks from pewter tankards, and the specials include "pie and a pint" Sundays, where the nicely cooked shepherd's pie and beef and Guinness pie are $4.95 with the purchase of a beer.

Two years ago, Four Courts expanded into a storefront next door to create the James Joyce Room -- a smoke-free space with its own bar (including flat-screen TVs) and dining area. It's closer to an authentic Dublin pub experience than most in Virginia -- after all, the Irish government instituted a comprehensive smoking ban in March 2004.

3209 Washington Blvd.; 703-812-0939

Guinness? $5.50. (Prices vary at happy hour, which is 4 to 9 Monday-Friday.)

The pour? Depends on the bartender.

Quiz? Wednesdays at 8:30.

Accents? Not a one, though I heard a few on my side of the bar.

If you're not Catholic, this may not mean much, but Molly's was the only place where I saw a posted notice from the bishop of Arlington reminding all Roman Catholics that, although they're not allowed to eat meat on Fridays during Lent, a special dispensation is allowed on St. Patrick's Day if they choose to forgo meat another day that week.

Somehow, that feels appropriate in a community pub owned by a couple of guys from Donegal. Molly's, named after the legendary (and most likely fictional) Dublin fishmonger, draws a crowd of neighborhood regulars, sprinkled through with a number of expats.

A thatched roof and old-fashioned windows help Molly's look the part from outside. Inside, attractive light fixtures and a long, shelf-like drink rail that allows patrons to congregate away from the busy bar help compensate for the silly, faux-stone archway and the generally bland decor. More than half the space is restaurant seating.

Service can occasionally be brusque, but Molly's isn't a bad place to grab a drink after work, thanks to happy hours that run until 9 and daily specials that include such deals as $4 pints (Friday) and half-price burgers (Monday).

2403 Wilson Blvd.; 703-522-5295

Guinness? $5.50.

The pour? Depends on the bartender, but usually well done.

Quiz? Wednesdays at 8.

Accents? No.

As far as I can tell, Kitty O'Shea's is the only place in the Washington area billing itself as an "Irish Sports Bar." Although there are signs inviting patrons to watch the NCAA tournament here, more fans turn out early on Saturday and Sunday mornings to watch English soccer.

Kitty's, which took the place of the neighborhood tavern Joseph's last summer, is downright basic: one small room with TVs in every corner and a few more by the bar, Guinness on draft and a Glasgow Celtic soccer scarf hung over the doorway. There are seats at the bar, at a couple of high tables hugging one mustard-colored wall and at a few low booths.

After work, you'll find young couples enjoying the sidewalk patio and an older blue-collar crowd that stuck around after Joseph's went out of business. Nothing here is going to wow you, but Kitty's does have a friendly staff I'd be happy to see again.

2915 Wilson Blvd.; 703-248-9888

Guinness? $5.50, or $3.75 for an imperial pint 4 to 7 Monday-Friday.

The pour? Excellent, with shamrocks and designs drawn in the foamy head.

Quiz? Tuesdays at 8:30.

Accents? Almost everyone. "Most of the staff has come over from Ireland," boasted one bartender.

Clarendon's newest bar -- Irish or not -- held its official grand opening party last week. Taking the place of the old Virginia Hardware, Ri-Ra is much larger inside than it looks from the street, an enormous space with walls climbing to two levels.

It has the feeling of a grand Victorian pub mixed with a more formal restaurant, thanks to the dark, wood-paneled walls, decorated with framed black-and-white photographs and advertisements, long banquettes and a sizeable, century-old bar in the rear. Near the ceiling are paintings that seem inspired by the pre-Raphaelite works of John William Waterhouse; a huge copy of his "Lady of Shalott" is the centerpiece.

High tables and bar stools are vastly outnumbered by the sheer number of seats for dining, though so far, anyone who wants a table has been free to grab one, whether they're just meeting for pints of Smithwick's or ordering a full meal. Congestion has been a serious problem, though, especially when bands perform on a makeshift stage in one corner Thursday through Saturday.

If you can, slip up the back stairs to a narrow mezzanine that offers nine tables, a stubby little bar with room for a few stools and great views of the action below. (Just note that before 11 this is the smoking section; the main restaurant area is smoke free.)

The bartenders are friendly folks -- if they're not slammed, they're willing to chat and perform party tricks such as writing your name in the foam on your Guinness.

Being part of a seven-pub chain has its advantages; some of the staff trained at the Bethesda branch for a few weeks before opening, while others are hired guns who move from Ri-Ra to Ri-Ra to break in new locations.

Although Ri-Ra is still finding its feet, it's a nice place to drop in with a group for drinks and Irish music, though you'll want to go early -- it's spacious, but it won't be long before Ri-Ra is one of Clarendon's most popular nightspots.