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.
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.
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
