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Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Confession Box

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A terrible picture of the sandwich board outside The Confession BoxThis week’s pub isn’t especially Christmassy, nor is it one I frequent, but it is one that appeals to tourists and locals alike, so here we are. The Confession Box’s claim to be the smallest pub in Dublin may not be entirely accurate, but it does have historic bona fides; mixing a bit of fact and myth is almost par for the course in modern pub marketing (indeed, also in historic pub marketing), so we’ll consider it part of the furniture.

While the ground floor part of the pub is quite small of footprint, the upstairs space does offer more options, and that floor can be especially helpful when the tour groups arrive. And those tour groups are mostly here for the Guinness and Michael Collins associations – the current name arose because priests from the nearby Pro-Cathedral would secretly hear confessions for Collins and his fellows-in-arms during the War of Independence. But it draws a local crowd as well, offering one of the more affordable pints in Dublin, though if it’s craft beer you’re looking for, wander around the corner to Piper’s Corner or The Flowing Tide – this is a Guinness and Heineken shop.

A portrait of Dionysius Lardner at The Confession Box - he does get a little nodBut The Confession Box didn’t start out as a pub, and its earlier history could be more celebrated. Originally built as a house around 1800, it was the birthplace and childhood home to the extravagantly-named Dionysius Lardner, the noted science writer, adulterer and Isambard Kingdom Brunel-botherer whose life really should be some sort of prestige comedy-drama. He was also most likely the father of the actor/playwright Dion Boucicault, another nominatively-blessed gentleman whose exploits could be usefully reimagined from the point of view of the women in his life…but I digress.

Sport and Heineken 0.0 upstairs at The Confession BoxGiven the concentration of pubs in this part of town (and easy proximity to the Luas), it’s a good shout to include for a pub crawl; for those not afraid of the north side of the Liffey, there’s something for everyone in this area of Dublin.

Where: 88 Marlborough St, North City, Dublin 1, D01 X267
Access from the city centre: Luas Green Line, Buses 9, 13, 14, 83, 122, 123, 8-ish minute walk
Food: Crisps
Sport: Sport galore, all over the pub
TVs: No shortage of screens
Music: It can be quite loud at times; trad sessions of a weekend
Family-friendliness: Possibly if they are part of a coach trip, but I wouldn’t seek it out with kids
Pub-crawl-ability: High – The Flowing Tide, The Palace 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: While Lardner (and likely son Boucicault) decamped to London, ‘psychic residue’ from their time would be fascinating
Other notes: It is still quite petite, to be fair
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Oval Bar

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Outside The Oval

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hear, hear!

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

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Brazen Head

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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: 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: Arthur’s Pub

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Across the street from Arthur's PubArthur’s Pub – or, if you prefer, Arthur’s Blues and Jazz Club – sits on a prominent corner in the Liberties, and while it presents itself as ‘the nearest pub on the route to the Guinness Storehouse‘ and has name-checked Arthur Guinness, it has much more going for it than simply a handy location near one of Dublin’s most-visited landmarks. Although renovated as recently as 2022, the updates manage to feel very much bedded-in, yet with all the modern comforts.

And while there are a fair few spots nearby in The Liberties that cater to my craft beer preferences, Arthur’s does a great job of showcasing a range of independent Irish breweries, in addition to that extremely-fresh Guinness (even if it’s actually brewed a little bit further along than the Storehouse); there’s usually a good selection from Wicklow Wolf, Trouble, O’Hara’s, Rascals and more. In many ways, this is what I would expect for a pub that’s very much on the tourist trail – yes, there’s your expected Guinness, but you are also showing off other local producers, through both food and drink, and giving visitors a much fuller picture of what’s available here in Ireland. Oddly, this rarely happens, as many pubs that cater primarily to tourists carry only macro beers – so it’s great to see it. Arguably, the music venue upstairs does something similar – there’s a good mix of trad along with the jazz and blues in the name, which can be harder to find elsewhere in town.

The fireplace at Arthur's PubBut I love having an excuse to go to Arthur’s during the Libertine Market Crawl, a monthly craft and art market spread across three other neighbouring pubs, most recently Lucky’s, Dudley’s and Love Tempo. There’s always an eclectic but well-curated mix on offer, and Arthur’s seems to draw some of vendors on the spookier end of things, so yes, I am being catered to. And while the pub is by no means ancient by European standards – it was built c. 1850, and has been a pub since the 1860s (though not, back then, under its present Guinness-themed branding, of course) – its proximity to St Catherine’s Church, site of the execution of Robert Emmet in 1803, gives it a bit of a haunting air, enhanced by the large stone fireplace, covered in drippy candle wax at the far end of the pub, complete with a death mask of Emmet on the wall above.

For the tourist who may feel slightly discombobulated by a trip to the ultra-modern (and pricey) Gravity Bar at the Guinness Storehouse, just steps away, Arthur’s can help re-set the system; it feels like a very ‘authentic’ pub, albeit one with a more-interesting-than-usual set of offerings – something for everyone in the best way.

Where: 28 Thomas St, The Liberties, Dublin, D08 VF83
Access from the city centre: Buses 13, 27, 49, 54A, 77A, 123, 150, 151, G1, G2, 15-ish minute walk
Food: Elevated pub grub and small plates
Sport: Plenty of sporting options elsewhere in the neighbourhood
TVs: Not here
Music: Trad, jazz and general indie during the day, live jazz and blues upstairs
Family-friendliness: Plenty of kids about for lunch on weekend afternoons
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Dudley's is across the street, with Love Tempo, Guinness Open Gate Brewery, The Thomas House, Swift, 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: They lean *all the way in* with the Emmet death mask, but alas, he’s said to haunt The Brazen Head instead…
Other notes: Great vendors on the Libertine Market Crawl, always a kid- and dog-friendly event
Socials: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Hynes’ Bar

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Outside Hynes' BarFrom the exterior, Hynes’ Bar still looks to be an Old Man Pub; indeed, this was one of storied pintman Paddy Losty’s haunts, back in the day, and if you’re unfamiliar with the lore around Dublin pintmen, a visit to Publin for the backstory is well worth your time. But step inside, and it’s evident that Hynes’ Bar today welcomes a much broader array of regulars and characters (dogs included – this is Stoneybatter, after all), with a beautifully-restored interior, gorgeous beer garden and great lineup of local beers (Kinnegar, Trouble and Rascals, plus the usual suspects), cocktails and amazing food – plus well-curated tunes.

Blur or Oasis?On a recent Saturday evening, I found people making the most of the remaining visit from the sun in the beer garden, which comes complete with a DJ booth and Oasis-v-Blur cigarette disposal – a reference that here in Ireland is both a GenX comfort blanket and general Father Ted reference that even the younger set who don’t recall the 1990s will recognize – they know all about Fathers Dougal and Damo (though I note that as I write this, it’s the 30th anniversary of the release of Parklife, so I may crumble into dust before we’re through here – let’s see!). But the mural on one wall does pay homage to Paddy’s probably-apocryphal ‘wouldn’t be fond of drinking’ quote, so Old Stoneybatter is still here, too.

Inside Hynes' Bar

It could also be said that Old Stoneybatter persists in another way, too – Hynes’ Bar is one of several around town that hosts regular Irish language events, and you can get a discount on a pint if you order as gaeilge. While Stoneybatter was once considered one of the ‘…last Irish-speaking areas in Dublin,’ it’s probably better-known now internationally for its ‘cool‘ status, but don’t be put off by that; it comes by it pretty honestly, meaning that you can still find trad nights alongside DJ sets, open mic nights and all manner of pop-up markets and seasonal events, both at Hynes’ and in and around its excellent neighbours like L. Mulligan, Grocer and The Barber’s Bar, to namecheck just a few.

Beer garden at Hynes' BarAll told, it would be a challenge to find a more inclusive, welcoming spot, and the bao buns are absolutely fantastic. If the sun does come out again at some point, make a beeline for the beer garden; it’s a glorious spot.

Where: Hynes’ Bar, 79 Prussia St, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7, D07 FH51
Access from the city centre: Buses 37, 39, 39A, 46A, 70
Food: Currently Vietnamese-adjacent – bánh mì, spring rolls and more from The Streets
Sport: The odd pre-rugby pint, it seems
TVs: If they are still there, they are well-hidden
Music: It was lit at the club!
Family-friendliness: Probably more for the post-uni+ set
Pub-crawl-ability: High – L. Mulligan, Grocer, The Barber’s Bar, The Belfry, Kavanaugh’s, Walsh’s, The Glimmer Man, and only a short stroll to Smithfield for The Cobblestone, Fidelity…
Local sites of note: TUD Grangegorman, local Sheela-na-Gig
Haunted: Is Paddy still looking for another pint?
Other notes: Dogs are very welcome – they could easily do their own pub crawl in Stoneybatter; keep an eye out for events and music nights on the socials
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Strand House

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Outside The Strand House: red frontageA 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?

The bar at The Strand House

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.

Red leather seats at The Strand House

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!

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: O’Neill’s Pub & Kitchen

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Outside O'Neill's: sign & clockAs 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).

The snug downstairs at O'Neill'sI recently had the unpleasant experience of stopping in a pub I’d never tried, and which shall remain nameless here, that was so aggressively diddley-eye that I had to flee after a single quick pint – the Clancy Brothers on a loop, too loud; a complete lack of non-Guinness options, the various tin signs and old farm equipment on the wall just that little bit too much like an Oirsih Pub of the sort you find anywhere in the world, and that doesn’t need to exist in the middle of Dublin. When I asked the bartender if there were any local craft options, she claimed not to know what that meant. Now, that in itself isn’t a dealbreaker, there are some excellent Guinness-only pubs that are well worth a visit – The Gravediggers and The Hut immediately come to mind – but add in the twee décor, the music (and I love good trad…just not the same four or five particular bits that get played endlessly to tourists) and the Americans wearing Peaky Blinders hats, and it was a big nope.

Barrels on the way up the stairsHappily, 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 the past 150-200 years, rather than having come from a warehouse as part of a kit. The ground floor is something of a warren (in the best possible way), with the bar serving several distinct spaces, including a pleasant snug by one of the doors. There is a good variety in terms of local craft options on tap (again, we’ll let the decorative hand pulls set high up on a shelf slide – there’s no cask here), but it’s always a good idea to have a backup choice selected; in my experience, the first choice is nearly always the one that just kicked. Happily, though, there are some good options (Lineman, Bullhouse, Whiplash and Trouble, to name a few independent Irish breweries showcased on my most recent visit, with Third Barrel upstairs), so it’s in no way a hardship.

Upstairs near Whiskey CornerAnd 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 Seamus Heaney connections, among quite a few others. But again, there is a good variety of seating, with many little nooks and snugs, so it’s also a nice escape from Grafton Street shopping, just outside.

So, while my more usual MO is to hit up one of my locals before heading into town proper, my most recent visit to O’Neill’s was a good reminder that there are very nice spots right in Dublin city centre as well – they are not all tourist nightmares, even when you are absolutely in the middle of everything. Good times are possible!

Where: O’Neill’s Pub & Kitchen, 2 Suffolk St, Dublin 2, D02 KX03
Access from the city centre: You are there
Food: What I would term ‘tourist pub fare’ – Irish stew, soups, sandwiches, toasties and then burgers, etc.
Sport: Various screens for various sports – football, GAA, horse racing, etc
TVs: See ‘sport’
Music: Quiet enough to have a conversation; also trad events
Family-friendliness: Plenty of food options if it’s not late/too crowded
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Bowes, Cassidys, Mulligans, The Palace Bar, JR Mahon’s, The Oval, Porterhouse Temple Bar, Tapped and many, many more are all within a very short stroll
Haunted: With its literary cred, a ghost would be a big plus, but no obvious stories
Local sites of note: Grafton Street, Trinity College, NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM, Irish Whiskey Museum…you are central
Other notes: Not to be confused with O’Neill’s Victorian Pub & Townhouse on Pearse Street
Socials: Nothing updated for quite a few years

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Dudley’s

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Outside Dudley's at nightWe’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 Libertine Market Crawl each month, it’s a place that caters to many different demographics; I’ve seen groups (and solo drinkers) of all different ages, looks and preferences, whether that’s those with a taste for the Guinness that was brewed down the street or an Irish craft beer from the likes of Lough Gill, Whiplash, Hopkins & Hopkins or Trouble; the lineup is always changing, as are the styles.

Mac & cheese and a pint at Dudley'sDudley’s opened in 2021 when the previous pub on the spot closed during the Covid shutdown. Its name now commemorates Thomas ‘Bang Bang’ Dudley, a renowned Dublin character who roamed the Liberties and surrounds, using a key to ‘shoot’ buses and passers-by; the key is also remembered in the pub’s signage; Phibsborough’s Bang Bang Café is another nod to the man himself. Inside, the renovation is still looking fresh, with deep colours and a variety of seating options – two sides to the bar, with bar stools and tables around both, and cozy mezzanine and downstairs areas as well. I’m also a fan of the food; I’m always baffled that we don’t have more mac & cheese in Irish pubs, since we have The Best Cheese here, but Dudley’s is one of the few places in Dublin that provides.

T-shirts at Dudley's - yes, you can buy one, but no, you don't have toIn 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 Libertine Market Crawl with friends or family, and a fantastic spot to kick off a little Liberties pub crawl with friends.

But with such a nice variety of beer, food and ambiance, sometimes the crawl ends where it begins…there’s no compelling reason to leave!

Where: Dudley’s, 48 Thomas St, The Liberties, Dublin, D08 Y44A
Access from the city centre: Buses 27, 77A, 123, 150, 151, G1, G2, 15-ish minute walk
Food: Slightly fancier pub food, Sunday roast, mac & cheese!
Sport: Football & rugby on for bigger games
TVs: Screens for larger sporting events
Music: Live sessions on Sundays at 7, great jazz & indie faves the rest of the time
Family-friendliness: I’ve found the mac & cheese a great success in the afternoons
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Love Tempo, Guinness Open Gate Brewery, The Thomas House, Swift, Arthur’s, The Christchurch Inn, Tailors Hall, The Lord Edward, The Bull & Castle, The Beer Temple/The Oak; The Brazen Head is also a short walk away
Haunted: No obvious tales circulating, but this part of town has seen some things…
Local sites of note: Guinness Storehouse, Vicar Street, Olympia Theatre, Christchurch Cathedral, Dublinia, St Audoen’s Church
Other notes: Also ideal for pre- or post-gig pints & food at Vicar Street
Socials: Instagram