Toasties

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: TP Smith’s

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Outside TP Smith'sSometimes, it really is all about The Socials.

I confess that I’d never particularly noticed TP Smith’s, despite having frequent need to go to the Jervis Centre, the rather-depressing shopping mall just across the Luas tracks from the pub. Although some of the historic façade has been maintained, you’d be hard-pressed to notice it when walking past the mall in question, and while there are especially useful branches of Boots and Marks & Spencer contained within, there’s little else to recommend it as a destination as opposed to a duty to be ticked off a list. It has that generic, draining mall lighting you find all around the world; a therapeutic pint after venturing into this sort of consumerist hellscape is practically a balm for the soul.

Beers available at TP Smith's

My typical thank-goodness-that’s-over post-shopping pint is more typically at The Black Sheep, just a short walk away on Capel Street, but I recently caught a video on the Instas from Rascals – one of my favourite spots for a pint and pizza – recommending a visit to TP Smith’s, as they now have their delicious Sidekick IPA on tap. Sidekick may well be my favourite new beer of the last year: it’s a solid, old-school West Coast IPA – not a bit of haze. And while it’s available at Rascals itself, I’ve only ever seen it in cans closer to me. And given that I had a long-procrastinated trip to the Jervis Centre on my to-do list, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to stop in.

A pint of Rascals Sidekick at TP Smiths

The 18th century exterior – well-kept for this part of town – is quite deceptive. I was surprised by just how large this TARDIS-like pub is on the inside – three levels, and plenty of room all around. The giant mosaic on one wall and what can only be described as a ‘statement’ spiral staircase, all in copper, make quite a change from the usual pub décor. And yet, the rest of the pub has the more typical dark wood, cosy fireplaces and smaller tables and chairs to sit with groups of various sizes. But it was really the combination of the beer menu – not just two different beers from Rascals, but also several Rye River and Galway Bay beers on tap, plus some less-seen macros, like Blue Moon, Kilkenny and Smithwicks Pale Ale in addition to the more common Smithwicks Red, Guinness, Beamish and Harp. And there was another bonus: a promotion on Rascals pints, making them only €6 a pop.

While I don’t expect this bargain to last for long, it was a most welcome sight. I’m quite pleased for the good people at Rascals to have alerted me to their beers in this part of town. Given that I’ve only recently managed to make it to another hidden gem of Dublin, the medieval St Mary’s Abbey chapter house just a short walk away, I suppose I’m still in discovery mode, 5 years into life here.

Let’s hope for more ‘unexpected’ pubs offering local independent beer to appear in the near future…

Where: 9-10, Jervis St, North City, Dublin 1, D01 XV66
Access from the city centre: Luas Green Line, 10-ish minute walk
Food: Pub grub, toasties
Sport: All the sport
TVs: Quite a few all around the large pub
Music: A bit MOR
Family-friendliness: Kids’ menu got a thumbs-up from our test child
Pub-crawl-ability: High – The Church, The Black Sheep, Underdog, The King’s Inn, Fidelity, Bonobo, J McNeill’s, The Norseman, Porterhouse Temple Bar…and more in all directions
Local sites of note: Jervis Centre, Chapters Bookstore, St Mary’s Abbey, Wolfe Tone Square, National Leprechaun Museum, ILAC Centre
Haunted: Next door’s long-derelict building surely has a few tales
Other notes: Part of the same ownership group as The Norseman, among others
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

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

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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 Boru ‘camped 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: Tapped

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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: Briody’s

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Outside Briody'sThis week’s pub is one that we’ve both been asked to profile repeatedly, and, in nearly equal measure, begged not to reveal it as a secret hidden gem. Is it possible to satisfy both of these audiences? Let’s find out – and so, we venture back to Marlborough Street, home to The Confession Box, Piper’s Corner and The Flowing Tide. Our destination today is Briody’s, a pub whose otherwise-unremarkable exterior seems to be missing its top floor (along with its twin in the centre of the Georgian terrace)…but it simply seems to get on with things.

Inside, it’s really a single room, though there is a bookable upstairs space (don’t worry, there is a ceiling)…and while it doesn’t have the lavish cut-glass and mirrors of pubs like The Hut or Gaffney’s, it does share a common feature with those two: it’s a proper Old Man Pub. If Old Man Pubs are a new concept to you, I highly recommend picking up Ali Dunworth’s A Compendium of Irish Pints – we did also interview her on the Beer Ladies Podcast about the book – to get the full lowdown, but you certainly know one when you enter one. While I can no longer claim the honour of having been the only patron under 50 (maybe, though, 65 or so here), the number of women was vanishingly small, but in no way was it an unwelcome feeling. I have absolutely been in pubs where being the only woman was Not Great, though, interestingly, it’s never happened to me here in Ireland. Whether that’s a feature of the local scene or a function of me being too old to notice or care may be up for debate, but in any event, Briody’s felt warm and inviting, though also left me to my own devices, which was very much what I was looking for. Solo pints in some Old Man Pubs seem to turn into social occasions – looking at you, The Boh – which is all well and good when you’re in the mood for that, but it felt much more optional at Briody’s – it would have been easy to slip into conversation about the racing, but it felt equally acceptable to relax on one’s own.

A pint of Scraggy Bay at Briody'sAlso unlike many other Old Man Pubs, there was an independent beer option: Kinnegar’s Scraggy Bay. In some pubs that don’t have that kind of turnover for non-Guinness options, they aren’t always as fresh, but there were no such issues here. Guinness was, of course, plentiful, but there were many pints of lager being consumed, too – it is slightly unusual to see Tuborg on one of the taps in a Dublin pub, but I have a soft spot for many Carlsberg products, so it was quite welcome. The décor is, again, by no means fancy, but it’s very well-kept: red and cream paint, lighter wood tones and simple brass lamps on the bar. The crowd was clearly mostly regulars, and although most were deeply invested in the multiple channels of horse racing, there were other long-running conversations, too.

The bar at Briody'sAnd while it may be true that this is not the cleanest nor most well-kept part of Dublin, that is presumably part of what keeps the tourists away, Georgian architecture notwithstanding. And although some parts of Reddit may be thoroughly convinced that we’re all just waiting to get murdered north of the Liffey, there are signs of positive development; newer pubs like The Morris Bar, just a short walk away, suggest that things are slowly improving. But for a pub like Briody’s that’s been here for over a century in various guises, it seems to be content to keep its current mix of regulars and semi-regulars who drop in whenever they are in town.

And so, on their behalf, I’ll suggest you stop in for that quiet pint or two, maybe alone, maybe with 1-2 friends, but don’t overwhelm the spot with a coach tour – let Briody’s keep that ‘local pub’ vibe. With so many varied pubs to choose from in this part of town, you can mix and match styles for a unique pub crawl.

Where: 97 Marlborough Street, Dublin, IE D01 PP92
Access from the city centre: Luas Green Line, Buses 9, 13, 14, 83, 122, 123, 8-ish minute walk
Food: Toasties & similar fare
Sport: Horse racing, football, GAA & more; if you can wager on it, you can watch it
TVs: All around the small pub
Music: Very much a background soundtrack…you’ll hear the race calls over the music; also occasional live sets
Family-friendliness: More Old Man Pub
Pub-crawl-ability: High – The Flowing Tide, The Confession Box, The Palace Bar, The Morris Bar, Piper's Corner, Bowes, JR Mahon’s, The Oval Bar, Mulligan's and Mooney's of Abbey Street; also not too far from The Silver Penny if you need a ‘Spoons
Local sites of note: Abbey Theatre, Gate Theatre, The Spire, NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM, GPO, Ha'Penny Bridge, Trinity College
Haunted: Perhaps by the missing top of the building? Would love to know the story there…the usual newspaper searches didn’t turn up much
Other notes: No need to bring your own Racing Post – there will be plenty of copies
Socials: Facebook, Instagram (both seem very quiet)

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Doheny and Nesbitt

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Outside Doheny & Nesbitt at nightWe kick off our 2025 pub-visiting endeavours with a stop off at Doheny and Nesbitt – a rare venture into this part of Dublin city centre.

Although Doheny and Nesbitt is very much a classic Victorian pub, the building actually began life as a Georgian house, built around 1790. But both ends of Baggot Street became more commercial in the 19th century, especially after Upper Baggot Street was further developed, and from the 1840s onward, this has been a pub. While the management and ownership has changed over time, the interior décor has ‘paused’ (to good effect) somewhere around 1885 – lots of dark, carved wood, advertising mirrors, ornate wallpapers and ceiling tiles.

Inside Doheny & NesbittIts more recent history and reputation are linked to its location and resulting clientele; as it’s so close to Leinster House (for the overseas visitors, that’s where the government ‘happens,’ and yes, that Georgian garden to the front of it is, indeed, a car park), politicians and civil servants have had a habit of dropping in over the years, giving the pub the nickname of ‘the Doheny and Nesbitt’s School of Economics,’ but on an average day, you’re more likely to see a group of tourists and (retired) civil servants; there can be more than a bit of the Old Man Pub vibe about the place.

A pint of Changing Times lager at Doheny & NesbittSome of that may also come from its beer selection; there’s the usual Guinness-and-macros lineup (plus Murphy’s), as well as two new taplines from Changing Times Brewery. I’ve debated whether or not this counts as a ‘craft’ or ‘independent’ offering, and since it seems to be replacing previous independent beer options in the pubs that have come together to serve Changing Times, rather than taking over another macro-beer tap…I’ll have to say the jury is still out. I did try the lager, and it was very much Not For Me – I would have preferred a Carlsberg clone to a Heineken one. But they do have a stout coming soon, and if they do begin to offer something a bit more compelling, I’m curious to see where it goes. For now, though, while it’s a beautiful pub with lovely service, it’s not the kind of place I personally stay for more than one drink, simply because the variety of beer options isn’t there for me. But if you’re looking for a Guinness or Murphy’s session, you are well-served in this part of town – and Doheny and Nesbitt makes a lovely backdrop if that’s what you’re after, and again, the staff are all top-notch.

But for us beer nerds, all roads lead to Underdog…I seem to always end up there after any visit to a city centre pub for just this reason, even though it’s not always the most convenient journey. But it’s always well worth the trip!

Where: 4-5 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2
Access from the city centre: 5-minute walk from Stephen’s Green
Food: There are breakfast/lunch/dinner and toasties menus
Sport: All the big sport options
TVs: Several throughout the building, including above the main bar
Music: Live trad & other tunes 7 nights a week
Family-friendliness: There is a kids’ menu with the usual goujons and similar options
Pub-crawl-ability: Medium-High – Toner’s, McGrattan's, Kennedy's, and O'Donoghue's are all very close, though I'd personally head further on up toward Cassidy’s, Bowes, The Oval or The Palace Bar
Local sites of note: Little Museum of Dublin, Huguenot Cemetery, St Stephen's Green, Merrion Square, Fitzwilliam Square, Royal Hibernian Academy, Oireachtas, National Library of Ireland, National Museum of Ireland (Archaeology and The Dead Zoo), National Gallery of Ireland…etc.
Haunted: A classic Victorian pub should have a good ghost story; perhaps a story-writing competition is needed
Other notes: An excellent whiskey selection
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Swift

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Swift sign under My Goodness / My GuinnessWe’re still just warming up for all things Autumnal, so while we wait for Spooky Season to properly kick off, we’re visiting a very ‘normal’ pub this week – we’re back in The Liberties to stop in for a pint at Swift.

But wait, I hear you ask – wasn’t this The Magnet a hot second ago? Well…yes. And it still has a very pleasant magnet-themed mosaic at the front door. But wait, you ask again – before that, wasn’t it Agnes Browne’s as recently as 2022? Uh…also yes. Hang on, you persist – wasn’t this the site of the Wig & Pen, and not so long ago? Correct again. And before that another pub, and another pub, ad infinitum?

The still-here magnet mosaic at the door

Well, perhaps not quite *that* long, but there has been a pub or pub-adjacent business of some description here for quite some time. The building now occupied by Swift isn’t as old as its unassuming next door neighbour, which may be Dublin’s oldest extant domestic dwelling, dating to the 17th century (you can, as always, blame the Wide Streets Commission for the absence of much of medieval Dublin – though there are bits around if you know where to look), but it would seem to have been here in some form since the mid-18th century, despite its 19th century appearance. And, speaking of that 19th century façade: ‘The current shopfront is out of character with the dignity of the building and the historic setting of the church opposite’ suggested the authors of the Thomas Street ACA Inventory of Buildings back in 2009, when this was the rather more downmarket ‘Booze 2 Go’ – likely not a sentiment we would want to argue with.

In that sense, the parade of pub names since that time is no bad thing, but what do we think of the current incarnation?

A glass of Scraggy Bay at SwiftAs it happens, there are a lot of positives: the interior is a tidy version of ‘traditional Irish pub,’ with dark colours – lots of deep greens and reds – and a variety of snug-like seating options. Independent beer is represented by Kinnegar’s Scraggy Bay, and there were a variety of non-alcoholic and cocktail options on offer as well. There is Guinness, of course, and a frankly great €10 pint-and-toastie deal – ‘Not The Brazen Head‘ notes the chalkboard proclaiming the deal.

The busy bar at SwiftNow, my personal favourite Jonathan Swift-themed pub is, oddly enough, The Dean Swift in London – in my defence, it has wonderful food and some great cask options, which are a rarity around these parts – but Dublin’s Swift is a pleasant spot for a pint, too – and rather closer to the clergyman-satirist’s more frequent stomping grounds and burial place.

The Liberties is an excellent spot for a pub crawl, and Swift makes a fine addition to the area – continuing a centuries-long tradition.

Where: 131 Thomas St, The Liberties, Dublin, D08 P8H3
Access from the city centre: Buses 13, 27, 49, 54A, 77A, 123, 150, 151, G1, G2, 15-ish minute walk
Food: Toasties
Sport: Football & the usual big sporting events
TVs: Big screen in the main bar
Music: Ska – at least on my visit, they had a tremendous ska playlist – and live music (trad & other genres) some evenings
Family-friendliness: Not a great spot for the littles
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Dudley’s is across the street, with Arthur’s,  Love Tempo, Guinness Open Gate Brewery, The Thomas House, The Christchurch Inn, Tailors Hall, The Lord Edward, The Bull & Castle and The Beer Temple/The Oak are 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: No obvious stories, but this has been a busy commercial street since at least medieval times…maybe there’s a spook in the cellar!
Other notes: The local archaeology report is a fascinating read over a pint – imagine what’s under your feet
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Grogan’s

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Toasties and pints at Grogan'sThis week, we are journeying to one of those ‘needs no introduction’ pubs that’s simply part of the fabric here in Dublin, and sometimes, you just need a pint and a toastie. And so, to Grogan’s.

While the cash-only policy is, thankfully, gone, everything else is old-school in the right way. The slightly scuffed, but art-covered walls, the jumbled stools and tables, the mix of regulars and tourists and the just-right toasties that go perfectly with your pint are all present and accounted for. While Grogan’s – more correctly, Grogan’s Castle Lounge – has been a pub since 1899, the present incarnation has been going strong since the 1970s, when it became a renowned literary haunt for the likes of Patrick Kavanagh and Flann O'Brien. And while its old-school cred is very much deserved, it’s a progressive sort of old-school: Grogan’s was one of the first pubs in Dublin that served women without a fuss – and if you haven’t picked up Ali Dunworth’s recent book, A Compendium of Irish Pints, well…you should! It’s a fascinating look at the many nuances of ‘pints’ here in Ireland, and the relevant section here on how Grogan’s led the way on ‘allowing’ women to drink pints (rather than half-pints, or ‘glasses’ as they are more usually known here) IN FULL VIEW OF MALE CUSTOMERS…it was a whole thing! We also had Ali on the Beer Ladies Podcast in the season we just wrapped up, so do give a listen.

The colourful lightbox with regulars' faces on the wall at Grogan'sAnd, speaking of podcasts, there’s an entire episode of Three Castles Burning dedicated to Grogan’s, and it is very much worth your time; Donal Fallon’s always-excellent podcast is required listening for anyone visiting or living in Dublin, and it’s a fascinating story. You know when a pub has generated this much affection over the years, there’s likely a reason for it.

And while I personally tend to go to quieter pubs most of the time, it’s hard to beat Grogan’s for people-watching (inside or outside), and it’s an ideal place to meet someone as it’s so central. The toastie (with or without ham – your choice) is a perfect quick bite, and it’s especially welcome in this part of town, where the options are pricier/larger sit-down meals or the odd packet of crisps. Beer-wise, there’s obviously plenty of Guinness on offer (both full-fat and 0.0), plus O’Hara’s as a local craft choice, and there is also Beamish, Murphy’s and the lesser-spotted draught Harp (at least here in Dublin – it’s much more common in Belfast), along with the usual macro suspects.

While it’s rare to find any empty seats, Grogran’s is also the kind of pub where if you simply wait a bit, something may open up, or you may be invited to join an existing party and have a chat. You may as well…

Where: 15 William St S, Dublin 2, D02 H336
Access from the city centre: You are very central
Food: Toasties
Sport: Only verbal gymnastics
TVs: No
Music: Not here
Family-friendliness: You do see kids brought in as tourists, but it’s awfully crowded for them; still, toasties!
Pub-crawl-ability: High – The Long Hall, The Hairy Lemon, Caribou, Peter's Pub, Sinnot's Bar and Bar Rua are all within stumbling distance, with many more beyond
Local sites of note: George’s Street Arcade, Gaiety Theatre, St Stephen’s Green, Dublin Castle, Chester Beatty, Craft Central (IYKYK)
Haunted: No well-known stories, but surely, at least a few old regulars would like to return…
Other notes: Grogan’s is open from 10.30 am, so you can always beat the crowds with a mid-morning tea
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Toner’s

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Outside Toner's PubDespite its Viking-era foundations, Dublin rarely feels like an ‘old’ city by European standards – something we can, in large part, blame on the Wide Streets Commission, which resulted in the demolition of much of medieval Dublin in the 18th century. However, the city the Commission members desired can very much be seen in the part of Baggot street we are visiting this week as we look at Toner’s Pub. While perhaps best known as a literary pub (yes, another one – we do have a fair few), it’s also practically the Platonic ideal of a Dublin pub: a Georgian building, a past as a grocer and tea merchant, lots of dark wood, Guinness and a surprising number of snugs, nooks and crannies.

Inside Toner's PubBuilt as a house in 1734, Toner’s has been continuously operated as a pub since 1818, and to quote the National Built Heritage Service, ‘[t]he remarkably intact exterior greatly contributes to the historic streetscape in the centre of the south Georgian core.’ On my recent visit, that history was very much on display, as Toner’s is the first Pub Museum, an initiative sponsored by Heineken, and we did a bit of poking around to see how it all works (and, full disclosure, to get a free Heineken 0.0, which regular readers know is not my go-to, but it was a nicely-organised event). In brief, the project lets you scan a QR code at the front of the pub and then to investigate objects and locations throughout the rest of the pub – that may be a voiceover, a bit of music or other information about the item in question. It did reveal some fabulous anecdotes about former visitors, from WB Yeats to David Bowie, though I imagine many visitors just want to sit with a pint and soak up the history more organically. That said, it’s not always easy to find out those little historical snippets that the bartender or regulars may just ‘know,’ so it is very handy for tourists (or history nerds like me). Time will tell how scalable it is to other pubs, but I am all for doing a better job of documenting (and funding) pub history.

Front snug at Toner'sAnd Toner’s does have an interesting history; it’s alleged to be the only pub Yeats ever went to, and his brief? occasional? presence in the front snug seems to be one of the connections that gets Toner’s onto the list of Dublin’s haunted pubs – again, something I’d like to see grow, at least from a folklore-gathering perspective, although alas, his magickal duel with Aleister Crowley took place in London. But Yeats was not the only Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn member to stop in at Toner’s – Bram Stoker was a more frequent guest, as he lived just a short walk away.

But what of the pub itself? First off, it’s bigger on the inside (no, really) – the front bar, while picturesque, is just the beginning. It winds around inside, with quite different-feeling sections upstairs and downstairs, but the enormous beer garden is one of the largest in Dublin – and it’s even heated. There are covered booths, some with laptop or phone charge points, as well as other seating options, so a rainy day need not rule out a bit of fresh air. Beer-wise, it’s very much a Heineken-plus-Guinness shop – the only ‘crafty‘ option is Five Lamps lager, but there is now a Murphy’s tap; the demise of Islands Edge has cleared the way for its return around town. Although I’d personally prefer at least one local independent option, you do have two (actual) stout options.

Only a tiny portion of the beer garden

While it’s true I rarely find myself in this part of town, I did make a mental note that the beer garden is going to be lovely once it warms up a bit more…perhaps an ideal spot to take out-of-town guests who want to see a ‘real Irish pub’ in the middle of their museum visits; stopping in at Toner’s can count in both columns.

Where: James Toner’s, 139 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2
Access from the city centre: 5-minute walk from St Stephen’s Green
Food: Crisps/peanuts or bring in a pizza from Cirillo's next door
Sport: Can have quite a rugby crowd, but big events in general tend to be shown
TVs: One above the main bar, a few elsewhere here and there
Music: Trad sessions and the odd ‘secret’ gig for the likes of Dermot Kennedy and Shaggy (indeed!) – keep an eye on the socials
Family-friendliness: More of a grownup spot, but the beer garden does have plenty of space if you’re getting pizza
Pub-crawl-ability: Medium-High – McGrattan’s, Kennedy’s, O’Donoghue’s and Doheny & Nesbitt are all very close, though I’d personally head further on up toward Cassidys, Bowes or The Palace Bar
Haunted: Did Bram Stoker bring any kind of attached elemental from Marsh’s Library when he drank here? Let’s say yes!
Local sites of note: Little Museum of Dublin, Huguenot Cemetery, St Stephen’s Green, Merrion Square, Fitzwilliam Square, Royal Hibernian Academy, Oireachtas, National Library of Ireland, National Museum of Ireland (Archaeology and The Dead Zoo), National Gallery of Ireland…etc.
Other notes: If you do venture outside, you will not be troubled by seagulls.
Socials: Facebook, Former Twitter, Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Bowes

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Bowes stained glass windowI don’t have the largest list of city centre Dublin pubs to recommend (yet!), simply because I’m not in the more touristy parts of town very often, but one pub in this area I do quite enjoy is Bowes. It really does tick all of the boxes for a Victorian pub out of central casting – dark interior, stained glass, wood panelling and slightly worn around the edges. The exact parameters of those edges have been under discussion for some time, as there have been numerous attempts to get permission to expand into the sadly-derelict Irish Yeast Company building abutting the pub, but there doesn’t seem to be a clear path for or against that happening at the moment.

The bar at BowesBut as of this writing, Bowes seems to be doing just fine as-is: in addition to the usual well-kept Guinness, there’s always an excellent whiskey selection, rivalling that of The Palace Bar, and a good variety of local craft beer – Kinnegar, O’Hara’s, Rye River – plus some useful non-alcoholic options. One speculates that this kind of non-whiskey variety was unimaginable when Bowes was a regular hangout for Irish Times journalists in decades past, but it does suit its current mix of Trinity College students, tourists and long-time regulars; on my visits, I’ve always found a wide range of ages, accents, genders, backgrounds and interests, all equally welcome.It’s not the kind of pub I usually go to in my own neighbourhood, largely because I’m more often out and about with family in those situations, but it’s an ideal spot for a real ‘pubby’ pub when meeting up with other grownup friends and kicking back with a pint or two.

Pints of Rye River at BowesFor me, Bowes combines the best features of Old Man Pubs – decor, vibe and unpretentiousness – with what I also expect on a good afternoon or evening out: local beer and whiskey, a more diverse crowd and a generally sound atmosphere. If someone could just point me to a ghost story (or create one), it would have everything…

Where: Bowes Lounge Bar, 31 Fleet St, Dublin 2, D02 DF77
Access from the city centre: You are there
Food: I’ve only ever seen crisps consumed, but the internet claims there are other snacks
Sport: Not sporty
TVs: Possibly an old one somewhere, but never seems to be on
Music: Fairly MOR, but never too loud; I’ve also been when it has been music-free
Family-friendliness: Leave the kids at home for this one
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Doyle’s is next door, but O’Neill’s, Cassidys, Mulligans, The Palace Bar, JR Mahon’s, The Oval Bar, Porterhouse Temple Bar, Tapped and many, many more are all within a very short stroll
Haunted: It certainly looks and feels like it should be haunted
Local sites of note: Trinity College, Book of Kells, Grafton Street, NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM, Irish Whiskey Museum…you are as central as can be
Other notes: Handy coat/bag hooks, which more pubs should have
Socials: None seem active

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Lord Edward

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Outside The Lord EdwardSome Dublin pubs are spoken about in slightly hushed tones, with an air of wonder; when you admit you haven’t been to one of those ‘classics,’ there are frequently two standard responses: ‘ah, you must, it's wonderful,’ or ‘well, I know it’s a certain type of a place,’ which may sound non-committal, but it conveys much more. And so while I’ve been told again and again that I ‘must go’ to The Lord Edward, also hearing the second line nearly as frequently had made me somewhat apprehensive. On the face of it, this is silly; what could be intimidating about a pub that is clearly beloved by so many? And I hasten to add this isn’t the sort of place that has a clear demographic type that would be genuinely something to avoid; I used to live near a fairly notorious football hooligan pub in London in the 1990s, and while it was my closest watering hole, the fact that I would walk nearly a mile to the Wetherspoons up the road instead should say everything about that.

But after reading Eoghan Walsh’s thoughtful piece the other week, I determined to finally pay The Lord Edward a visit. And while on one hand, I found very much what I expected, there were a few elements that kept me thinking about it for some time after. Both the pub exterior and interior absolutely fit the ‘19th century pub that was last updated in the 1960s‘ aesthetic, and it’s probably true that there are ever-fewer pubs out there that fit this bill, though this is obviously part of what appeals to many. And, indeed, there is some lovely tilework and stained glass, though the scuffed dark wood and tired carpet are a bit less charming – at least, to me. And as a fairly curmudgeonly pub-goer myself, I very much agree that not every pub needs a ‘feature wall’ and stripped wooden floors – going too far in that direction absolutely robs pubs of their character. And not every pub needs to have a craft beer tap – I very much enjoy The Gravediggers and The Hut, which are great spots to simply relax with a Guinness – the option of Beamish as well as Guinness at The Lord Edward is handy, though I was moderately surprised not to see the Guinness 0.0 option as well. I suppose yes, there were some Five Lamps beers, but they’ve never really appealed to me.

A pint of Beamish at The Lord EdwardBut as I sat with my pint of Beamish (yes, I am aware that the Guinness was brewed just a short walk away, I’m just a sucker for Beamish and am glad it seems to be reappearing around town), listening to snatches of conversation here and there, I struggled to put my finger on just what it was about The Lord Edward that made it feel less ‘for me’ than the aforementioned Gravediggers or Hut. Was it simply that it was a bit more run-down inside compared to the other two? Both of those have interiors that feel ‘old’ but well-loved, I thought, so perhaps that was one aspect of it. Was it the entirely male clientele – at least, on this visit? Possibly…though I’ve also had similar crowds at The Boh. What I finally landed on (and it may well be a case of overthinking) was that a combination of the two factors reminded me of pubs with a similar look and atmosphere in the UK, back in the day…albeit with much better Guinness, I expect! My working theory is that men who are (probably) younger than me would have grown up going to pubs of this sort with their dads, uncles, cousins and so forth, and so it may trigger a particular nostalgia, especially as more and more of this type close, update or gentrify. For me, though, I’m reminded of slightly dodgy places in the East End of London that had kept their 1960s carpet as some sort of homage to the Kray Twins…the blokey atmosphere I used to encounter some 25 years ago felt very much in evidence at The Lord Edward. And I would not say this was overt or purposeful, it just…is. And I think that for me, most old-school boozers feel interchangeable with other old-school boozers anywhere in the world, and that they offer less that’s unique or charming, with an individual sense of place, whereas a pub like The Gravediggers is brimming with personality and local character.

And to be clear, not every pub needs to tick all of my very specific boxes…I mean, I’m hardly going to have a perfect Moon Under Water of my own without a cask option, but I can let that slide most of the time. I suppose the key point here is that, in the absence of fond memories, The Lord Edward doesn’t feel like ‘a pub for me’ – and that’s absolutely fine, it obviously has regulars, fans and a busy tourist trade, given its location opposite Christchurch Cathedral – and they love it as is, which is as it should be.

And the cathedral bells, it must be said, do add considerable interest. An English tourist asked the barman whether the constant ringing of bells was ‘just because it’s Sunday.’ After a suitably long pause, the response was short, but complete: ‘No. There’s always a lot of bells.’

So, in summary, there’s much to be said for a proper old-school boozer if that’s your thing; The Lord Edward absolutely fits that bill. Perhaps it’s just waiting to become (or already is) your old school boozer.

Where: The Lord Edward, 23 Christchurch Pl, Wood Quay, Dublin, D08 RK00
Access from the city centre: Buses 27, 77A, 150, 151, 11-ish minute walk
Food: Crisps, theoretical toasties
Sport: Football on at times
TVs: Bar-level TV had news on
Music: No music, but occasional trad sessions upstairs possibly still happening
Family-friendliness: Many more appropriate options in the area
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Tailors Hall, The Bull & Castle, The Christchurch Inn, The Beer Temple/The Oak are all more or less in one direction, with The Thomas House, Love Tempo, Swift, Arthur’s and other Liberties spots (including a certain Guinness Storehouse and/or Open Gate Brewery) in the other; The Brazen Head is also a short walk away
Haunted: Finally, we have a proper haunted pub: Lord Edward Fitzgerald himself is meant to frequent the building
Local sites of note: Christchurch Cathedral, Dublinia, St Audoen’s Church, Guinness Storehouse, Vicar Street, Olympia Theatre
Other notes: The pub gets slightly odder from a physical perspective as you go up; the toilets are, uh, unique
Socials: Facebook seems largely abandoned