A mid-October 2024 update:
We returned* to The Strand House recently to give their recently-relaunched food menu a go (see, I said we’d get back to it!), and it turns out we have some good news to report on that front. The children’s menu is back and, I must admit, better than it was in the Galway Bay days. The Sunday roast options were all very tasty, but the real standouts for me were two rather unexpected starters – if you had told me in advance that I’d find something labeled as ‘crispy vegan wontons’ not only to my taste, but absolutely delicious, I’d never have believed it, but they were really lovely, as were the chorizo croquetas, but I would probably at least have tried those unbidden – so the nudge to sample the wontons was a wise one.
The one knock is still on the beer selection, with Ambush from Trouble being the only craft option, but I am happy to say that said Ambush continues to be fresh and well-kept; it’s clearly turning over with some regularity, which seems to be a good sign. It would be delightful if there were even just one more independent option, though at least Gaffney’s down the road does have Hope on tap. I will need to visit again soon, for science, to try the smashed bone marrow burger, which sounded intriguing…the pub does seem to be settling into its new identity, which is excellent news…and with Martin’s Off-License so close, a well-curated bottle or can list could be a nice extra feature…
Our original take from April, 2024:
After several weeks looking at Dublin city centre pubs, we’re heading back to the Northside, with a visit to The Strand House in Fairview. Locals will recall that this was most recently the BRÚ House Fairview, which was a BRÚ pub that became a Galway Bay pub retaining its BRÚ branding, but with the Galway Bay food menu and core beers. Clear? Great! However, just as The Beer Market (also a former Galway Bay/BRÚ joint) became The Christchurch Inn, so BRÚ House is now The Strand House.
Well, what’s changed?
First off, the frontage is red now, but the beer lineup is the biggest revision, and it’s quite a downgrade from my perspective. Whereas before there were the usual Galway Bay beers and some interesting guest taps, now it’s a standard Heineken/Diageo macro lineup, with a single independent option – the always-welcome Trouble Ambush. On the positive side, the Ambush was lovely and fresh, and hopefully it will remain that way, but it did mean that for me, there were not as many reasons to stop in and linger as there had been before. Indeed, while the interior looks welcoming, if not a huge change from the previous look and feel (the nice coat/bag hooks under the bar are certainly handy, and the darker colour scheme is pleasant), I’m not entirely sure it sets itself apart from Gaffney’s, just a few doors down now, whereas before, they were more distinctive – though the staff were all on top form, so also a big positive there.
We’ll do a separate entry on Gaffney’s at some point, but in brief, it is a very comfortable Old Man Pub, also with a few craft taps (from Hope, in their case). And, so far, The Strand House feels quite similar, albeit with more children running around. One of the things that made BRÚ House such a useful neighbourhood pub was the children’s menu – and with Fairview Park right across the road, we would stop in not infrequently after a playground session, or even in the middle of trick-or-treating on Halloween. That’s not to suggest it was overrun with small children, by any means, but it was a very chill, family-friendly spot at reasonable hours. And while the food menu won’t kick in for a bit, there were still quite a few kids around, no doubt as the parents living nearby were presuming they’d be able to get them fed as under the previous management – time will tell.
I plan to visit again once the food is back – trad sessions are also on the way – but at the moment, it’s less of a destination than it used to be, at least for me. Perhaps more independent taps will be added in the future, but without them, it’s no longer my go-to post-haircut spot, despite being just around the corner from said establishment. That said, it’s nice to have more than one neighbourhood pub, so it’s more likely to fill that niche.
And if it turns out the food menu is the real draw, all to the good…fingers crossed!
Where: The Strand House, 12 Fairview, Clontarf, Dublin 3, D03 C998
Access from the city centre: Buses 14, 15, 27; DART to Clontarf Road
Food: Pub grub, Sunday roasts
Sport: Seems even more sport-friendly now: football, horse racing, GAA…
TVs: In the main bar area and in the back seating areas
Music: General indie background music, with some live events from time to time
Family-friendliness: Once again welcoming to the kids (at the usual hours)
Pub-crawl-ability: Low, unless you prefer a walk up to The Yacht Bar in Clontarf, though Gaffney's is almost next door
Local sites of note: Fairview Park, Croke Park, Clontarf Promenade
Haunted: Not that I've heard…
Other notes: Very handy for Martin's Off-License, one of Dublin's best; in theory, the Battle of Clontarf may have happened not far away, but that could also be LIES
Socials: Instagram
*Full disclosure – we were invited for a family meal, and the family did eat everything!
As tourist season seems more or less nearly in full swing, we’re sticking with Dublin city centre this week and O’Neill’s Pub and Kitchen – a tourist-friendly but also authentic pub that caters to a range of tastes and preferences – and one that’s large enough to offer a different experience depending on where you are in the pub (and just how crowded it is on the day or evening).
I recently had the unpleasant experience of stopping in a pub I’d never tried, and which shall remain nameless here, that was so aggressively 
Happily, O’Neill’s is nothing like this, and visiting it not long after The Pub to Remain Nameless made its positive features stand out all the more. Yes, there are trad sessions – good ones are always welcome – but the usual background music is quiet enough to chat, not painfully loud. Yes, there are various old photos and signs, even some barrels as you head upstairs, but they seem like a more natural accumulation over 
And speaking of ‘upstairs,’ there’s a nice ‘Whiskey Corner,’ all red leather and dark wood, though of course you’re welcome to drink anything you’d like (and the whiskey selection is indeed a very good one). It can be quieter up here (not necessarily on big game days, of course), especially during the afternoon, and it can make a pleasant spot on your literary pub crawl, given its 
Bill Clinton wuz here. And you’re not likely to forget it, as he seems to be on every wall in Fagan’s, somewhere.
We’re back in the ‘my sort of Dublin pub’ category: one with great craft beer – and a good variety, not simply one or two taps – there are 28 in total at Dudley’s, which is one of my favourite spots in The Liberties. But it’s not just the beer and the deep, rich colours that make this one of my go-to places when I’m in this part of town; it’s that it’s always welcoming and feels like a part of the fabric of the community – a pub for many different occasions. As with some of the other locations that make up the always-excellent 
Dudley’s opened in 2021 when the previous pub on the spot closed during the Covid shutdown. Its name now commemorates 
In short, even though it’s not one of my locals, Dudley’s is always a must-visit when I’m over in that direction; it’s great for a chilled-out solo pint, a pause on the 
As a general rule, when I’m in this part of town, I head to 
Without getting into the specific behind-the-scenes workings that are, frankly, none of my business, the pub ended up in 
But while it has much less of a ‘craft beer bar’ feel and more of a ‘catering to international tourists’ vibe, there is still a strong lineup of local options, albeit without any from Galway Bay. On our visit, there was some well-kept Ambush, Happy Days, Big Bangin’ and Rustbucket from Trouble, Rascals, Rye River and Kinnegar, respectively; even some Galway Hooker (no relation) appeared, plus a La Chouffe tap for the odd Belgian hit. Obviously there’s Guinness as well, both the real thing and 0.0, and some of your standard lagers as well. And it must be said that it really does feel much less like a locals’ craft beer pub and more like a tourist pub nowadays, though that’s completely understandable, given the location. And on this particular visit, there were many, many North American accents on display (not just mine), and I didn’t have the usual warm-fuzzy feeling from the playlist, which in most pubs I frequent is more ’90s Irish, UK and European tracks – I first moved out of the US in 1995, so haven’t heard any new music From There since then, and I couldn’t identify anything playing without the help of Shazam…it was all American bands I’d never heard of. And to be clear, I’m not saying I’m cool to not take on board New Things, just…old. So, if you’re an American or Canadian younger Millennial or older Gen Z traveller, it will probably get you right in the feels; not everything needs to be just for me, and that’s fine!
This week’s Weirdo Dublin Pub is properly a little bit weird, in the best possible ways; we’re heading back to Stoneybatter for 
But back to the dogs – they are very much catered for here, with their own little snugs and corners, photo wall (there is much to be said for a pet-focused feature wall vs a human-centred ‘Instagram wall’ in a pub) and even a little bed tucked away within some of the seating, for the sleepier or simply more retiring Good Pupper. On my recent visit, all the canine customers were very well-behaved indeed – and the same went for their human counterparts.
I’d been told by a regular that 
And there’s much to be said for an Old Man Pub; there are plenty of friendly regulars (largely, though not entirely, from that specific demographic), quite often a more affordable pint and a some generally comfortable spots to sit and relax. There may not be any craft beer – the closest The Boh gets is with a few broadly-interchangeable Franciscan Well and Open Gate IPAs – but as the vast majority of their patrons are here for the Guinness and Beamish, it’s hardly surprising. First, though, a bit of context.
More properly known as McGeough’s – The Bohemian, and situated on one side of Doyle’s Corner (opposite, er, 
Welcome to the new home for Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs! If you’re a regular visitor, you’ll notice we’ve spun off to a new, stand-alone site, just in time for the first anniversary of this series, and we’ll be adding some new features and categories as we go. With that bit of housekeeping out of the way, we’re back to normal service with another Northside pub – 
My perception of The Ivy House before this visit was that is was more restaurant than pub; the larger main section is sleeky and modern – there’s a lot of dark blue – with many booths and tall tables, though there is a fireplace toward the back, albeit a large open and, again, very modern one. It’s less cozy and more efficient, with a large menu suiting most tastes (including my still-rather-picky younger offspring). Indeed, they always seem to be doing a roaring brunch trade at the weekends, and when I’m out and about for a solo pint, I frequently stop at The Cat & Cage, rather than The Ivy House, simply out of habit, but also because on those occasions I’m looking more for a nice spot to sit and relax, rather than go for a full meal.
But as I happened to be in the area and wanted to get inside as soon as possible, I finally stopped in to the Carthy’s Bar side of The Ivy House, and ‘side’ is the key word here – it has an entirely separate entrance around the corner, complete with its own frontage. And, once inside, it’s quite the contrast from the other side of The Ivy House – it’s every bit the old-man-pub, complete with the aforementioned fireplace – not a woodburner, but lovely an warm. On my afternoon visit, there were at least 3 different sports on – possibly one for each person in the pub at that moment – but nothing was too loud or distracting. And as the bar serves both sides of the pub, it’s easy to order one of the local craft options – they always seem to have Hope Hop-on on tap – or a Guinness or Beamish from either spot.
