British and Irish Lions fans suffering from "hiraeth" and looking for a taste of home have been flocking to Wellington's Welsh Dragon bar.

The pub claims to be the only "proper" Welsh pub within thousands of miles and has become a popular watering hole with ex-pats.

Opened 13 years ago by Mike and Joanna Howard from Cwmbwrla and Langland, Swansea , the pub is the only place in the capital that serves a ‘"proper pint" rather than 440ml measures (the standard Kiwi size).



Before taking over the Welsh Dragon, Mike and Joanna ran a restaurant in the city, which at the time was the only Welsh restaurant in the Southern Hemisphere

The Welsh Dragon is a real home from home, with Welsh flags draped across the ceiling and pictures of Bryn Terfel, Gerald Davies and Kelly Jones on the walls.



This week the bar has seen an influx of Lions supporters in town to see their clash with the Hurricanes, with former Ospreys coach Sean Holley and Wales legend Shane Williams spotted in their midst.

Ciaran Irvine, 44, originally from Derry in Northern Ireland, has worked at the Welsh Dragon Bar for about three years, after relocating to New Zealand in 2011.

There are constant reminders to home

“This is the only proper pub in Wellington,” Ciaran said.

“Mostly because we always have proper pints. 440mls in the standard Kiwi pint, so having a proper pint of Brains is one of the main draws.

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“Five nights a week we have live music, bands and DJs, so there’s always a good crowd in here.

“We have regulars from Hong Kong, Chile, and the Czech Republic because it’s the best pub in town.

"And all the Irish people drink in here because the Irish bars are no good. So there’s that community aspect.”



The pub is situated in a converted toilet block on a traffic island, but that has never put the patrons off, who come for the warm welcome, Brains behind the bar and a good selection of reasonably priced Kiwi beers.

“Yesterday and today was some of the best days we’ve had,” Ciaran said.

“We had Lions fans in all afternoon having a drink and a good sing-song.

“It’s after the game we are worried about. Then all fans will be back in here and it will be chaos!”