November, 2024 - Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs

The main bar at The Dockers Bar I’ve never seen U2 live. But like everyone of my age and fighting weight, I saw Rattle & Hum a fair few times, and back in the 1980s, I rented the U2: Live at Red Rocks VHS not infrequently. And while I completely agree that a lot of the stuff of that era of the band still slaps, I can see that the kids might find certain things about U2 a bit, well, cringe. But as a transplant to Dublin, I also don’t have that immediate animosity some seem to have to anything Bono-related – I’m essentially U2-agnostic.

A pint at The Dockers Bar Why the U2 preamble? Well, because this week’s pub, The Dockers Bar, was a U2 hangout, back in the day – but there’s nothing there now to suggest this association. One might argue that there’s little – beyond the name, of course – to record the pub’s history as an after-work spot for actual dockworkers, but in fairness, few pubs with any sort of labour history associations really trade on them, alas. But if you look a little bit harder, there are some excellent photos of dockworkers from the Docklands Archives on show – they are worth seeking out. And that’s fine; each new demographic finds what they want in a pub they frequent – some will find the history (or elements thereof) more interesting than others.

The back room at Dockers Bar - overhanging lights and murals And what do those current regulars find at The Dockers Bar? It must be said that they were there in numbers on a weekend evening, so clearly, it’s working for them – is it the combination of some excellent independent Irish beer options (Rascals, Kinnegar, Trouble, Wicklow Wolf)? Or maybe they are mostly there for the Guinness, or perhaps the cocktails? The more-interesting-than-usual nibbles? In any event, it was a packed after-work scene.

The design can veer a bit toward a ‘nice hotel bar’ vibe, only because it does feel very deliberately designed, but that’s no bad thing, more of a personal taste take. While not everyone loves an Instagram wall, plenty of people do enjoy them – and the high level of ‘purposeful aesthetic’ also means that things are kept tidy – another positive. Obviously, I do not subscribe to the ‘dusty boxed and bottles = authenticity’ theory.

While on my visit it was more crowded than I personally prefer, I was still able to find a corner to relax with my pint, and given the challenges of keeping any hospitality business going in the current climate, the enthusiastic mix of young-ish office workers, tourists and pre-concert folk was a positive sign.

No Bono? No worries.

Where: 5 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2, D02 P3C6
Access from the city centre: Buses C1/C2/C3/C4, 15A, 15B, 56A, 77A, 17-ish minute walk
Food: Useful snacks: flatbreads and beyond
Sport: All the usual big events are shown
TVs: Big screens in the back, more scattered around
Music: General indie vibe
Family-friendliness: More of an after-work crowd
Pub-crawl-ability: Medium – not far from the BrewDog, the local ‘Spoons and The Ferryman, but a slightly longer walk to more pub density – Urban Brewing is across the Liffey
Local sites of note: 3Arena, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, EPIC, Grand Canal Dock
Haunted: No obvious ghost stories, but some spooky corners here and there
Other notes: Keep an eye out for live music and brunch
Socials: Instagram

Outside The Oval

We like to believe it’s entirely possible for a pub to cater to tourists as well as locals without crossing the line into ‘tourist trap’ or, worse, theme park simulacrum. And while there are certainly pubs in, say, Temple Bar that we tend to avoid for failing that test (often miserably), it’s good to point out Dublin’s pubs that succeed in threading that needle. And so, to The Oval Bar.

With its lovely frontage (yes, we’ve gone straight into classic pub clichés) and beautiful Edwardian-ish interior, at first glance, it looks every bit what it says on the tin, as it were – a pub from 1822, that has served as a coaching stop, a hang-out for the newspaper set and the usual mention in Ulysses. However, the pub we see today is not a carefully-looked after relic of its extensive 1903 glow-up – it was entirely destroyed, along with most of its neighbours on Abbey and Sackville Streets (modern day Middle Abbey and O’Connell Streets), in the aftermath of the Easter Rising in 1916. It was rebuilt and ready to re-open in 1922…just in time for the start of the Civil War. Happily, though, it avoided damage on that occasion, and it’s been a spot for locals and tourists alike (more or less) ever since.

The Oval’s most recent refurbishment was only about a year or so ago, and while it feels fresh and tidy, there’s still enough of a patina to give it a feeling of the history of the place; the décor and grillwork have an authentic feel. The pub is divided up into multiple sections, with more of a dining-room feel upstairs, but even within the relatively small main bar area, there are distinct areas to sit and relax, either alone or to spread out with friends. And while you can, of course, have a Guinness and all the other usual big brands, The Oval has two house beers, a pale ale and lager, that are brewed for this and other Chawke Pub Group venues such as Searsons by Dundalk Bay Brewery.

The atmosphere is friendly and very much ‘Irish pub’ – although it could easily tip into Oirish Pub territory with the kind of music you typically only hear in those sorts of establishments abroad, with a mix of The Dubliners and U2 – but it manages to stay on the right side of that line with some moderately deeper cuts, repertoire-wise, and there is a live trad session every Saturday. Now, The Oval does offer events catering specifically to tourists, but the fact that I’ve never run into one of these group activities suggests they do a nice job of keeping those relatively confined.

A pint of pale ale at The Oval Indeed, every time I’ve stopped it it’s been a good mix of people from all over, either enjoying a pint before heading on to a gig at The Academy or an after-work crowd catching up before catching buses. While it doesn’t have the selection of local independent beers that its neighbour Cassidy’s enjoys, it’s a much calmer atmosphere – more of a spot to linger with a book (something I’ve seen other people do there – not just me!) and a relaxed pint.

And there is the final way to tell how successfully a pub is managing to appeal to locals and overseas tourists alike – they do not charge Temple Bar prices.

Hear, hear!

Where: 78 Middle Abbey St, North City, Dublin 1, D01 RW24
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 13, 83, 122, 123, Luas Green Line or 8-ish minute walk
Food: Breakfast and all-day dining
Sport: All the usual big events are shown
TVs: A few around the pub, big ones come out for big events
Music: Very, very Irish, from trad to U2 (but perhaps lacking in more recent bands like Lankum)
Family-friendliness: No kids’ menu here, but plenty of options not so far away
Pub-crawl-ability: High – The Palace Bar is a short walk, with Mooney’s, Cassidy’s, JR Mahon’s, Bowe’s, Piper's Corner, The Flowing Tide and many more are nearby on both sides of the river
Local sites of note: The Academy, The Spire, Jervis Shopping Centre, Trinity College, NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM, Ha’Penny Bridge, GPO, Abbey Theatre, Gate Theatre
Haunted: No ghost stories, though plenty of history
Other notes: As with The Palace Bar, an extensive whiskey selection
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Dockers Bar

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Oval Bar