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# Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs

Your friendly neighbourhood guide to Dublin's best pubs & bars

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Bill Aherne's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-bill-ahernes/) - In a small city like Dublin, it's relatively easy to rally local beer nerds with a little bit of novelty - news travels quickly amongst our cohort - and whether it's a new pub or, in this case, a bit of a throwback experience, it will be thoroughly investigated within days. Work and travel have
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Dogs](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-dogs/) - This month's Dublin pub round-up is one for which we've had more requests than just about any other topic - certainly, it out-ranks queries about basics like food (done it), 'the best Guinness in Dublin' (there are plenty of other places to get that sort of content, whether or not you believe that's A Thing),
- [Best Pubs for Croke Park](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/best-pubs-for-croke-park/) - It's that time of year when we begin to get the 'where should I go before Croke Park?' question. The answers will depend on whether you're pre- or post-gaming an actual game (and, of course, which sort of actual game - the occasional rugby crowd isn't necessarily the same as the more usual GAA crowd)
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Quinn's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-quinns/) - In one of the longest-awaited (or, for the more cynical among you, most-doubted-to-ever-happen) Dublin pub re-openings, Quinn's Pub has finally thrown wide the doors, some six years after its closure, and after several intervening years of decay, delays and general development hell. It's something of an infamous pub, known just as much in the past
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Doom Slice @ Pawn Shop](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-doom-slice-pawn-shop/) - Is it a pub, or is it a bar? There are a fair few pubs in Dublin that don't comfortably fit the 'Irish pub' stereotype - the dark wood, the photos and signs on the walls, the Guinness, perhaps a few auld fellas in permanent residence at the bar. But while there are many pubs
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Peter's Pub](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-peters-pub/) - A quick entry, this week - perhaps fitting, as it's a tiny pub, but one that's right in the centre of things. Indeed, it would be hard for Peter's Pub to be much more central - just off Stephen's Green, and steps from the Gaiety Theatre, it occupies a busy corner-ish spot. Although it was
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Craft Beer](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-craft-beer/) - It's July, and that mean a happy birthday to Underdog - Dublin's finest craft beer* bar [Edit in November 2025: Underdog has, alas, now closed]. And while independent beer of all stripes is not nearly as ubiquitous here in Ireland as in many other countries, given that the majority of pubs are still generally 'Guinness
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Christchurch Inn](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-christchurch-inn/) - 2026 edit: closed and re-opened as The Christchurch. As a general rule, when I'm in this part of town, I head to The Oak, or wander further into The Liberties for spots like Dudley's or Arthur's (or, really, anywhere that is a stop on the always-excellent Libertine Market Crawl - a highly-recommended monthly craft market
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Christchurch](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-christchurch/) - It's finally here! Yes, it's been a long 'two weeks' since Dublin beer nerds were told The Christchurch would be opening, but at long last, it's in business. There's still a bit of work to be done - the kitchen isn't yet up and running, and there are a few bits and pieces still being
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Parties](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-parties/) - It's Dublin pub round-up time again; this edition is in response to a frequently asked question we get on The Socials and via email: what pubs in town are handy for hosting an event? It could be a birthday celebration or a youth team end-of-season party at a single long table, a corporate event in
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Kavanagh's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-kavanaghs/) - We've been rather remiss in not getting to Kavanagh's in Stoneybatter before now, as we are not infrequently within no more than a 5-minute walk of this large corner pub. Schedules, however, had simply not aligned. But that changed with this past weekend's edition of the wildly-successful Stoneybatter Festival, one of Dublin's best annual events
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Lynott's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-lynotts/) - Yes, it's yet another new pub this week, replacing one more short-lived but much-loved Dublin spot - we venture back to The Liberties to bid farewell to All My Friends, and to say hello to Lynott's. We never had a chance to write up All My Friends in its relatively short tenure, but we always
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Bayside Inn](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-bayside-inn/) - It's true we have a tendency to stick to pubs that are north of the Liffey, but we rarely venture out into the true suburbs - we are usually still within reasonable walking distance of Dublin city centre. This week, however, we take a longish bus ride out to the wilds of Kilbarrack to visit
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for the Sun](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-the-sun/) - We didn't have time to get to a 'new' pub this week for a conventional entry, but given the (strange) glorious sunny weather, we'll do a quick round-up of the nicest beer gardens in Dublin - plus an introduction to our newest tag, Pavement Pints*. There are relatively few true beer gardens in Dublin compared
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Vintage Inn](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-vintage-inn/) - We venture south of the Liffey again for two purposes: bagels and beer. Whilst our main goal on our visit to The Vintage Inn was more successful than the side quest, we found much more than we expected, in all of the best ways. The Vintage Inn is a very near neighbour of The Merry
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Merry Cobbler](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-merry-cobbler/) - This week, we make a trip not only south of the Liffey, but nearly into the heart of Dublin 4, with a visit to The Merry Cobbler. While we are now happily Northside people, when we first moved to Dublin, we were initially deposited nearby - this area is, at least as stereotypes go, a
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Token](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-token/) - This week, we are visiting more of an event venue than a pub, but needs must. The subject of our profile is Token, relatively recently re-opened in a new location, some two years after closing in Smithfield to general consternation. As the name implies, it's more of an arcade than a bar, with a mix
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Books](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-books/) - Dublin has an exceptional number of 'literary' pubs, and it's no surprise that visitors build entire itineraries (a fancy word for 'pub crawl' in no small number of cases) around pubs frequented by Brendan Behan or namechecked by James Joyce. Indeed, in some parts of town, it can be tricky to find a pub that
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Taphouse](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-taphouse/) - While we are patiently waiting for a new, independent-beer-focused pub to open in the near future (no pressure, lads!) here in Dublin, we did something unusual for us, and headed not just south of the Liffey, but even further down the Luas into the leafy environs of Ranelagh. But it was, as it turns out,
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Keavan's Port](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-keavans-port/) - It's finally happened. We didn't have time to get to a new pub over the bank holiday weekend - too busy smashing the Dublin City Half Marathon - and so, we've had to dig deep into our occasionally-regrettable photo archives to find what we had lying about. This can only mean one thing - it's
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Food](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-food/) - Broadly speaking, it's more common to find food (beyond crisps) in Irish pubs, compared to their counterparts in the UK. This is, of course, a huge generalisation - Old Man Pubs, in particular, tend not to have a food offering that isn't of the pre-packaged variety*, and we're all still recovering from the term 'wet
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Bar Anam](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-bar-anam/) - It must be New Pub Season - everything around Dublin seems to be rebranding, relaunching or reopening. This particular new pub is in the space previously occupied by the much-lamented Underdog, and it would be fair to say that there has been a certain amount of impatience in the local beer-nerd community to see what
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Drop Dead Twice](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-drop-dead-twice/) - What is it with certain parts of Dublin and lovely places Going On Fire? Originally opened in 2017, Drop Dead Twice was known for its good beer, excellent cocktails, LGBTQ+ events and dog friendliness. But then, like a number of nearby businesses before and since (notably Love Tempo, just a short walk away), Drop Dead
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Porterhouse Temple Bar](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-porterhouse-temple-bar/) - They don't have (later edit) as much German beer on tap any more. While The Porterhouse has been serving its own beer in Temple Bar since 1996, it used to highlight more overseas craft and traditional beers as well; or, at least, that is how it seems to stick in everyone's memory - 'everyone' here
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Thomas Read's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-thomas-reads/) - It's time for another pub re-brand, but this one does seem to be purely a name swap and a bit of a paint job, rather than anything more drastic. We speak, of course, of Thomas Read's, latterly known as The Beer Temple. But while the name has changed, it's not even an entirely new one:
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Oak](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-oak/) - April 2026 edit: There have been a few minor tweaks to The Oak as part of the renovation/renaming of its other half, The Beer Temple to Thomas Read's - have a look over there to find out more. But don't worry, there's a new pre-Divine Comedy gig photo there, so nothing too jarring. The time
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Beer Temple](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-beer-temple/) - April 2026 edit: The Beer Temple has recently re-skinned as Thomas Read's - check out what's changed in that post. This week, we are back to a Galway Bay pub - The Beer Temple. Opened in late 2021, it is the bright, Shiny and Chrome conjoined sibling to The Oak, whose dark wood and deep
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Lucky's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-luckys/) - We are back in action this week, now that the Paddy's Day crowds have moved on, and, as so often, we find ourselves in The Liberties. We're visiting Lucky's, a pub we've frequently stopped in during the Libertine Market Crawl (although they are no longer on the current route), but we have not really had
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Doheny and Nesbitt](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-doheny-and-nesbitt/) - We 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Toner's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-toners/) - Despite 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Music](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-music/) - Although Dublin has no shortage of pubs featuring music, it's by no means all the traditional Irish music overseas tourists may be seeking out - there are many regular live DJ sets, local and touring bands across all genres, music-led performance art and everything in between. Finding what's on when, though, can be harder than
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: O'Donoghue's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-odonoghues/) - Regular readers know that we tend to keep north of the Liffey, or else head more toward The Liberties when we must cross the river. However, we had occasion to be in the area on a weekday afternoon, and so finally made it a priority to call in to O'Donoghue's - a pub we've had
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Sheehan's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-sheehans/) - This week, we remain on the south side of Dublin with a visit to Sheehan's, a very central pub indeed. Despite its close proximity to Grafton Street and the Gaiety Theatre, we confess to never having particularly noticed it - though, granted, we are rarely near Grafton Street on purpose, and when in this part
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Stout](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-stout/) - It's March, and while we wouldn't dream of taking on the subject of 'what's the best pub in Dublin for Paddy's Day?' we are, nonetheless, aware that there are many additional out-of-town guests here over that weekend/bank holiday, and that most of them are looking for Guinness…as well as other stouts, given how synonymous the
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Teach Tábhairne Ag Teacht](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-teach-tabhairne-ag-teacht/) - 2026 Edit: Teach Tábhairne Ag Teacht is now closed, and has been replaced by Barebone. Once upon a time - back in the early 2010s - Against the Grain was one of the few places in Dublin you could consistently get an independent beer. Indeed, it was one of the handful of pubs recommended to
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Barebone](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-barebone/) - Back in the 1990s - before Trainspotting, as it happens - Robert Carlyle and Shirley Henderson starred in Hamish Macbeth, a vastly-underrated Scottish cosy crime comedy-drama, with a bit of quirky/folksy paranormal goodness thrown in here and there for good measure. In the show, Carlyle played the titular Macbeth, a police constable with an adorable
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: BrewDog](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-brewdog/) - BrewDog is, once again, back in the news for Negative Reasons, but coincidentally, we had plans to be at Dublin's BrewDog over the weekend anyway. And so, rather accidentally, we've managed to cover a pub that's been getting some press coverage...let's dive in. Similar to many other extant BrewDog pubs around the world, it's a
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Guinness Open Gate Brewery](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-guinness-open-gate-brewery/) - While it's less of a 'pub,' the Guinness Open Gate Brewery re-opened this summer, and it's a nice alternative for out-of-town visitors to Dublin who don't want to pay for do the full Guinness Storehouse 'brand experience,' but still want to say they've been to the 'Home of Guinness.' But it does have a few
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Wicklow Wolf](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-wicklow-wolf/) - We admit we are stretching the boundaries of the blog this week, as our profiled location is neither a pub, nor, in any meaningful way in Dublin. The clue, indeed, is in the name: we headed a long way out of town to visit Wicklow Wolf Brewery. But given that it's getting more and more
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Rascals HQ](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-rascals-hq/) - Dublin is not - and this may shock some - a pizza destination. When we first moved, finding halfway-decent delivery pizza was something of a challenge. Granted, as ex-New Yorkers, we are picky; it was probably equally challenging when we lived in Seattle, so perhaps there's some kind of damp weather equals mediocre pizza law
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Doyle's Corner](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-doyles-corner/) - Updated 09/2024: Doyle's Corner is once again under new management, so there are a few changes noted below. In brief, though, the craft beer selection remains strong, and while there is not food prepared in-house at present, bringing in food from other establishments in the neighbourhood is welcomed; with Vice Pizza and Bunsen both nearby,
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Arthur's Pub](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-arthurs-pub/) - Arthur'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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Bernard Shaw](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-bernard-shaw/) - Despite walking past it multiple times a day most days, we've not had occasion to call in to The Bernard Shaw recently. This part of Dublin - the Phibsborough/Glasnevin border - is already well-served with great pubs like The Bald Eagle just across the canal, more food-forward spots like The Botanic around the corner, and
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Cat & Cage](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-cat-cage/) - The sign outside The Cat & Cage declares that it has been trading here since 1690; its website repeats this assertion, though footage of the pub from the 1960s gives the founding date as 1750. While I am typically not inclined to take the 'ancient' claims of most Dublin pubs at face value, I'm more
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Anseo](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-anseo/) - On our perambulations around Dublin this week, we visit what feels like a proper dive bar…that is, assuming proper dive bars all have a few good local taps and a killer playlist. If so, then Anseo is, indeed, in that category. But its slightly-scrubby-yet-cheerful interior doesn't entirely hide the building's history: this is a mid-18th
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Hynes' Bar](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-hynes-bar/) - From 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Big Romance](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-big-romance/) - This week, we're venturing over to Parnell Street to The Big Romance. This is our first visit to what I would class more as a 'beer bar' vs a 'pub' - whether traditional or otherwise - indeed, on their Instagram, The Big Romance describes itself as 'A vinyl bar with a Hatchett Soundsystem serving craft
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Fidelity](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-fidelity/) - And…we're back! After a brief Easter break, which included starting a new job and a quick trip to London (two not-unrelated activities - although I am mostly remote, my new office is a short stroll from the Bermondsey Beer Mile, and I am not *cough* remotely *cough* mad about that - sorry/not sorry), it's back
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Slattery's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-slatterys/) - What, you might ask, is an early house? If you're not a Dublin local, this may not be a familiar phrase, but this week, we're heading to one of the city's very few remaining such establishments - Slattery's. For the uninitiated, an early house is a pub with a special license allowing it to open
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Thomas House](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-thomas-house/) - It's hard to beat The Liberties for a Dublin pub crawl, since there is a pub of absolutely every sort within a very small radius - everything from old-school Old Man Pubs to pricey tourist hotspots (several, in fact), with everything else in between. We have been remiss thus far in not mentioning this week's
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Bar Rua](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-bar-rua/) - While perhaps rather less traditional-looking than many pubs, this week's destination is one that is surrounded by many classic Victorian pubs, and so perhaps serves as something of a palate-cleanser: Bar Rua. Just steps away from well-trodden spots that often appear in tourist must-visit lists, including The Long Hall, Neary's and The Hairy Lemon, Bar
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Swift](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-swift/) - We'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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Molly's Bar](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-mollys-bar/) - It'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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Love Tempo](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-love-tempo/) - January 2026 edit: Love Tempo has been closed since a fire last year, but they indicate that they should be re-opening in the near future...keep an eye on their socials for more pop-up events in the meantime. One of the most pleasant thing about a pub crawl through The Liberties is that there truly is
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Lord Edward](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-lord-edward/) - Some 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Galway Hooker](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-galway-hooker/) - Dublin does not, on the whole, have the kind of grand railway station pubs and bars that you might find in the UK or Germany, but it seems we are not alone in this. Indeed, most Dublin train stations are quick commuter stops - though a few of those do have some good local pubs
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Dudley's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-dudleys/) - We're back in the 'my sort of Dublin pub' category: one with great craft beer - and a good variety, not simply one or two taps - there are 28 in total at Dudley's, which is one of my favourite spots in The Liberties. But it's not just the beer and the deep, rich colours
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Bull & Castle](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-bull-castle/) - Back in the day - you know, the late aughts to the mid-2010s - Ireland had very little going on from a craft beer perspective, especially compared to its neighbour across the Irish sea, or the larger one on the other side of the bigger body of water. And yet, a small-but-dedicated group of beer
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Brazen Head](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-brazen-head/) - It'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,
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Daphni](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-daphni/) - Welcome to 2026! Normally, the first post of the month is one of our Best Pubs For… round-ups, but we'll save standard operating procedure for February, once we're all back into the groove of things. And so we profile a brand-new pub that opened just before the holidays: Daphni. Located in the Bolands Mills* complex
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: 2025 Wrap-up and Golden Pints](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-2025-wrap-up-and-golden-pints/) - Before we go on our Christmas/New Year hiatus, we'll leave you with a brief wrap-up of 2025. This year, we wrote about 39 pubs - or, if you prefer, 38 locations, as our very first pub of January, Biddy Mulligan's, had a swift closure and re-opening as The Sackville. We began adding Best Pubs For…
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Frank Ryan's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-frank-ryans/) - Have we found Dublin's darkest pub? While the exterior of Frank Ryan's Pub is bright-ish candy colours of pink and yellow, the interior is more None More Black. The smell of incense and the nod toward illumination with a string of fairy lights adds to the student-squat vibe, but this is a student squat for
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Glimmer Man](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-glimmer-man/) - There'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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Barber's Bar](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-barbers-bar/) - This week's Weirdo Dublin Pub is properly a little bit weird, in the best possible ways; we're heading back to Stoneybatter for The Barber's Bar. Although you can no longer get a haircut while you sip, the theme is still very much in evidence, with the barber's poles outside and other signage inside…along with some
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: L. Mulligan. Grocer](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-l-mulligan-grocer/) - I have a relatively small list of 'must visit' pubs that I recommend to overseas visitors, but, especially for those who are looking to sample local ingredients, craft beer and unique Irish whiskies, this week's pub is very much in the top portion of that shortlist. My first visit to L. Mulligan. Grocer, back in
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Belfry](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-belfry/) - Stoneybatter has an abundance of riches when it comes to pubs, with classics like The Glimmer Man, Walsh's and L. Mulligan. Grocer, all within steps of one another - and that's before you include other fantastic spots like Hynes' Bar and The Barber's Bar, just a bit further apart from those three. As a result,
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Walsh's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-walshs/) - 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Bonobo](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-bonobo/) - While I very much consider Underdog the only 'true' craft beer bar in town, we do have some pubs here in Dublin that reside comfortably in Craftonia, and this week, we're heading to one of those: Bonobo. Bonobo is part of what seems like an ever-growing team of bars with animal-themed names - Caribou in
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Cobblestone](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-cobblestone/) - Our featured Dublin pub this week is one that has been in the 'much requested' queue for some time. While we had to make it a flying visit, we finally got to The Cobblestone. In many ways, it's difficult to think of a more iconic Dublin pub. News of its possible closure or truncation for
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Fireplaces](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-fireplaces/) - There's a definite chill in the air, and a quick search on any platform will turn up a number of lists for cosy Dublin pubs with fireplaces. We have Opinions, about this, of course, and while we do agree with some of the heavy hitters that appear on most of those listicles, we have a
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Delaney's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-delaneys/) - While Dublin city centre certainly has plenty of pubs, we are fortunate in also having additional parts of town that are also jam-packed with excellent options, especially when the holidays can make those in the immediate centre more crowded than usual. Smithfield and Stoneybatter are particularly blessed with not only a large number of pubs,
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Christmas](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-christmas/) - It's December, it's properly cold in Dublin, and while we already have our roundup of our Best Pubs for Fireplaces, it's time to turn our attention to Christmas decorations. Most pubs around town get a pretty considerable glow-up for the holidays, and even some of the more low-key Old Man Pubs can be glimmery and
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Hole in the Wall](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-hole-in-the-wall/) - Staying on a holiday theme, we venture out toward the Phoenix Park this week to visit The Hole in the Wall - a pub that may be better known for its Christmas decorations nowadays, but also one which has a much better claim toward being one of the oldest pubs in Dublin than a certain
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Grainger's Cafe Bar](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-graingers-cafe-bar/) - Dublin - indeed, Ireland - is not over-endowed with glorious (or even 'fine') train stations. Having recently visited Antwerp, with its beautiful Antwerpen Centraal, well….we have no equivalent. Many (if not most) of our Irish train stations don't even have a bar, much less anything on the continuum between the wonderful Stalybridge Buffet Bar in
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: McGowan's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-mcgowans/) - We'll say up front that we are very much not night owls. And perhaps that's the major reason that we didn't really 'vibe' with McGowan's, which brands itself as a late-night establishment, beautiful frontage notwithstanding. But let's give the spot a fair shot, with a bit of context and the usual descriptions. We'd just come
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Underdog 3.0](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-underdog-3-0/) - November 2025 update: Underdog is no more. We are very, very sad. And…it's back! Yes, as of this very week, The Underdog has been reborn again, and all 20 taps are now present and accounted for at the top of Capel Street. Happily, the iconic yellow neon sign is also now in place above the
- [A Farewell to Underdog](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/a-farewell-to-underdog/) - Have you been drinking? 'Cause it's not too late to start There's still a week Before they come and pull the place apart -- The Lucksmiths, Requiem For The Punters Club, 2007 What happens when your favourite pub closes? With Underdog ringing the curtain down, now we know. While Dublin has no shortage of pubs,
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Hairy Lemon](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-hairy-lemon/) - We've not always been fair to The Hairy Lemon. In truth, until recently, we'd only visited it in a tourist capacity, long before moving to Dublin (see also: The Long Hall), and as a result, it felt less like a 'local' pub and more like one that catered purely to those here on brief trips.
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Neary's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-nearys/) - While The Flowing Tide serves as Northside Dublin's premier theatrical pub, with its close associations with the neighbouring Abbey Theatre (and its short walk to The Gate), Neary's takes on that role on the Southside for the Gaiety Theatre. Alas, though, one of the finest theatrical tales about Neary's seems to be a bit of
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Portobello Bar](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-portobello-bar/) - As regular readers know, we are always on the lookout for a pub with a good ghost story, whether it's October or, really, any time. The pub in question we're visiting this week doesn't feel particularly spooky, but it does have an interesting history to go along with the ghost story, even if they aren't
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Bleeding Horse](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-bleeding-horse/) - We are not *quite* into Spooky Season yet - indeed, it has been so unseasonably hot that I've had to create a Beer Garden tag - but my thoughts have nevertheless turned toward the creepier side of things when it comes to pubs. And although I cannot find any ghost stories linked to The Bleeding
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Ghosts](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-ghosts/) - Perhaps surprisingly to some (certainly, to us), Dublin pubs do not contain a wealth of ghostlore. There are, of course, a few good stories, but there isn't the critical mass of spectral servants, long-dead landlords and pesky poltergeists who turn up in the dozens (and dozens) of books about haunted pubs on the Neighbouring Island.
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The 1884](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-1884/) - The 1884 is so called after the year that the GAA was founded, and it is very much a sporty pub. And while the GAA is the most-represented sporting genre on the walls and in the niches, there's plenty of (association) football on the screens as well, especially on a weekend visit such as our
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Long Hall](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-long-hall/) - In our effort to fill in the blanks when we see you getting lost in our search results, we're aiming to visit some of the more common pubs on the tourist trail here and there, now that the bulk of the summer holidaymakers have gone home. Indeed, this week's pub is one we've only ever
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Caribou](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-caribou/) - After a bit of an unplanned break, we are back, and this week, we are heading into the city centre to check out Caribou - the new bar from the Animal Collective folk that has recently opened in the former P Mac's spot. The recent spate of Galway Bay pub closures/rebrandings, including Against the Grain
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Grogan's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-grogans/) - This 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Cask Ale](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-cask-ale/) - Yes, it’s cheating a bit, since we just visited a new-to-us cask ale spot last week in Harty’s Bar, but with our current work travel schedule (where we had some decent, if not amazing, cask ale in London after meetings), needs must! And while Harty’s Bar is one of the very few consistent non-Wetherspoons spots
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Tapped](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-tapped/) - Back 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Harty's Bar](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-hartys-bar/) - Cask ale, as we have often complained, is something of a rarity in Ireland. While there are a few more pubs with a regular cask offering up in Belfast, here in Dublin, it is simply not a regular feature in most pubs. Happily, though, a tipoff from a reader (cheers, Ciaran!) alerted us to a
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: JR Mahon's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-jr-mahons/) - I tend to do most of my pub-going on the north side of the Liffey because it's, well, just better over here, and it means I usually avoid most of the more touristy areas of Dublin. However, the city centre is so called for a reason, and it cannot be denied that the south side
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Black Sheep](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-black-sheep/) - As promised last week, we'll be visiting a number of Galway Bay pubs in this series; while one of the things I really enjoy about their various bars is that each has a bit of its own character and style, I'm particularly lucky that one of my favourites happens to be a relatively short walk
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Jack O'Rourke's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-jack-orourkes/) - We know that we tend to be biased toward pubs on the north side of the Liffey, but this week, we travel (relatively) far into south Dublin - all the way to Blackrock and . Once a quiet fishing village with a sideline in early modern highway robbery, Blackrock is now one of the bougier
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Boh](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-boh/) - It seems to me that every time I've been into The Boh, I've been assigned an elderly gentleman as a discussion partner. Indeed, it was no different on my most recent visit, when I stopped in for a pint to get a break from Storm Isha, which was not-quite-raging, but on its way in that
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Kids](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-kids/) - Irish pubs are, broadly speaking, welcoming to all ages during the day and early evening - or, at least, they are more often than not, compared to pubs and pub-adjacent spaces in the UK or US (the never-ending 'kids in taprooms' debate there notwithstanding). Dublin has a wealth of pubs that are especially good at
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: MeMa's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-memas/) - In our discussion of Slattery's last week, we mentioned that in-use early house licenses are becoming ever-more-rare, and this week's pub is one that held such a license in its previous incarnation as The Metro, but nowadays, it's business-hours-as-usual at MeMa's on Parnell Street. But that may be one of the few 'as usual' elements
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Circular](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-circular/) - While we’re deep into Spooky Season, this week’s pub, The Circular, doesn’t have any good ghost stories of its own – as far as I’ve discovered – but it is a very quick stroll from Rialto Bridge, which has a number of folkloric associations. Although it’s more properly called Harcourt Bridge, its nickname is one
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Morris Bar](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-morris-bar/) - Sometimes, 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Kodiak](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-kodiak/) - The recent run of warm weather has led to prioritising pubs with lovely beer gardens that we haven't yet visited, and the news that the Animal Collective group - they of Bonobo and Caribou fame - will be opening another location soon(ish) in Bolands Mills* bumped a trip to Kodiak higher up on the list.
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Gaffney & Son](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-gaffney-son/) - Dublin excels at Old Man Pubs. You can find them in every corner of the city; some are more scuffed-but-well-loved, like Briody's, while others maintain their fine Victorian interiors, like The Hut, with a range of everything in between. Gaffney & Son, more commonly known as Gaffney's, is very much at the 'high Victorian' end
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Hut](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-hut/) - In contrast to last week's visit to The Big Romance, this time, for the week that's in it, as they say here, it seemed appropriate to share a pub that doesn't serve any real craft beer, and isn't much on the tourist trail, but does tick all the boxes for what people from elsewhere -
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Gill's Corner House](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-gills-corner-pub/) - Although 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Briody's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-briodys/) - This 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: McDaid's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-mcdaids/) - It's time for another one of our rare trips into Dublin city centre proper with a visit to McDaid's, a pub with a fine literary heritage. Granted, there are many, many pubs here with similar claims to fame, but most do come by it quite honestly. There's the requisite Brendan Behan connection (this is a
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Christmas Decor](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-best-pubs-for-christmas-decor/) - We're taking a break from our usual weekly-ish posting schedule for the holidays, but we are bringing you a quick entry on some of the best Dublin pubs for Christmas decorations. While The Ginger Man is certainly the ne plus ultra when it comes to holiday theming, it's far from the only place to get
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Nancy Hands](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-nancy-hands/) - Nancy Hands is an interesting pub in that it manages to feel like a local haunt and a tourist bar, but not necessarily at the same time. It has something of an advantage in its size - it can easily accommodate coach parties across its many and various spaces, and the tour groups can be
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Old Royal Oak](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-old-royal-oak/) - As a rule, I'm more of an urban-pub person than a rural-pub person. But while The Old Royal Oak describes itself as 'a country pub in the city,' its thoroughly welcoming atmosphere means this is all in the positive column. Tucked away on one of the slightly labyrinthine streets that make up Kilmainham, The Old
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Brew Dock](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-brew-dock/) - Yes, you can get a Guinness at most (all?) Galway Bay pubs nowadays, and that includes The Brew Dock. It wasn't always the case, but even compared to other Galway Bay pubs around Dublin, the beer lineup at The Brew Dock can be somewhat hit and miss at present. Some of the taps these days
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Dockers Bar](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-dockers-bar/) - I've never seen U2 live. But like everyone of my age and fighting weight, I saw Rattle & Hum a fair few times, and back in the 1980s, I rented the U2: Live at Red Rocks VHS not infrequently. And while I completely agree that a lot of the stuff of that era of the
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Urban Brewing](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-urban-brewing/) - Custom House Quay may not be the first spot that comes to mind when considering ideal pub locations in Dublin, but when the sun is out, it's difficult to beat Urban Brewing's beer garden. And given just how few true brewpubs there are in this city - Rascals is really the only other one at
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Wind Jammer](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-wind-jammer/) - Locals know this, but the visitor to Dublin may not know that horse racing is Kind of a Big Deal. There are endless ads from the various wagering platforms leading up to some of the larger race meetings, and as we're in the middle of Cheltenham Week*, it seemed appropriate to venture to one of
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: O'Neill's Pub & Kitchen](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-oneills-pub-kitchen/) - As tourist season seems more or less nearly in full swing, we're sticking with Dublin city centre this week and O'Neill's Pub and Kitchen - a tourist-friendly but also authentic pub that caters to a range of tastes and preferences - and one that's large enough to offer a different experience depending on where you
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Ginger Man](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-ginger-man/) - In 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Kennedy's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-kennedys/) - This week, it's another relatively rare visit into the more touristy part of town as we visit Kennedy's, a pub adjacent to both Trinity College and Sweny's Pharmacy. The literary associations here are more Wilde, Beckett and Joyce than Behan, compared to pubs on the Northside. And yes, and prices are higher, given the location,
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: TP Smith's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-tp-smiths/) - Sometimes, 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Juno](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-juno/) - Update: 17 December, 2024 Juno has had a glow-up! The frontage has been repainted a dark green where the blue previously was, and while the bar area remains on the right-hand side, the left has become a proper grown-up restaurant, Hera, although there is still a comfortable bar space there as well. The colours inside
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Botanic](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-botanic/) - We're back to normal Weirdo Dublin Pubs service this week, and we're back in our normal Northside haunts (so seasonal!) with a new entrant to the field: The Botanic. Previously known as The Botanic House, this lovely early-20th-century pub had been dormant for some time, but it's now very much back open, and very much
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Biddy Mulligan's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-biddy-mulligans/) - Edit again, mid-April 2025: Welcome to The Sackville: enjoy those cocktails. Edit, mid-February 2025: Well, that lasted a hot second. We'll revisit when it re-opens (again), with cocktails. The 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Sackville](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-sackville/) - Perhaps a mere week after we covered it here, Biddy Mulligan's Olde Ale House abruptly closed. But now, as Aragorn retorted to the King of the Dead, it has been remade. Indeed, it has both returned to something closer to its previous Sackville Lounge existence and metamorphosed into its current cocktail bar form with its
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The King's Inn](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-kings-inn/) - I was busy doing Important Work Stuff in London last week (only time for one half-pint of cask, alas, but at least it was a lovely Sussex Best), but we're back at it with Weirdo Dublin Pubs this week. It would be hard to think of a pub with a more lived-in, traditional interior than
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Gravediggers](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-gravediggers/) - It had to be done. Although I'm a relatively short walk away, I rarely make it up to The Gravediggers (aka John Kavanagh's), but as it's That Time of Year, it seemed only right and proper. My more usual area haunts (I know) have a few things going for them: they are a bit more
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Hedigan's The Brian Boru](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-hedigans-the-brian-boru/) - Last 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Bald Eagle](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-bald-eagle/) - It's time for the first instalment of my Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs. You guessed I'd start off with my own local, right? While *technically* I have several other pubs within much easier strolling/stumbling distance, one of the many benefits of city living to someone like me who is essentially incapable of living anywhere non-urban,
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Bloody Stream](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-bloody-stream/) - We are back this week with a 'request pub' - one that's much further north than our more common north-of-the-Liffey-but-still-pretty-central stomping grounds. We're heading out of Dublin City proper to Howth; it's an easy trip on the DART, but a bit of a pain if, for example, you needed Dublin Bus to deposit you to
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Phil Ryan's The Hogan Stand](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-phil-ryans-the-hogan-stand/) - A proper 'Pubs of Croke Park' roundup is long overdue, and with so many events on this summer, we may as well finally start working on that. While we've already covered a few handy ones like Gill's Corner House and Juno, it's time to really start chipping away at the full list, so that all
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Bridge 1859](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-bridge-1859/) - While it may seem that we rarely venture south of the Liffey (true, really), we recently had occasion to be down in our old Ballsbridge stomping grounds, and so returned to The Bridge 1859 for the first time in quite a while. We last stopped into this beautifully-decorated pub just before we moved out of
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Tolka House](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-tolka-house/) - We'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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Kimchi Hophouse](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-kimchi-hophouse/) - Is it a pub or a Korean restaurant? Why not both? Indeed, the Kimchi Hophouse is resolutely two things at the same time - a slightly scruffy, traditional Irish pub, and a thriving Korean restaurant, in one slightly-creaky building. The former Shakespeare Pub still bears its previous branding, with the small addition of a small
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Flowing Tide](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-flowing-tide/) - We're sticking near the city centre in the series this week, though on the Correct Side of the river, with The Flowing Tide. While likely best known as a theatrical pub - it's right across from the Abbey Theatre, and has been associated with actors, writers and other ne'er-do-wells since the early 20th century -
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Piper's Corner](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-pipers-corner/) - Piper's Corner is very much a trad bar, and while I end up there not so infrequently, I've oddly never been in when a session is on, despite being something of a folk music nerd. And while at some point I will have to remedy that, I enjoy the pub for a variety of other
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Mooney's of Abbey Street](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-mooneys-of-abbey-street/) - I recently read Back to the Local, Maurice Gorham's recently-republished guide to London pubs, initially written just after the Second World War. While there is much in the book that is fascinating to the beer history nerd, from drinks terminology to changing pub names and elegies for those lost in the Blitz, Gorham's chronicling of
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Confession Box](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-confession-box/) - This 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Palace Bar](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-palace-bar/) - I know it's been a minute, but between offspring, work, Eurovision and work travel, I had a lot on, so going out anywhere in Dublin wasn't happening over the past few weeks, though going out in London for delicious cask mild and bitter was a nice bonus of the work travel. On a side note
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Cassidy's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-cassidys/) - I must admit, the immediate vicinity of this week's pub is something I typically speed through as quickly as possibly - the visual clutter from its side of Westmoreland Street is not the most inviting vista, featuring, as it does, the National Wax Museum (NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM), lots of plastic major-brand logos, and CCT Dublin's
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Bowes](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-bowes/) - I 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
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Oval Bar](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-oval-bar/) - 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
- [Happy Halloween, Blessed Samhain, Etc...](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/happy-halloween-blessed-samhain-etc/) - No new post this week as it's a busy time of year for us, but we have created a new Haunted? tag so you can filter for supposedly-spooky Dublin pubs...and if you have any good ghostlore to share, we are always all ears; drop us a note or comment. If you're looking for a good
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Strand House](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-strand-house/) - A mid-October 2024 update: We returned* to The Strand House recently to give their recently-relaunched food menu a go (see, I said we'd get back to it!), and it turns out we have some good news to report on that front. The children's menu is back and, I must admit, better than it was in
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Stag's Head](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-stags-head/) - Look! We've gone south of the river! It does sometimes happen, if the right opportunity presents itself. And so, to The Stag's Head. While I had been to the pub at some point in the dim and distant past, long before I moved here, it was very much as a tourist. And while it does
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Brickyard Gastropub](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-brickyard-gastropub/) - This week in Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs, we're not just crossing the Liffey - we're going Far Away, to the suburbs (though still via public transit - we're not monsters here). While I had been told by many people that The Brickyard was a must-visit, not just for the beer selection but for the
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Fagan's](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-fagans/) - Bill Clinton wuz here. And you're not likely to forget it, as he seems to be on every wall in Fagan's, somewhere. Of course, to Dubliners, Fagan's is better known for its Bertie Ahern connections, but I think it's the Clintoniana I've always found a little bit off-putting; in short, for us Gen X folk
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: BRÚ House Fairview](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-bru-house-fairview/) - 2024 Edit: closed and re-opened as The Strand House. While I do have a few pubs closer to the city centre in the Weirdo Dublin Pubs backlog, this week, we're heading a bit further out to BRÚ House Fairview - (now) a part of the Galway Bay family that's less likely to be intruded upon
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Back Page](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-back-page/) - Yes, we're back in Phibsborough again. I promise we will visit other parts of Dublin, but hey, I like convenience, and, as of this writing, am badly jet-lagged for nerd reasons. This week's pub: The Back Page. In my home country, I have an aversion to most sports bars; they tend to blare sports I
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Old Spot](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-old-spot/) - I had every intention of writing something about the couple of new-to-me bars I had a chance to pop into in New York while I was over for work - Beer Run, for obvious running-nerd/beer-nerd reasons was a standout to me, and I was thrilled to have a few festibiers from around the region (I'm
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Ivy House](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-ivy-house/) - Welcome to the new home for Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs! If you're a regular visitor, you'll notice we've spun off to a new, stand-alone site, just in time for the first anniversary of this series, and we'll be adding some new features and categories as we go. With that bit of housekeeping out of
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: J. McNeill's Pub](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-j-mcneills-pub/) - As is the case for countless Dublin pubs - indeed, for countless pubs across Ireland - J. McNeill's Pub purports to be quite a different business, at least partially; in this instance, a music shop. However, as with the many pubs that were once also grocers (insofar as licensing purposes required) or other sorts of
- [A Theme for 2023: My Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/a-theme-for-2023-my-weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs/) - It's a new year, and as I've become wildly undisciplined about writing outside of work, I'm giving myself a prompt for 2023: semi-regularly writing about some of my favourite pubs here in Dublin. Now, there are already several excellent, long-running blogs that focus on the full spectrum of Dublin pubs: Every Pub in Dublin and
- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Underdog](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-underdog/) - Edit: hop over to this more recent post for the entry on the re-reborn Underdog. I broke down and Did The Thing - for this week's Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs, I asked ChatGPT about a pub, and here's what it said when I asked it to describe The Underdog: The Underdog is a popular

## Pages

- [General Dublin Pub Tips](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/general-pub-tips/) - #This section is largely aimed at the first-time traveler to Ireland; even if you're coming over from the UK, pub culture here is not quite the same - so do be prepared! First off, opening hours are a bit different; you can expect many pubs to open at noon, but some will open earlier, around
- [Index of Pubs](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/index/) -  We aim to hit a new pub each week, though Real Life sometimes intervenes. Nevertheless, here are the Dublin pubs so far chronicled: Ballsbridge The Bridge 1859 Beggars Bush The Old Spot Blackrock Jack O'Rourke's Camden Street/Portobello Anseo Barebone The Bleeding Horse Keavan's Port The Portobello Bar Teach Tábhairne Ag Teacht (closed - now
- [Best Pubs For...](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/best-pubs-for/) - More or less monthly, we'll round up some of our favourite pubs in Dublin by theme. Here's the list so far: Best Pubs for Dogs Best Pubs for Parties Best Pubs for Books Best Pubs for Food Best Pubs for Stout Best Pubs for Music Best Pubs for Christmas Best Pubs for Fireplaces Best Pubs
- [About](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/about/) - Lisa Grimm is a Dublin-based BJCP-certified beer judge, homebrewer, beer history writer and a co-host of the Beer Ladies Podcast. She loves travel, good tea, local beer (wherever 'local' happens to be that day), theatre, running and general nerdery. To find out more about her tech/library/archives/archaeology background, other writing and media appearances, head over to
- [Recommended Pub Crawls](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/recommended-pub-crawls/) - The Liberties Whether you are in the area for a Guinness Storehouse tour or to hit up some of Dublin's less directly beer-themed historic sites like Marsh's Library, Dublinia or Christchurch Cathedral (which did, at one point, have a pub of sorts, as well as a long history of brewing), there are plenty of great pubs

## Categories

- [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs/)
- [Food](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/food/)
- [Kid-friendly](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/kid-friendly/)
- [Craft Beer](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/craft-beer/)
- [Trad](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/trad/)
- [Fireplace](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/fireplace/)
- [Drumcondra](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/drumcondra/)
- [The Liberties](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/the-liberties/)
- [Stoneybatter](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/stoneybatter/)
- [Phibsborough](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/phibsborough/)
- [Glasnevin](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/glasnevin/)
- [Dundrum](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/dundrum/)
- [Beggar's Bush](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/beggars-bush/)
- [Temple Bar](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/temple-bar/)
- [North City Centre](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/north-city-centre/)
- [City Centre](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/city-centre/)
- [Capel Street](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/capel-street/)
- [Inchicore](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/inchicore/)
- [Smithfield](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/smithfield/)
- [Parnell Street](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/parnell-street/)
- [Camden Street](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/camden-street/)
- [Beer Garden](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/beer-garden/)
- [Toasties](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/toasties/)
- [Rialto](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/rialto/)
- [Fairview](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/fairview/)
- [Haunted?](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/haunted/)
- [Docklands](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/docklands/)
- [North Inner City](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/north-inner-city/)
- [Ballsbridge](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/ballsbridge/)
- [Howth](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/howth/)
- [Pavement Pints](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/pavement-pints/)
- [Cocktails](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/cocktails/)
- [Kilmainham](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/kilmainham/)
- [Best Pubs For...](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/best-pubs-for/)
- [Rathmines](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/rathmines/)
- [Old Man Pubs](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/old-man-pubs/)
- [Pizza](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/pizza/)
- [Blackrock](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/blackrock/)
- [Cask](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/cask/)
- [Marino](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/marino/)
- [Portobello](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/portobello/)
- [Castleknock](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/castleknock/)
- [Music](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/music/)
- [Taprooms](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/taprooms/)
- [Ranelagh](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/ranelagh/)
- [Irishtown](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/irishtown/)
- [Kilbarrack](https://www.weirdodublinpubs.com/category/kilbarrack/)