Kevin Conlon was bitten by the quiz bug at a young age. In fifth class, he joined his Mallow primary school’s Credit Union Quiz team, and they went on to place fifth in the All-Ireland final. He tells me this from Australia, where he now lives with his husband – a move they were able to make after a big quiz win on RTÉ’s The money List.

“I was on season two with a retired nurse called Phyllis. we managed to win €81,000, which is still the record on the show to this day.”

It was years of pub quizzing that honed him for that win. After the early school success, he got back into quizzing when he started college in Cork in 2012 and set up a team with a few friends, the Tequila Mockingbirds. They became fixtures at a weekly quiz run by “The Quiz Guys”, Pat Ahern and colm Lougheed. Conlon reckons he has been to around 200 of their quizzes over the years. Along the way, the quizmaster and punter became friends, and Conlon brought the Quiz Guys to Malta for his wedding, where they DJ’d and hosted a quiz the next day.

When I talk to quiz host Pat Ahern about Conlon, what he talks about most is not the quiz scores but the support. As a paediatrician,Conlon was on hand with advice when Ahern first had children. This is exactly what has stood out as I’ve delved into Ireland’s world of quizzing: getting the answers right is always great, but what seems to keep people coming back is the community that grows around them.

Pat Ahern has been growing his quiz community around Cork and beyond for more than 15 years. From the start, they set out to shake things up. “We wanted to move away from that stereotypical idea of an old man sitting at the top of the bar reading out random facts and questions. We wanted to add to it, make it a bit more exciting.”

It caught on,and thes days Ahern and his team specialise in speed quizzing using smartphones.”We pay for the quiz software, get new questions sent every week, and make our own music rounds.” Teams use an app, but only have ten seconds to lock in answers. “That’s a killer for some people; old-school quizzers don’t always like the format, but lots of people love it.”

Despite teams being on their phones, he says it’s hard to cheat. “People still try to get a calculator for the maths questions or Shazam songs, but it never works out for them.”

The Pub Quiz Renaissance: How Trivia Nights Are Saving Irish Pubs

Pub quizzes are experiencing a surge in popularity across Ireland, offering a lifeline to pubs facing challenging times. What was once a niche activity is now a major draw, bringing in crowds and fostering a sense of community.

Colin McKeown, a seasoned quizmaster, has been running quizzes for over a decade. His approach is unique – a mix of challenging questions, playful banter, and a deliberately meandering style. “I like to set up a theme, have something oddball or funny, and then return to the theme throughout the night,” he explains.”I want the audience to be able to talk their way through and argue and comment.”

And it works. McKeown has cultivated a loyal following.”We’ve built a community of people, some who’ve been coming since our early days, and they now know each other and recognize the team names,” he says.

He recalls a particularly memorable Doctor Who quiz where fifteen teams arrived as strangers and, by the night’s end, had combined their tables into one large group, continuing to socialize and chat long after the quiz concluded.

Beyond his regular Tuesday night at The Circular, McKeown also hosts a monthly music quiz at Whelan’s, a movie quiz at The Parnell on Parnell Street, and recently added a weekly Monday quiz at the Woolshed.

As many pubs struggle to stay afloat, the pub quiz appears to be a reliable way to attract customers and boost revenue. At The Circular, John Mahon, the publican, notes that McKeown’s quiz consistently sells out, effectively doubling their weekly trade.

“It’s down to Colin,” mahon says. “he gets lots of regulars. It’s steady, buzzy, funny, and the questions are always thoughtful – it’s really well-rounded.”

Paul Mangan, publican at The Glenside in Churchtown, echoes this sentiment.Adding a quiz transformed Tuesdays from a quiet night into a bustling event. “It was like a dead duck.Nothing was happening at all apart from the odd match.” They implemented a smartphone quiz run by JC’s Quiz and now fill forty tables. “Now the pub stays full for the evening.It’s a lovely mix of people,and it’s brought more local use of the pub.”

This represents an added benefit for pubs – reconnecting with the community and fostering a local gathering place.Pub quizzes seem to be a successful gateway to achieving this. However, not all quizzes are created equal, according to Elizabeth Farrelly, an avid quiz enthusiast from bantry.