Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Gill’s Corner House

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Outside Gill's Pub: The GAA muralAlthough I’ve lived an extremely brief walk from James Gill’s Corner House for over 4 years, I have never managed to be going past when it was open – until now. Its ‘regular’ opening hours are nothing of the sort, but that’s part of this pub’s mythology. Gill’s Pub opens when Gill’s Pub decides to do so. So, what’s it like?

While the building is Georgian – part of one of the earliest such terraces built on the North Circular Road around 1800 (some say as early as the 1750s) – the interior feels rather less elegant and a bit more flat-roofed estate pub; very much a sense of the 1950s or 1960s as the last significant renovation. The frontage may well be a bit older than the interior, with some nods to a more deco feel, and there’s the iconic/modern GAA-themed mural on the side of the building. And that is probably the most likely reason you’re likely to find this pub open – a big match or event is on at Croke Park, just around the corner.

Pints on the back bar at Gill'sAs mentioned, the opening hours are…erratic at best. But if the door is open, you’ll find the walls lined with match-day programs and event posters from previous games and concerts (for those of us who live nearby, we can simply hear everything in the garden – a blessing or a curse, depending on the fixture or artist). But inside there is also the mural of Brendan Behan, too, as well as a wall of Behanobelia. And with good reason, for the Behan family once lived on Russell Street, which runs down the side of the pub, before they decamped to the then-far-off suburbs of Crumlin in 1937 (‘Siberia‘) – this was their local. It’s been in the Gill family since the 1930s, and by the 1970s, was one of a very few businesses in Ireland run by a woman (though if you read my friend Christina’s new book, Filthy Queens, you’ll know that there were women running brewing and hospitality businesses here, long ago – so do pick it up).

Brendan Behan on the wallBut during Behan’s youth, this area wasn’t merely residential – the Mountjoy Brewery was just down the road from Gill’s Pub (two buildings remain – it closed in 1957, the last non-Guinness brewery in Dublin* until more recent times), and the DWD Distillery a street over; this was a busy mix of industry, housing and everything that went with it. Without going into the full Brendan Behan backstory, the story is that Gill’s is the only pub he was never at some point barred from; even the Cat & Cage is meant to have invited him to seek alternative refreshment at various points, despite his painting the building. But back to Gill’s – you can get a peek inside in this 1966 documentary, Brendan Behan’s Dublin – it’s not much changed! No more cows running past, though you’ll certainly see the odd horse and cart/sulky.

And it was Brendan Behan himself who finally got us in the pub, so to speak; we attended an event for his 102nd birthday: an evening of discussion, history and song, focusing on the whole local area and the Behan family’s experience here. While we had the expected Guinness (in fine shape, despite the pub’s peculiar opening hours), I was mildly surprised to see they also offered bottles of O’Hara’s Pale Ale – that’s by no mean a given in other ‘macros only’ pubs.

On the one hand, it’s probably not an entirely representative experience at Gill’s Pub, but then, what’s normal?

Where: 555 North Circular Road N Circular Rd, Drumcondra, Dublin 1, D01 XP03
Access from the city centre: Buses 1, 13, 14, 15, 16, 40, 122, 123; 30ish minute walk
Food: Crisps, peanuts
Sport: You’re more likely here pre-gaming, but there are those TVs…
TVs: Some ancient examples in different parts of the pub
Music: It all depends
Family-friendliness: Not quite as welcoming as in young Brendan’s day, when he would take home jugs of beer to his grandmother, consuming some along the way…
Pub-crawl-ability: Medium – the closest pubs to Croke Park include Phil Ryan’s Hogan Stand, The Hideout House, Clonliffe House, Juno, McGrath’s, or wander further into Drumcondra toward Fagan’s or The Cat & Cage…or walk further up (all along the banks of…) the Royal Canal toward Phibsborough.
Local sites of note: Croke Park, Mountjoy Square
Haunted: No known stories of the pub itself, but Jones’s Road is mean to have the ghost of Buck Jones, complete with horse
Other notes: I do wonder if there is any Mountjoy Brewery ephemera stashed away somewhere…
Socials: None

*Indeed, watching historic films set in Dublin can be frustrating as only ‘old’ Guinness advertising ever seems to pop up in the background, when there should have been at least a half-dozen others in the early 20th century…but good luck spotting them!

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Walsh’s

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Outside Walsh's Pub, Stoneybatter. We'll pretend the finger in the corner is a ghost.While our stats here show that you seem to be extremely interested in pubs in Stoneybatter – and quite right, too, for Stoneybatter is a lovely part of Dublin – it’s more happenstance than a response to the numbers that leads us to Walsh’s this week. And frankly, we’ve put it off for far too long, as it is a delightful pub; it just happens to be surrounded by so many of my other favourite pubs, notably L. Mulligan Grocer, Hynes’ Bar and The Barber’s Bar, so going somewhere ‘new’ when in the neighbourhood is sometimes a challenge.

The post-haircut pint in question.Of course, Walsh’s is far from new, as it’s been trading on this corner since 1826, so it’s coming up on two centuries in business. One wonders if there is to be an epic celebration next year…but back to the pub itself. It’s got a beautiful mix of stained glass and dark wood, cosy nooks and a fantastic snug…really, it’s quite close to the Platonic ideal of a late-19th century Dublin pub (albeit with televisions for the footy), so its recent restoration work has been well-planned and executed. The look and feel is certainly closer to the end of the 19th century than the beginning, but that’s no critique. And while it is best-known for its Guinness, they also serve Beamish, and there are also fresh lines of Trouble’s Ambush and Kinnegar’s Scraggy Bay – it made an ideal stopping-off point for my traditional post-haircut pint not so long ago.

'Beers' in stained glass, backwardAnd Walsh’s has another point or two in its favour: it has the full-on Victorian pub splendour, without the crush of tourists you can get at The Long Hall, and it has more variety on offer, drinks-wise, than The Hut, which also has mirrors and stained glass galore. It manages to feel like both a neighbourhood pub and a destination in its own right. And on a damp afternoon, a pint by one of the colourful windows makes for a pleasantly warming experience.

Clearly, we need to do a proper Stoneybatter pub crawl write-up…but in any event, Walsh’s would be a fine spot to begin or end such an endeavour.

Where: 6 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7, D07 A382
Access from the city centre: Buses 37, 39, 39A, 70, 83, 83A; Luas Red Line, 30ish minute walk
Food: Not 100% clear if their Cheesy Chewsdays are still a going concern…otherwise, not really
Sport: Football, rugby, GAA – the usual big events and weekend matches
TVs: Screens throughout the pub
Music: Live trad and other tunes some evenings
Family-friendliness: A few kids in with their folks to watch the sport, but still mostly for grownups
Pub-crawl-ability: High – L. Mulligan. Grocer, The Glimmer Man, The Cobblestone, The Belfry, Hynes' Bar, The Barber's Bar & Bonobo are quite close; Fidelity isn't too much further away
Local sites of note: The Lighthouse Cinema, Arbour Hill Cemetery, TUD Grangegorman
Haunted: No known stories, but the snug would be an ideal spot for a customer from the previous two centuries to linger
Other notes: Pleasant whiskey selection, too
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Biddy Mulligan’s

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The Sackville Lounge - er - Biddy Mulligan'sThe signs, both literal and metaphorical, were not great.

The former Sackville Lounge, which had a reputation as a mix of Old Man Pub and dive-y spot to meet somewhat strange and unusual people, had been closed since Covid. But rather than re-opening under that name, with its delightful neon sign (still there, at present), it gained a new identity – and much opprobrium.

The new signage now proclaims the pub to be Biddy Mulligan’s Old Ale and Stout House (‘since 1914’), in the kind of font you’d normally find in plastic letters on a strip-mall Oirish Pub in, say, Arkansas. The hand-wringing on Dublin Reddit and on local lifestyle websites was swift, and even the national press got involved, interviewing the delightful local historian and podcaster, Donal Fallon, on his take. Fallon is hard at work on a book on Dublin pub history – something we are very much looking forward to here – and so was ready with a thoughtful opinion:

Looking at the new signage above the old Sackville Lounge, Mr Fallon compared the signage to a “poor imitation” of McSorley's Ale House in New York, which is a very historic institution.

“To try and recreate something distinctly Irish American here falls flat,” he said…
“A number of pub interiors are rightly protected architecturally, but it's ultimately people that make a public house special,” he added.

Inside the Sackville Lounge/Biddy Mulligan'sWe’ll come back to his point about the people later, but at first glance, I had the same reaction – why on earth had what looked like an Oirsh pub been dropped into the centre of Dublin? While it’s true that there are Dublin pubs that cater more to the tourist trade than to locals (and not just in Temple Bar) that do dip into a more stereotypical ‘Irish pub’ feel, to tip over into what we might call Full Oirish seemed, well, unseemly. Unnecessary. Just a bit, well, naff.

But as is so often the case with these sort of things, life moves on, and it’s no longer front of mind.

And so, when I was meeting a friend ‘at the Sackville Lounge‘ recently, I’d completely forgotten that it was the pub that had caused all the furore; until, that is, I couldn’t find it on the map, and I realised that *this* was the pub with the unfortunate rebranding. Nevertheless, we were committed, and so went in, and found it…quite pleasant?

Yes, I was surprised, too.

Reflecting in a mirror at the Sackville Lounge/Biddy Mulligan'sWhile it’s still a small spot, the dark wood and low lighting add to the cosy feel, and the interior décor is very much ‘Easter Rising’ themed with images of the leaders around the pub, it doesn’t veer off into a theme park feel; indeed, given that the pub is steps away from the GPO, if the interior matched the exterior sign, it could easily career rapidly into the realm of the offensive. But – and here’s the thing – it does not! It’s quite nice! It includes portraits of many of the women involved – something especially notable if, like me, you’ve recently watched ‘Michael Collins’ for the first and only time, and wondered where the women were…but I digress.

The vibe was ‘make Gen X feel at home’ with some fun 80s tunes, and the service was excellent – the bartender was welcoming and we had some great chats. The beer lineup is nothing to write home about, with your standard Guinness-and-Heineken offering, but as a central spot to have a catchup with friends, it fits the bill. It was also largely empty, apart from our small group, but that may simply be a function of it being relatively early…or, perhaps, people are still weirded out by the sign outside.

But despite the name, my friends who live nearby keep going back, largely because they always receive the same warm welcome and have become semi-regulars in that accidental way that sometimes happens. They’ve been there when mariachi bands have turned up (and why not?), and have gone for the odd free Irish Coffee, which seems to be a specialty of the house, though as someone who neither drinks coffee nor consumes whipped cream (and prefers whiskey neat, when it comes to that), its appeal has never been clear to me – but to each their own.

There is, at present, no sign of the ‘house beers’ mentioned on the website (which does feel more ancient than the pub, it must be said), but at least we can debate whether ‘old’ modifies ‘ale’ or ‘ale house’ in this instance. I’d welcome a local brewery badging it as ‘Biddy’s’ if it meant a more interesting beer option, though I know not everyone is a fan of that approach, but again, the real surprise is that the atmosphere inside is really very nice. It is, after all, all about the people.

Shame about the name, but we can still just call it the Sackville Lounge, right?

Where: 16 Sackville Pl, North City, Dublin, D01 V0C7
Access from the city centre: Luas Green Line, Buses 9, 13, 14, 83, 122, 123, 10-ish minute walk
Food: Crisps
Sport: N/A
TVs: N/A
Music: 80s choons
Family-friendliness: Felt very adults-only, not in a bad way
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Mooney’s of Abbey Street, The Morris Bar, Kimchi Hophouse, Mema’s, The Big Romance, The Flowing Tide, The Palace Bar, Piper’s Corner, Bowes, JR Mahon's, The Oval Bar, and The Confession Box; also not too far from The Silver Penny if you must visit a ‘Spoons
Local sites of note: O’Connell Street, The Spire, The Portal, GPO, Custom House, Busáras, Connolly Station, Abbey Theatre, Gate Theatre, NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM, Ha’Penny Bridge
Haunted: The exterior signage can certainly cause nightmares
Other notes: An easy spot to begin or end a pub crawl
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Morris Bar

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Exterior of The Morris PubSometimes, just sometimes, a fantastic new(ish) pub pops up where you least expect it. Dublin’s Talbot Street has had a lot of publicity for the wrong reasons over the past few years, and it’s true that it’s neither the tidiest nor most well-kept part of town, despite a goodly number of lovely Georgian and Victorian buildings, often hidden under layers of plastic hoardings. Indeed, until quite recently, the mid-19th century building that houses The Morris Bar was trading as a barber shop/cafe and, before that, a cash-and-carry…but its current incarnation has returned in to its c. 1920s glory.

A picture on the wall and tables inside The Morris Bar.At that time, the shopfront that is now the pub was The Morris Wallpaper Stores, and the signage from that era has been preserved above the door. The theme continues inside, with framed William Morris wallpaper samples on the exposed brick, giving a mix of industrial chic and cosy early-20th century-pub vibes. There’s a pizza spot toward the back (check for opening hours, as these things evolve) with more communal-styles tables, but the seating in the main bar is much ‘pubbier,’ and very comfortable indeed.

Framed wallpaper at The Morris Bar.There’s a good mix of the usual Guinness-and-friends offerings, but also a handy Rye River tap, as well as Beamish for the Corkonians in your life. The cocktail list is interesting as well. On our visit, the staff were all wonderful, and the attention to detail that went into the design of the pub is evident. It hits just the right mark of honouring the building’s past without feeling like a theme pub.

All told, The Morris Bar is a much-needed spot of warmth and welcome on Talbot Street; it may well become one of my usual haunts. There’s good beer, nice pizza and some thoroughly well-done historic re-use – let’s hope we can see more of this approach, all over Dublin, but it’s especially needed where it is.

I’m happy to support this movement by becoming a regular. Needs must and so on…

Where: 15 Talbot St, North City, Dublin, D01 V9P2
Access from the city centre: Luas Green Line, Buses 9, 13, 14, 83, 122, 123, 10-ish minute walk
Food: Pizza
Sport: Football and the usual big sports
TVs: Screens in the main bar
Music: Live music some evenings, nice indie mix on in the background
Family-friendliness: There’s even a kids’ pizza option
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Mooney’s of Abbey Street, Kimchi Hophouse, Mema’s, The Big Romance, The Flowing Tide, The Palace Bar, Piper’s Corner, Bowes, JR Mahon's, The Oval Bar, Mulligan’s and The Confession Box; also not too far from The Silver Penny if you must visit a ‘Spoons
Local sites of note: O’Connell Street, The Spire, The Portal, GPO, Custom House, Busáras, Connolly Station, Abbey Theatre, Gate Theatre, NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM, Ha’Penny Bridge
Haunted: The ghost sign has been tidied; are any pictures or wallpaper samples haunted?
Other notes: Fully wheelchair-accessible, which is not a given in all pubs in Ireland
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Tolka House

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

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

A Four Provinces pint at The Tolka House

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

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

There’s room for all sorts.

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

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: 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: Molly’s Bar

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Outside Molly's Bar: a blue exteriorIt’s been a minute since we’ve been to an entirely new pub, so it was good fun to make it in to Molly’s Bar in its first weekend of operation. After the spate of Galway Bay pub sell-offs over the past year, with very hit and miss results in their new incarnations, it was something of a surprise to see a new location popping up here in Dublin. Without getting into the complicated machinations behind the scenes in terms of the ownership structure of the various different Galway Bay pubs, it seems that things are sorted out in some fashion, so this is good news.

A pint and a candle at Molly's BarWhile much of The Liberties is blessed with Georgian and Victorian architecture, the building housing Molly’s Bar is relatively new, and not as characterful as many of its neighbours. The exterior is giving ‘breezeblock TARDIS’ in its current deep blue – quite a change from the bright pink everywhere when this was drag bar Doll Society, now decamped (well, ‘relocated’ is more apt here) to a spot inside Hyde, nearer Grafton Street. But inside, while it still has a bit of ‘new paint smell,’ the darker greens and woody tones are cosy, and the candles give a welcoming glow.

A charcuterie board at Molly's BarThe best news for beer fans is that unlike several of the ex-Galway Bay pubs, we have their core lineup, and there will be other guest beers as well in the future. But you can also bring your Guinness nerds and other macro-beer friends here – they are by no means left out, and there are cocktails as well. On our visit, everything was lovely and fresh (as you might expect) – the Lush and Full Sail were both in excellent form. Food, too, was more varied than the standard menu, or else it’s changed again – either way, the addition of the charcuterie board was most welcome, and the halloumi fries are as good as ever.

It’s still early days, so they are still getting some final touches in place, but the staff are friendly and attentive, and keen to hear feedback; it’s a promising start indeed.

Where: 101 Francis St, The Liberties, Dublin 8, D08 Y70F
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 13, 16, 27, 49, 54A, 68, 77A, 83, 122, 123, 151, 17-ish minute walk
Food: Galway Bay menu with charcuterie board
Sport: Not typical in Galway Bay joints
TVs: No TVs
Music: Not as fabulous as in the Doll Society days, but good fun
Family-friendliness: Always easy to bring a kid to a Galway Bay pub
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Jackie’s, The Liberty Belle, Dudley’s, Love Tempo, Guinness Open Gate Brewery, The Thomas House, Swift, Arthur's, The Christchurch Inn, The Lord Edward, The Bull & Castle…the list goes on
Local sites of note: Guinness Storehouse, Teeling’s Distillery, Vicar Street, Olympia Theatre, Christchurch Cathedral, Dublinia, St Audoen's Church
Haunted: The old pink paint can’t be completely hidden in the toilets…there’s probably glitter, too
Other notes: There is a covered outdoor/smoking section hidden away if you keep poking around
Socials: Instagram

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 Glimmer Man

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The Lounge Bar at The Glimmer ManThere’s been a pub on this site in Stoneybatter since around 1814, and while the current building dates to the 1880s, The Glimmer Man really came into its own in the 1990s, when the enormous back bar of the pub was constructed. The Victorian lounge bar at the front retains many details of that era (as well as much memorabilia of all sorts), but it’s hard to overstate just how full-on the collection of items in the back is – there is everything from pianos to blow-up dolls, plus a nice fireplace for good measure.

Part of the back bar at The Glimmer Man

I tend to be a bit suspicious of cash-only pubs, but happily, The Glimmer Man’s welcoming environment doesn’t give off the conspiracy vibes associated with so many businesses of that variety, and it is one of the last few holdouts after others like The Gravediggers also began accepting cards. For the unprepared visitor, there is an ATM inside the pub…though if you are me, it’s been so many years since you’ve actually got cash out, you may not recall your pin – plan ahead! And no, they don’t take Revolut.

More of the back bar at The Glimmer ManBut just what is a glimmer man, you might ask? The name comes from the Emergency/WWII-era job title – think a sort of proto-TV license inspector role – tasked with seeking out people using too much gas. It’s been applied to the pub here since at least the 1980s, though a previous proprietor, T. Lyster, is still commemorated in the tiled entrance. The Glimmer Man is very much a community hub for Stoneybatter; there are numerous events and activities that contribute to local causes. Some of this is down to capacity – the glorious, cavernous back bar area can accommodate activities of all sorts.

There’s an excellent beer selection on offer, too – plenty of Guinness, but also Beamish and a strong lineup of independent options from the likes of Larkin, Kinnegar, Wicklow Wolf, Trouble and more; it’s worth looking at both the front and back bars to get the full set of offerings.

It may be the only reason you ever need to carry cash again.

Where: 14 Stoneybatter, Dublin, D07 RK37
Access from the city centre: Buses 37, 39, 39A, 70, 83, 83A; Luas Red Line, 30ish minute walk
Food: Food truck at times, but you are welcome to bring in food from elsewhere
Sport: All the usual big events are shown
TVs: Lots of screens about the place – it’s big!
Music: All sorts – there’s a jukebox
Family-friendliness: More of a grownup scene
Pub-crawl-ability: High: L. Mulligan. Grocer is next door, Hynes’ Bar is up the road, The Cobblestone, The Belfry, The Barber's Bar & Bonobo are quite close; Fidelity and isn’t too much further away
Local sites of note: The Lighthouse Cinema, Arbour Hill Cemetery, TUD Grangegorman, Collins Barracks
Haunted: Seems an ideal spot for a haunted object or two in the back
Other notes: The cash-only policy also applies to the jukebox – bring coins
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Ginger Man

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Outside The Ginger Man: Christmas decorations galoreIn the immortal words of Noddy Holder, ‘it’s CHRIST-MAS!’

Well, even if it isn’t quite, you’d be mistaken for thinking it is if you wander into The Ginger Man after Halloween. Christmas is this pub’s thing. Every year, since the early 1990s (my brain wanted me to type ‘1970s,’ but I am told that said decade was not, in fact, 30ish years ago), the Christmas display has grown larger and larger; ‘extra’ doesn’t begin to cover it. But it’s a good kind of extra, and there is a lot of competition – pubs in Dublin tend to have a high standard of holiday sparkle at this time of year.

Inside the Ginger Man: a red glow from the decorationsThere can be a bit of a dark side to going all in on Christmas, though – a pub might attract groups of Twelve Pubs of Christmas revellers. Now, I like a pub crawl. I like a bit of festive cheer. But as with anything of this nature, its growing popularity means that weekend pub visits during the holidays can be, well, messy. Some pubs bar these groups altogether (at least, in theory). And if you’re still wondering just what the Twelve Pubs of Christmas is and where it goes, Publin did an excellent look into the history of the tradition, which does seem to have a traceable pedigree back to the 1990s, and, depending on your interpretation, it either has no rules, beyond hitting up twelve pubs, or there are many rules – just ask Reddit (or don’t, up to you). And like so many modern-day folk practices, this leads to a range of approaches…some more annoying than others and most distinctly, well, blokey.

And there are some groups out there being (reasonably) responsible, taking it slowly, staying hydrated and being mindful of bar staff and other customers – great! Others, meanwhile, are like even-more-mobile stag parties in Christmas jumpers, and are best avoided. So, if such a group is looking to make The Ginger Man one of their stops, what will they find?

More Christmas decorations upstairs at The Ginger ManWell, as mentioned, they have the ideal backdrop for the social media documentation of their special day – there is no corner of the pub lacking holiday decorations. They can also be sensible by getting a bit of food, and while the beers on offer aren’t terribly adventurous – their own-brand offerings look to be from Franciscan Well, so more or less a small step up from your standard Heineken portfolio plus Guinness, but it does give Beamish stans their fave, too. But The Ginger Man is the kind of place that’s busy no matter what – its proximity to Trinity College means there are always plenty of students and tourists, plus a big after-work crowd. There are likely smaller numbers of JP Donleavy fans coming to see a pub named after his novel, as there are other pubs frequented by Donleavy (plus, of course, Brendan Behan) or mentioned in the book, but hey, you never know…

And even if you aren’t doing a Twelve Pubs of Christmas crawl, The Ginger Man is a spot worth ticking off this time of year – there’s such a range of great holiday decoration all around Dublin, so get out there and take some in.

Where: 39-40 Fenian St, Dublin 2, D02 KD51
Access from the city centre: Already there
Food: Pub grub: burgers and tourist faves
Sport: All the usual big events are shown
TVs: Various scattered around
Music: A bit more touristy than many
Family-friendliness: There is a children’s menu, but it can be crowded
Pub-crawl-ability: Medium – Kennedy’s is nearby, or wander to the other side of Trinity College for O’Neill’s, Tapped, Bowes and more
Local sites of note: Trinity College, Merrion Square, National Museum of Ireland (Archaeology), National Library of Ireland, National Gallery of Ireland
Haunted: No ghost stories mentioned – but could Brendan Behan be lurking?
Other notes: They do decorate for other holidays as well, just not quite so much
Socials: Instagram