Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for the Sun

Outside at BonoboWe didn’t have time to get to a ‘new’ pub this week for a conventional entry, but given the (strange) glorious sunny weather, we’ll do a quick round-up of the nicest beer gardens in Dublin – plus an introduction to our newest tag, Pavement Pints*. There are relatively few true beer gardens in Dublin compared to many other major cities, though given our typical weather, it’s not terribly surprising. And it’s probably worth defining what we mean by ‘beer garden‘ here on Weirdo Dublin Pubs: for our purposes, it’s a more permanent outdoor space at the pub with at least a number of substantial tables and chairs. But we also have more than a few pubs with semi-official spots to stand with your pint in good weather, as well as those that have either a bench or a few chairs here and there, so we’ve been encouraged to create the Pavement Pints category to cover these locations.

The beer garden at Mema'sAnd so, with definitions out of the way, here are some of our favourite proper Dublin beer gardens, along with a ‘why you might like it’ note for each. We’ll start strong: it’s hard to top Bonobo, with an always-interesting beer lineup and a large (by Dublin standards) patio with many tables and chairs. There’s pizza as well, if you’re putting in a full afternoon’s work. Another excellent option for beer, food and general ‘vibes’ is the back deck at The Bald Eagle – again, it’s a large space, and there’s a mix of covered areas and even televisions if it’s a sportsball-day, plus a lot of fun art (mind the Dalek!), good beer and food for all the family. And we have only just mentioned The Brian Boru – but it is, perhaps, one of the sunniest spots around, especially in the afternoon. Hynes’ Bar also has a lovely outdoor space with a mix of seating options, beer, snacks and a good sense of humour in its mural. Staying Northside (we will cross the river, I promise, but the Northside is just, well, better in this regard), The Tolka House has a large covered patio and is an ideal spot to refuel after a visit to the National Botanic Garden. We’ll begin heading toward the city centre with a stop off at MeMa’s – its beer garden is one of the quirkier ones, but get there early – it fills up quickly.

Outside at The Open GateThen, to the other side of the Liffey: Toner’s has an enormous beer garden for its city centre location, and the Guinness Open Gate has beautiful outdoor spaces (and that pretzel), but book ahead to get your spot. Love Tempo is, as of this writing, still closed after a fire a few weeks ago, but we look forward to adding them back to the list when they re-open – their beer garden is a hidden gem of a sun-trap. Tapped has a semi-secret beer garden in the alleyway that’s well worth a visit. And if you are heading further south, The Brickyard has a covered patio out front, and they are a wonderful spot for both food and beer.

Outside UnderdogNext, on to Pavement Pints, and it would be rude not to start with The Gravediggers. (And yes, we did just hop back over to Glasnevin, sorry/not sorry). While there’s no formal outdoor seating, there are always people outside with a pint in fine weather, both right in front of the pub and in the centre of the square. Of course, it is a residential area, so do be mindful if you’re enjoying pints al fresco. The Black Sheep has a few outdoor tables, sometimes covered, as do many other spots along Capel Street. There are a few chairs to be found outside Underdog, and there’s no better spot for craft beer in Dublin, but you’ll need to either get there early or play musical chairs (and, ideally, you don’t mind the traffic that’s maybe a meter away). Contending with traffic noise from both cars and the Luas are the benches outside Fidelity; once again, there are only a few, but their Whiplash and guest beers are lovely, traffic notwithstanding. Taking the Luas further out to The Circular will also land you at another good Pavement Pints spot – and they are introducing a regular market in the near future, too. Another newer spot in this category, albeit closer in, is The Morris Bar, where they have only just added a small outdoor seating area to the front.

Finally, we cannot decide whether the outdoor space at Rascals counts as a beer garden or is more Team Pavement Pints – what say you, gentle readers? In any event, don’t forget your sunblock…

*Name inspiration courtesy of Peter at Craic Beer Community – if you’re a local beer nerd, do join!

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Hedigan’s The Brian Boru

Outside the Brian Boru: Hedigan's in neon, and mural of the man himself on horsebackLast week, we asked whether The Bloody Stream can officially be considered a railway pub. Answer: yes! This week, we are visiting a pub that will eventually (in theory) be disappearing to make way for the proposed MetroLink: Hedigan’s The Brian Boru. But all things planning- and/or transit-related in Dublin take much, much longer than they do in most other places, so you likely have a goodly amount of time to visit the pub in advance.

It’s hard to miss it if you’re walking by – the well-kept mural of its namesake king on horseback takes up most of one wall, and while his horse and armour may be a bit more High Victorian Medieval Fantasy than 11th century, well…you probably also don’t believe that Brian Borucamped on this spot‘ before the Battle of Clontarf…and that’s perfectly acceptable. But historical facts need not interfere with the enjoyment of a pleasant bit of neighbourhood art, so we’ll move swiftly inside. There are multiple snugs and seating areas, two bars and even a bright conservatory, so you can get the full dark-wood ‘Irish Pub’ experience or even catch some occasional sun in the spacious beer garden to the rear of the pub. Beer-wise, Little Fawn from The White Hag is the only independent offering, but there’s also Beamish as well as Guinness, plus the useful Guinness 0.0 and Heineken 0.0 options.

'The Brian Boru' in stained glass, from inside the pubThe pub has been here since the 1850s, and in the Hedigan family since 1904, and you can’t miss their name in neon, either. Of course, like so many pubs along this route, it’s name-checked in Ulysses, and has a useful write-up on the NBHS website, where it’s noted that its own house whiskey blend was particularly fine, and that ‘…traditionally held to be the only pub in Ireland that did not run out of whiskey during the Second World War.’ So, there’s a fair amount of history to the place – well over 200 years, all told, and there was likely an earlier pub (or pub-like) business on the spot, too. And yet, it will all have to go for the MetroLink (at some point in the future)…so what does a transit-loving pub nerd do with that information?

A pint of Guinness 0.0 at The Brian BoruWell, there have been proposals to name the future station here for the pub, possibly including some of the pub’s architectural details. And while the MetroLink wouldn’t be anything on the scale of the Tube, there’s plenty of precedent for naming stations after both extant and long-vanished pubs over on the Neighbouring Island. And it’s not as though this part of Dublin, where Phibsborough turns into Glasnevin, is short of pubs – there are many excellent ones in the area. All the same, it’s a bit of a shame there’s not a good way to incorporate the pub more fully into the eventual station, but we also desperately need real transit to the airport (among other places).

So, I suppose the message is to enjoy this pub while you can…though given how slowly the MetroLink project has gone thus far, you may have a few decades to stop by.

Where: 5 Prospect Rd, Glasnevin, Dublin, D09 PP93
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 40, 46A, 83, 140; Luas Green Line; 30ish minute walk
Food: Lunch, dinner & kids’ menus
Sport: Football, GAA, rugby, etc…
TVs: Throughout the pub
Music: Indie faves, but also trad sessions and other live gigs
Family-friendliness: Very approachable menu and seating options
Pub-crawl-ability: High – The Bald Eagle, Doyle's Corner, The Boh, The Hut and The Back Page in one direction, with The Botanic, The Gravediggers and The Tolka House in the other…
Local sites of note: Royal Canal, Glasnevin Cemetery, National Botanic Garden, Dalymount Park
Haunted: While not as close to the cemetery as The Gravediggers, surely it’s near enough for someone to craft a good ghost story
Other notes: Can get quite crowded before Bohs games; also pet-friendly
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Bloody Stream

Exterior of The Bloody Stream, complete with bins. Yellow building with dark-blue trimWe are back this week with a ‘request pub’ – one that’s much further north than our more common north-of-the-Liffey-but-still-pretty-central stomping grounds. We’re heading out of Dublin City proper to Howth; it’s an easy trip on the DART, but a bit of a pain if, for example, you needed Dublin Bus to deposit you to a nearby spot at a predetermined time. Dublin Bus is not always especially good at the concept of ‘on time’ (but it’s pretty great on ghost buses), so the journey in this general direction involved more taxis than I typically take in a 6-month period, but we got there in the end. Our (eventual) destination was The Bloody Stream, a brightly-painted pub nestled into the Howth train station complex.

Howth is much-visited by day-trippers, walkers and other sight-seers, and with good reason. It’s a seaside town with all the usual outdoor amenities as well as the occasionally-open National Transport Museum of Ireland. But it’s also a commuter town, with the aforementioned DART station running regular trains into Dublin City Centre (and on to Bray, for more seaside travels). But while the DART has only existed since the 1980s (and no, there’s still no train or tram to or from Dublin Airport), Howth Station – not to be confused with Howth Junction – has been here in something approaching its current form since the 1850s, with services going back to the 1840s. And while the interior of The Bloody Stream is dark, cosy and delightfully atmospheric, it’s not by any means an ‘old’ pub – it opened in a derelict part of the railway station in 1995 – and this is no bad thing!

Inside The Bloody Stream: dark wood chairs, fireplaceI’d recently had an exchange on the socials lamenting the lack of railway station bars in Ireland, and while we have nothing here quite like the small-but-mighty Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar, a strong case can be made that The Bloody Stream may be counted in this number (even though the pub itself is not directly accessible from the platform – possibly a disqualifying point for some). But perhaps it doesn’t feel like a railway pub – and that’s fine, too – but it is very handy for the train.

And while there is not a large number of independent beer taps, there was some very fresh Handsome Jack from Hope (located at Howth Junction, rather than in Howth – a brewery tour is highly recommended) on for our visit. There’s also Murphy’s for the stout crowd, presumably those folks who are not bitter, and plenty of Guinness. There is a sign outside encouraging visitors to ‘split the G,’ but please feel free to ignore that – though given that it is a touristy area, it’s at least a well-done sign.

A pint of Hope Handsome Jack in front of the fireplace at The Bloody StreamWe enjoyed excellent food and service when we stopped in, which isn’t necessarily a given in some pubs mid-week in the middle of the afternoon (hardly a fruitful time for most), so it was much appreciated. There is outdoor seating as well around both ends of the pub, but we kept to the more dimly-lit interior on a lovely sunny afternoon. Having offspring who actively avoid the sun may be odd to others, but hey, at least their vampiric ways are preventing long-term sun damage, and the pub interior really is lovely, all stone and dark wood.

There is one thing I couldn't discover much about, however; I’ve had multiple people ask for this pub as an addition to the ‘Haunted?‘ category, and I love nothing more than a good bit of ghostlore in a pub. However, I didn’t see anything in the pub itself, though they do give a good accounting of the area’s popular history on their menus (Vikings, battles – that sort of thing). The pub does take its name from the stream that runs underneath, so it’s at least ideally set up for Stone Tape Theory enthusiasts to take and run with…but nothing more than that. That said, there are plenty of entries for Howth in dúchas.ie, including a holy well nearby with perhaps the same water source so…does that count? Of course, if you do have a ghost story to share, please do! We need a proper ‘Irish Pub Ghost Stories’ book out there – we can’t let the Neighbouring Island have all the fun in that regard.

But all told, The Bloody Stream is a lovely pub; it does feel like a trip away from the city, and has something for both the railway enthusiast and seafood lover, while also supporting local suppliers. Far too many higher-end restaurants and pubs will trumpet their investment in local produce, but skip over the local beer, so while I’d love to see an additional tap or two, it’s good to see Hope so close to where it’s made, and in top condition.

But definitely take the train – the bus is rather woeful this far out of town!

Where: Howth Railway Station, Howth, Dublin
Access from the city centre: DART from Connelly or other handy station; 6 bus
Food: All the usual ‘nicer’ pub grub hits, very well-executed – lots of seafood, unsurprisingly
Sport: Rugby, GAA, football, etc…
TVs: Scattered here and there
Music: More touristy soundtrack – trad and U2 – but also live events
Family-friendliness: Kids’ menu and good desserts
Pub-crawl-ability: Low; nearly a 10-minute walk to many other Howth pubs like The Abbey Tavern
Local sites of note: Howth Castle, St Mary’s Abbey, Ireland’s Eye, Bog of Frogs
Haunted: Folklore-adjacent?
Other notes: Main floor toilets with lovely wallpaper
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Phil Ryan’s The Hogan Stand

Outside Phil Ryan's The Hogan StandA proper ‘Pubs of Croke Park’ roundup is long overdue, and with so many events on this summer, we may as well finally start working on that. While we’ve already covered a few handy ones like Gill’s Corner House and Juno, it’s time to really start chipping away at the full list, so that all those Oasis fans know where to find their (cigarettes and) alcohol in the area.

Although it’s obvious to those of us who live nearby (we have a handy mailing list alerting us of fixtures, crowds and even free tickets at times), it’s worth emphasizing for the out-of-town visitor that all of these pubs are absolutely slammed before big events, whether it’s a concert or big GAA game, so it can be well worth booking in advance and walking a little further to the stadium itself – or, failing that, simply starting early. The game-day or pre-concert experience is quite a different beast to what you’ll find on a quiet Sunday afternoon, but having said that, each pub in the area still has very much its own personality. This week, we’re looking at Phil Ryan’s The Hogan Stand.

A pint of Beamish at The Hogan Stand
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Like its near neighbour Gill’s Corner House, this pub occupies the ground floors of a few Georgian terraced houses, and the front has been enclosed as a covered beer garden, which can be a bit smoky. Inside, it’s very much a classic inner-city pub – a mix of dark wood, table and chairs and a fair few televisions. There’s no craft beer here – even Beamish has only been back on tap since late in 2024 – but there is great value (by Dublin standards): that Beamish is only a fiver. Again, that may be a different experience on big event days, but on a chill afternoon, it’s a welcome treat. Otherwise, there’s your standard Guinness/Heineken lineup, again with some Tuborg in the mix, and both 0.0 options for the flagship beers.

Some footy on at The Hogan StandIt’s very much a ‘locals’ pub most of the time, but a welcoming one; I’ve had out-of-town guests wind up there and have great chats with the barstaff. No frills, but no pretention, either. If you are looking to pre-game before an event at Croke Park, it’s hard to be better-placed for an easy walk in to the stadium. And, of course, the pub’s name couldn’t be more appropriate for a stopping-off point before going in to Croke Park itself – a fine way to get into the atmosphere.

Where: 514 North Circular Road, Dublin 1, Dublin, IE D01 CF57
Access from the city centre: Buses 1, 13, 14, 15, 16, 40, 122, 123; 30ish minute walk
Food: Crisps, peanuts and scampi fries
Sport: Rugby, GAA, football, horse racing…
TVs: Plenty about the place
Music: Some live music events; keep an eye on the socials
Family-friendliness: Always seem to see a few running around
Pub-crawl-ability: Medium – the closest pubs to Croke Park include Gill’s Corner House, The Hideout House, Clonliffe House, Juno, McGrath's, or wander further into Drumcondra toward Fagan's or The Cat & Cage…or walk further still (all along the banks of…) the Royal Canal toward Phibsborough
Local sites of note: Croke Park, Mountjoy Square
Haunted: We need more ghost stories in this part of town to be shared
Other notes: Main-floor toilets
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Tapped

Outside TappedBack in the day – you know, perhaps 3 years ago – this week’s pub was The Porterhouse Central. It was a very handy spot in that you could enjoy a mix of interesting beers from Porterhouse and various guest options, but you avoided Temple Bar. Granted, you are still right in the middle of Dublin, and things could be busy. Depending on the time of year it could be full of tourists making their way from Trinity College across the street, but on the whole, it was a useful meeting point that offered more than the usual city centre beer options. Indeed, it was an ideal spot for that all-important post-race pint after the VHI Women’s Mini-Marathon (only a 10K, but we’ll let that slide). It was on that occasion that, complete with medal, I made what I didn’t realise would be my final visit to this pub under that name. Only a few weeks later, it vanished into renovation, re-emerging in its current form: Tapped.

While still a part of the larger Porterhouse group, it’s been styled very much more as a ‘bar’ vs a ‘pub,’ and it’s taken a while to settle. My first few visits were, it must be said, not great. The initial redesign felt rather like they’d ordered a ‘taproom’ kit from the early 2000s – lots of plastic, colours just a bit too bright and faux-industrial, and the service was, frankly, poor. Even on the relatively quiet times I’d stopped in, it seemed nearly impossible to get served…yet that was rather less difficult for the younger men around me, or so it seemed. Comparing notes offline at the time, it seemed quite a few other women had a similar experience, and so I essentially gave up trying for a few years.

A beer and menu at TappedHowever, I happened to be in the area and had a bit of time after a meeting, so I gave Tapped another try. I’m pleased to say that the interior, while still feeling just slightly too ‘taproom’ has been softened and improved. There is now much more comfortable seating and the lighting is more dialled-in; it feels warmer on the whole. There are screens showing the beer lineup, direct from Untappd (no relation), and there are quite a few cocktail options as well, plus many food choices – it’s vastly improved on this front. And it is certainly one of the most varied beer selections you’ll get in this part of Dublin: there are the expected options from Porterhouse and local stalwarts such as Rascals, Whiplash, Hope and Trouble. But if you’re looking for a spot to watch the rugby with less-adventurous friends, there are also ‘normal’ beers like Heineken, Guinness and Beamish, plus some useful non-alcoholic options.

The bar at Tapped

It’s not the sort of welcome you get at, say, Underdog, but service was much improved, though it’s hard to gauge how it goes at a busier time. The crowd still tended toward ‘younger,’ but that’s no bad thing…it simply didn’t feel as mixed as many other spots, and it’s natural you would get at least a bit of a ‘student’ element so close to Trinity (if not student-friendly prices).

Dare we say that Tapped is Dublin’s ‘most improved’ pub over the past year or so, at least, taking complete re-brandings out of the picture? It’s an entirely subjective take, but I feel much more warmly toward the spot…I may even stop in again after this year’s VHI Mini-Marathon.

But first, there’s the actual Dublin City Half Marathon to get through…that’s almost certainly going to be one for Juno after!

Where: 47 Nassau Street, Dublin, IE D02 P285
Access from the city centre: You are there
Food: Gastropub offerings, pizza & nibbles – even a fancy spicebag
Sport: Big events on – Six Nations, Premier League and the like
TVs: Screens throughout may show either sport or the latest Untappd check-ins
Music: Indie vibes
Family-friendliness: Feels less welcoming than in its previous incarnation, but the food menu has many options during the day
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Bowes, O'Neill's, Cassidy’s, Mulligans, The Palace Bar, JR Mahon's, The Oval Bar, Porterhouse Temple Bar and many, many more are all within a very short stroll
Local sites of note: Trinity College, National Library of Ireland, National Museum of Ireland (Archaeology and The Dead Zoo), Leinster House, Irish Whiskey Museum, NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM
Haunted: Still missing the old Porterhouse Central wall panelling, which surely felt haunted
Other notes: Open from 11 am – 3 am if either day drinking or late nights are your thing
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Tolka House

Outside The Tolka HouseWe’re back safely on the north side of the Liffey this week, and have returned to Glasnevin for a visit to The Tolka House. As with The Cat & Cage in nearby Drumcondra, there’s a better claim to being a realistically ‘old’ pub here than with, er, some pubs closer to Dublin city centre that like to trumpet an older pedigree. And while by ‘old’ in this instance, we don’t mean medieval, there has been a pub here since at least the 18th century, and quite possibly earlier. The Tolka House, so named as it is, indeed, right on the Tolka River, began documented life at The Bull’s Head.

The bar at The Tolka HouseWhile it was likely something akin to a coaching inn in that earlier phase – again, like its not-too-distant neighbour in Drumcondra – having a tourist site spring up nearby in the form of the National Botanic Gardens in the 19th century was a boon to business, similar to the relationship between the nearby Gravediggers and Glasnevin Cemetery. While the name and ‘look’ of the pub has changed over the decades (it’s just had another touch-up in the last year), much of what we see today comes from a major renovation in the 1990s. There’s quite a large covered deck in the back, and ‘bar’ and ‘restaurant’ sections inside. I’m not sure the most recent update has had time to bed in yet; it still has a bit of that somewhat over-designed feel to it, especially in the restaurant portion, but that may fade as things get a bit more of a patina again, and having things err on the side of ‘tidy’ is no bad thing.

A Four Provinces pint at The Tolka House

Despite it being relatively close to me, The Tolka House had not been one of my more usual haunts – largely because it lacked a good independent beer option. Fortunately, that has now changed, and they are proudly pouring beer from the excellent Four Provinces Brewing Co. For you, dear reader, I have taken it upon myself to try both the Féile Pale Ale and the now-renamed True Blue Lager (formerly The Poddle, with some minor recipe tweaks), and I am pleased to say that both are in excellent condition. I do need to visit the Four Provinces pub in Kimmage itself at some point soon – perhaps when their absolutely gorgeous Gob Fliuch Dark Mild is back on tap (or on cask? A lady can dream).

But back to the pub at hand; while I will never personally understand the appeal of a carvery (see also: Fagan’s), the one here at The Tolka House seems to be quite popular, and there are other options as well. For me, though, it’s knowing that there are some interesting local beer options that make me more likely to stop by; one hopes that other pubs can respond to the ever-increasing pricing from the macro brewers by making more room on their taps for independent local beer.

There’s room for all sorts.

Where: 9a Glasnevin Hill, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, D09 VH02
Access from the city centre: Buses 4, 9, 11, 83, 83A
Food: Breakfast, bar menu, larger plates, carvery
Sport: All the big sport options, especially football and rugby
TVs: Several throughout the pub, including big screens
Music: Live (chiefly non-trad) music most weekends
Family-friendliness: Children welcome in the restaurant, not in the bar
Pub-crawl-ability: Low-Medium, depending on your taste for walking; The Gravediggers is just across the cemetery, and The Botanic around the corner, but it’s not a terribly long walk into Phibsborough for The The Bald Eagle, or across Griffith Park to Fagan’s or further up into Drumcondra for The Ivy House and The Cat & Cage.
Local sites of note: National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin Cemetery, Met Éireann building
Haunted: Not a single ghost story in active circulation; someone should really remedy this
Other notes: €6.80 a pint (for the Four Provinces beers) is not at all bad by local standards
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Brazen Head

Spooky decor inside The Brazen HeadIt’s properly Halloween season, and that means we need to take in a pub with a better ghostlore pedigree…even if its other, more, er, brazen claims don’t really hold up. And so, to The Brazen Head. We’ll get the negatives out of the way first, because there is a properly historic pub hidden under here, and a surprisingly decent beer selection for such a touristy spot, but we’ll lead with that point – it is never, ever, not packed with tourists. Now, this is no bad thing from a business perspective, especially with how difficult it is to keep a hospitality business going (not that it’s been going since ‘1189,’ but we’ll come back to that) – fair play to the management for finding what works to bring in a steady stream of paying visitors. And no shade to those visitors themselves; I’ve been one of them, though it probably says something that I certainly stopped in The Brazen Head more frequently as a tourist versus once we moved to Dublin. On the one hand, it’s simply not that close to home, so it would never be my local, but really, it’s that the crush of tourists mean that it’s most frequently crowded and, well, loud; not really a spot to linger over a book with a pint. The atmosphere can feel much more ‘theme park’ than ‘pub,’ which is a reasonable thing if you’re on holiday, but I find it a lot less diverting in the everyday.

Outside The Brazen Head 'since 1189'And so to the second issue – is it ‘Ireland’s oldest pub,’ here ‘since 1189?’ LOL, no. While Liam has done an excellent job of unpacking its more likely history, I’ll summarize a few points, though his work on The Brazen Head (and, really, everything to do with Irish beer history) is very much recommended reading. First, while the pub does sprawl over a few buildings, there’s most likely nothing here older than the 18th century, and much that is more recent.

Are there parts of the pub that ‘feel’ a bit more like a coaching inn? Sure! Like a medieval tavern? Not remotely, we simply don’t have any in Dublin, and, as ever, we can at least partially blame the Wide Streets Commission. What is perhaps a more interesting question is ‘when did The Brazen Head begin marketing itself this way?’ Presumably before the ersatz crenelations at the front (to be fair, while they look riduclous from across the road, they do make for a nice covered outdoor space, and a non-smoking one to boot, though the smoke/vape ick can drift over from the nearby covered smoking porch) were added; I’ve found references along these lines as far back as the 1960s, whereas press mentions in the late 19th century stuck to a more believable ‘oldest established hotel in the city’ – even if the name has possibly attached itself to a number of different local businesses since, say, the 18th century, there’s at least a bit of a throughline.

In a crowded part of The Brazen Head

And this is the bit about the fake history that makes it especially annoying – first, that the various claims are repeated absolutely everywhere without the slightest bit of interrogation, but more than that, it obscures the actually very interesting – and more validated – history of The Brazen Head. There is a genuine association with Robert Emmet, and there are a number of literary connections as well. Obviously, this being a pub in Dublin, Brendan Behan made an appearance, and there’s the requisite Ulysses mention; it would be lovely to hear more about these aspects of the pub’s history instead of an entirely imaginary ancient foundation. That’s not to say that there were not previous buildings on the site, nor, indeed, that Winetavern Street does not come by its name honestly as having a long history of domestic brewing and, later, inn- and tavern-like business; there’s a lot of quite interesting archaeology nearby, as this was very close to the Viking site at Wood Quay. But also given its proximity to the Liffey, it’s not 100% clear that there *was* solid ground here prior to the 13th century – it may have been under water in ‘1189.’ One presumes that there was a committee somewhere that decided ‘1189’ was a precise-yet-vague enough date to be applied wherever a deep lineage is required – see also the similar-vintage Ye Old Trip to Jerusalem on the Neighbouring Island (and, of course, listen to our Beer Ladies Podcast episode on Historic Building Mythbusting with Dr. James Wright).

A glass of Rye River Upstream Pale Ale in the beer gardenHappily – at least for a ghostlore collector like me – there are ghost stories, too – Emmet and his executioner are both meant to appear at various spots in the pub, though as ever with this kind of story, it’s not clear how we identify said executioner; at least Robert Emmet has his death mask in various places, including a short walk away at Arthur’s, close to the spot of his execution.

It’s not as though Dublin is short of pubs (though we know it’s a hard time for all hospitality businesses), and so it’s not necessarily a terrible thing that we seem to have given one over entirely to tourism. That said, there are relatively few pubs here that do date back to the 18th century – I’m not really willing to go further back than that on the available evidence, but hey, more than happy to be surprised – and it would be a nice thing to see that history more celebrated. The Gravediggers does a great job of appealing to tourists and locals alike, though that’s almost certainly helped by its location away from the immediate city centre, but they also celebrate their pub’s history, recently hosting an event as part of the Dublin Festival of History. More of this, please!

But The Brazen Head does have one up on The Gravediggers for me from a beer selection point of view – they always have some reliable Rye River taps – and that is also something to be celebrated, especially if overseas visitors may stumble across a local, independently-produced beer. And it’s well-located to kick off a pub crawl into The Liberties…get your tourist TikTok done, then head down Thomas Street.

But in any event, I’m willing to wager The Cat & Cage is older…and less full of tourists! If only we could get some details about their ghost story…

Where: 20 Lower Bridge St, Usher’s Quay, Dublin, D08 WC64
Access from the city centre: Buses 13. 26, 27, 37, 70, 77A, 83, 83A, 123, 145, 151, C1, C2, C3
Food: Tourist pub grub
Sport: All the usual big events are shown
TVs: Inside and outside
Music: Generic playlist by day, live sessions by night
Family-friendliness: A fair few jet-lagged kids always seem to be sitting outside looking grumpy
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Tailors Hall, The Lord Edward, The Bull & Castle, The Beer Temple/The Oak are all more or less in one direction, with The Thomas House, Love Tempo, Dudley's, Swift, Arthur's, Guinness Open Gate Brewery and other Liberties spots in the other
Local sites of note: Christchurch Cathedral, Dublinia, St Audoen's Church, St Michan’s Church, Guinness Storehouse, Vicar Street
Haunted: FINALLY. Proper ghostlore; more, please!
Other notes: Temple Bar prices outside Temple Bar
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Guinness Open Gate Brewery

A beer, pretzel and mac & cheese balls at the Open Gate Brewery

While it’s less of a ‘pub,’ the Guinness Open Gate Brewery re-opened this summer, and it’s a nice alternative for out-of-town visitors to Dublin who don’t want to pay for do the full Guinness Storehouse ‘brand experience,’ but still want to say they’ve been to the ‘Home of Guinness.’ But it does have a few attractions for locals, too – and it’s a very central spot to kick off a Liberties pub crawl, if that’s your inclination, but the real drawl for me is less the beer, which we’ll come on to in a moment, and more the fantastic nibbles: this is one of the only places in town you can consistently get a pretzel with a beer, and although it’s not an inexpensive one, it’s large, and well worth seeking out.

Regular readers will know I have a Grand Unified Theory about how pubs around the world should offer warm, soft pretzels with beer cheese as a snack, and it’s something we simply don’t have here in Ireland, beyond one-off Oktoberfest events – except at the Open Gate. The other menu items are equally good, and if you’re wondering how a cookie might be worth €10, if you pair it with the Dublin Porter, it’s an absolute treat – and still cheaper than a pint of Guinness in some spots in Temple Bar. The lesson here is that you may have come to try a few beers, but leave room for the food, too.

Punters at the Open GateFor anyone used to a reasonably trendy brewery taproom, the recent glow-up at the Open Gate hits all the marks – sleek-looking taps, photography-friendly spaces and industrial chic, though you do now get a better view of the brewing operations behind the glass wall. That said, this isn’t the sort of spot you’ll find 30 rotating taps; it’s still your core Guinness range, with a few more experimental options added on, though there are also legacy brands like Macardles in bottles, and it’s one of the handful of places you can consistently get Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. You won’t be putting a picture of your face in your pint, for an additional fee, as you can at the Storehouse, but that’s no great loss.

The pleasing 'railway' sign at the Open Gate BreweryPerhaps my favourite thing about the Open Gate, however, is less about the beer and pretzels – though I love the Dublin Porter, and would happily drink it much more frequently were it available elsewhere around town – it’s the sign. Rather than the more common neon chalk or paint-pen listing of what’s on tap, there’s an old-school, railway station-style flipboard that resets periodically, and it is incredibly satisfying to watch and listen to. And despite being someone who once spent far too long each week in Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, I miss the old flipboard – it’s lovely to see that kind of retro tech employed in an engaging way (even if the taps don’t change quite as frequently as trains might be expected to go).

So, while it may be just as much on the tourist trail as its neighbour, the Guinness Storehouse, it’s a more chilled-out experience than trying to grab a pint in the Gravity Bar…and the selection is usually much more interesting.

And again, the pretzels are the real deal – if you’re a local and you ‘have to’ take a friend who is visiting Dublin for the first time, go to the Open Gate hungry – take one for the team!

Where: 53 James St, St. James’s Gate, Dublin 8
Access from the city centre: Buses 13, 27, 49, 54A, 77A, 123, 150, 151, G1, G2, 15-ish minute walk
Food: Small plates, including PRETZELS
Sport: Not here
TVs: No
Music: Fairly generic playlist, but likely depends on the night
Family-friendliness: No under-18s
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Arthur’s is steps away, with Dudley’s, Love Tempo, The Thomas House, The Christchurch Inn, Tailors Hall, The Lord Edward, The Bull & Castle and The Beer Temple/The Oak all within a short walk; The Brazen Head is also a bit further away
Local sites of note: Guinness Storehouse, Vicar Street, Olympia Theatre, Christchurch Cathedral, Dublinia, St Audoen's Church
Haunted: Something something big brand capitalism, maybe? The only ‘vibes’ are from Instagram feature walls, so perhaps spooky if that’s not your thing
Other notes: The beer garden is a great spot on a sunny day (but also well-covered – this is Ireland, after all)
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Galway Hooker

The Galway Hooker exterior - the right-hand side of Heuston StationDublin does not, on the whole, have the kind of grand railway station pubs and bars that you might find in the UK or Germany, but it seems we are not alone in this. Indeed, most Dublin train stations are quick commuter stops – though a few of those do have some good local pubs – but of the two real inter-city stations, Connolly and Heuston, there is no comparison when it comes to pubs – Heuston is winning here. While there is a theoretical pub in Connolly, I don’t think I’ve ever been in when it has actually been open, though I am reliably informed by others that this is a ‘me’ problem and that it has been open for them. Heuston, however, has The Galway Hooker inside the station, and it has the distinction of being an early house as well. If you have an early-ish train and require a 7 am pint (or, for Sundays, 9 am), I’ll presume you’re not in the station for a work trip, but if you’re on holiday, have at it.

Station concourse entrance to The Galway HookerIt’s a bit of a funny spot, The Galway Hooker; the patio outside overlooks the Luas tracks, giving it more of a ‘commuter’ vs ‘real trip’ vibe, but it does afford a nice view of Heuston’s exterior, which is really rather nice by Irish train station standards; it can be a bit too easy to overlook when you’re in a hurry to catch a train. Inside, though, there are multiple options for people-watching, though it’s not as easy as it might be for trainspotting. The entrance from the station concourse only suggests a somewhat-unpromising buffet/carvery experience, but if you press on into the pub interior, a more impressive spectacle awaits.

The decorative Galway hooker above the bar at The Galway HookerThe colour scheme is dictated by the red-brown (Burnt Sienna?) sails of the model namesake boat variety above the bar. This particular example is also decorated with fairly lights, and the shade continues on the walls and up the stairs, complemented by dark-stained wood. All told, it’s a much warmer look and feel than either the patio (as expected) or the more takeaway-feeling entrance – in short, it has a much ‘pubbier’ feel about it. There are the usual seats at the bar, as well as tables throughout the space, and it’s quite a large one. There are the usual suspects on tap – Guinness, of course – but also Galway Hooker (the beer this time, not the boat – they’ve recently embarked on a series of seasonal cans) and Hope for the craft fans.

So, while Dublin may not have a great variety of railway pubs, there are certainly plenty of pubs near stations to make up for it – but it’s well worth stopping in to The Galway Hooker for a pint if you’re heading away for a long weekend.

Where: Heuston Station, St John’s Rd W, Saint James, Dublin 8
Access from the city centre: Luas Red Line, Buses 26, 52, 69, 123, 145, C1/C2/C3, 30-ish minute walk
Food: Usual pub grub
Sport: Biggest event of the day will be on
TVs: Above the bar
Music: Typically a more MOR sound
Family-friendliness: There are kids’ options, given the location
Pub-crawl-ability: Medium – The trio of Nancy Hands, Ryan’s of Parkgate Street and P. Duggan’s are just across the river, Guinness Storehouse and the Open Gate a short walk down the road, Fidelity a bit further along on the other side of the Liffey again…
Local sites of note: Guinness Storehouse, Kilmainhaim Hospital, IMMA, Dr Steeven’s Hospital, Phoenix Park, St James’s Hospital
Haunted: Surely, all good train stations have a ghost story or two…
Other notes: Don’t expect normal pub hours for opening or closing – they close by 7 pm
Socials: Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: MeMa’s

The bar at Mema's

In our discussion of Slattery’s last week, we mentioned that in-use early house licenses are becoming ever-more-rare, and this week’s pub is one that held such a license in its previous incarnation as The Metro, but nowadays, it’s business-hours-as-usual at MeMa’s on Parnell Street. But that may be one of the few ‘as usual’ elements of this comfortable bar – few other Dublin pubs have a decorated pizza oven or cocktail towers, though fear not, Guinness enthusiasts – you’re well looked-after, too.

A pint of Rye River at Mema'sAnd yet, while some of those elements may not be what tourists envision when they think ‘Irish pub,’ MeMa’s feels very much part of the fabric of the neighbourhood. One of the reasons I especially enjoy stopping in – beyond the comfortable seating options – is their support for independent Irish beer. There is always Ambush on from Trouble, and usually something from Rye River as well, plus a few other wild cards. The same can be said for their championing smaller Irish distillers, and some of the cocktails are a great way to showcase those producers (perhaps not, it must be said, in the ‘tower’ format, but in your standard-sized cocktail, absolutely).

The beer garden at Mema'sThere’s also what sometimes feels like a secret beer garden, which is a welcome respite on Parnell Street, and MeMa’s is definitely one of those pubs that seems, TARDIS-like, to be bigger on the inside. In addition, it’s a handy spot for us Northside folk to meet friends, with the Luas just outside.  And speaking of meeting friends, it’s an ideal spot for a group hang (if you make a reservation, obviously – don’t be That Group that shows up with 15 people and no booking) – there are many seating options, and something for nearly every taste.

While early opening hours may be a thing of the past, MeMa’s more than makes up for that with a slate of interesting events, music and drink options. The fact that it’s a handy walk for me is merely a bonus!

Where: 155 R803, Rotunda, Dublin
Access from the city centre: 15 minute walk; buses 1, 11, 9, 13, 16, 44, 46, 155, Luas Green Line
Food: Pizza, wings, chips
Sport: Not a sportsball spot
TVs: If they exist, they are well-hidden
Music: Usually a great indie vibe and some live music and comedy gigs
Family-friendliness: More of a post-uni scene, but there is pizza…
Pub-crawl-ability: High – The Big Romance, Kimchi Hophouse, The Flowing Tide, The Sackville, The Morris Bar, The Confession Box, Briody’s and Piper's Corner are not far at all
Local sites of note: Mountjoy Square, Rotunda Hospital, Hugh Lane Gallery, Garden of Remembrance, Abbey Theatre
Haunted: There could absolutely be haunted furniture or antiques; someone should start a rumour
Other notes: Lots of friendly doggos
Socials: Instagram, Facebook