Month: April 2025

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: TP Smith’s

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

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

Beers available at TP Smith's

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

A pint of Rascals Sidekick at TP Smiths

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

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

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

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

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Sackville

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Outside The Sackville: spiffed up frontage, againPerhaps 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 new/old name, The Sackville.

Its latest transformation is courtesy of the team behind the wildly-popular Bar 1661, and while it feels like an even smaller space than it did before, it’s beautifully appointed. Although it’s None More Black, it actually seems brighter than it was; the elegant lighting fixtures help a great deal in that regard. And as with Bar 1661, you are here for the next-level cocktails. There are classics and house specials, and all like their parent bar, they place a special focus on Irish spirits and ingredients. We’re talking spicy margaritas and Bloody Marys made with Bán poitín – another brainchild from Bar 1661’s Dave Mulligan, as well as a whiskey highball with Subzero pot still whiskey and soda and a well-curated selection of Irish whiskeys served solo. There’s also Bar 1661’s signature Belfast Coffee here, but as someone with a deep aversion to coffee, you’ll have to try that yourselves. (I did recently have a delightful ESB made with Earl Grey tea – Maybe I Like The Misery – but, of course, that was at Underdog. I digress). While I personally only know enough to be dangerous about cocktails – I can go down a very large rabbit hole on the history of Tiki drinks, for example – these are all clearly top-notch. Did it make me want to go book the Tasting Experience at Bar 1661, which I’ve coincidentally been given independent rave reviews about by something like 5 different people of late? Yes, very much so.

Lovely cocktails at The SackvilleAnd while you’re not really here for the beer – labelled moderately-pretentiously-but-it-works as ‘pale ale,’ ‘lager’ and ‘stout’ in lower-case cursive on gold tap towers – they are, for the record, the Changing Times pale ale, Birra Moretti and, of course, Guinness. But if it’s good beer you’re after, you can do what we did and stop off at Piper’s Corner first while you’re waiting for The Sackville to open; just be sure you get there soon after, as it fills up immediately. The Flowing Tide would also do the trick if you’re in the area.

Beer, if you must: the taps

If you’re wondering what happened to the portraits of the 1916 leaders, they are still here, protected under the new panelwork. From a historic preservation point of view, it’s an ideal opportunity for one of those cases where they are forgotten about for a few hundred years and then rediscovered in excellent condition. This is a good thing.

Finally, being so close to the Abbey Theatre, The Sackville is perfect for pre- or post-show drinks, but you may want to book in ahead of time to guarantee a spot. For all the internet scaremongering about this part of town being dangerous or run-down, there are signs of good things happening: new spots like this and the nearby Morris Bar, as well as the regeneration of longtime favourites like The Flowing Tide – combined with a bit of effort from Dublin City Council to keep things a little tidier – makes for an area on the rise.

Let’s hope that continues.

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: Almonds, olives
Sport: No
TVs: No need
Music: Perfect cocktail-bar sophistication
Family-friendliness: Not really space for the younglings
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, 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: Only by the queues outside
Other notes: Beautifully-crafted cocktails come at speed – it looks like such a stressful job!
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for the Sun

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Outside at BonoboWe 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 to many other major cities, though given our typical weather, it’s not terribly surprising. And it’s probably worth defining what we mean by ‘beer garden‘ here on Weirdo Dublin Pubs: for our purposes, it’s a more permanent outdoor space at the pub with at least a number of substantial tables and chairs. But we also have more than a few pubs with semi-official spots to stand with your pint in good weather, as well as those that have either a bench or a few chairs here and there, so we’ve been encouraged to create the Pavement Pints category to cover these locations.

The beer garden at Mema'sAnd so, with definitions out of the way, here are some of our favourite proper Dublin beer gardens, along with a ‘why you might like it’ note for each. We’ll start strong: it’s hard to top Bonobo, with an always-interesting beer lineup and a large (by Dublin standards) patio with many tables and chairs. There’s pizza as well, if you’re putting in a full afternoon’s work. Another excellent option for beer, food and general ‘vibes’ is the back deck at The Bald Eagle – again, it’s a large space, and there’s a mix of covered areas and even televisions if it’s a sportsball-day, plus a lot of fun art (mind the Dalek!), good beer and food for all the family. And we have only just mentioned The Brian Boru – but it is, perhaps, one of the sunniest spots around, especially in the afternoon. Hynes’ Bar also has a lovely outdoor space with a mix of seating options, beer, snacks and a good sense of humour in its mural. Staying Northside (we will cross the river, I promise, but the Northside is just, well, better in this regard), The Tolka House has a large covered patio and is an ideal spot to refuel after a visit to the National Botanic Garden. We’ll begin heading toward the city centre with a stop off at MeMa’s – its beer garden is one of the quirkier ones, but get there early – it fills up quickly.

Outside at The Open GateThen, to the other side of the Liffey: Toner’s has an enormous beer garden for its city centre location, and the Guinness Open Gate has beautiful outdoor spaces (and that pretzel), but book ahead to get your spot. Love Tempo is, as of this writing, still closed after a fire a few weeks ago, but we look forward to adding them back to the list when they re-open – their beer garden is a hidden gem of a sun-trap. Tapped has a semi-secret beer garden in the alleyway that’s well worth a visit. And if you are heading further south, The Brickyard has a covered patio out front, and they are a wonderful spot for both food and beer.

Outside UnderdogNext, on to Pavement Pints, and it would be rude not to start with The Gravediggers. (And yes, we did just hop back over to Glasnevin, sorry/not sorry). While there’s no formal outdoor seating, there are always people outside with a pint in fine weather, both right in front of the pub and in the centre of the square. Of course, it is a residential area, so do be mindful if you’re enjoying pints al fresco. The Black Sheep has a few outdoor tables, sometimes covered, as do many other spots along Capel Street. There are a few chairs to be found outside Underdog, and there’s no better spot for craft beer in Dublin, but you’ll need to either get there early or play musical chairs (and, ideally, you don’t mind the traffic that’s maybe a meter away). Contending with traffic noise from both cars and the Luas are the benches outside Fidelity; once again, there are only a few, but their Whiplash and guest beers are lovely, traffic notwithstanding. Taking the Luas further out to The Circular will also land you at another good Pavement Pints spot – and they are introducing a regular market in the near future, too. Another newer spot in this category, albeit closer in, is The Morris Bar, where they have only just added a small outdoor seating area to the front.

Finally, we cannot decide whether the outdoor space at Rascals counts as a beer garden or is more Team Pavement Pints – what say you, gentle readers? In any event, don’t forget your sunblock…

*Name inspiration courtesy of Peter at Craic Beer Community – if you’re a local beer nerd, do join!

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

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Outside the Brian Boru: Hedigan's in neon, and mural of the man himself on horsebackLast week, we asked whether The Bloody Stream can officially be considered a railway pub. Answer: yes! This week, we are visiting a pub that will eventually (in theory) be disappearing to make way for the proposed MetroLink: Hedigan’s The Brian Boru. But all things planning- and/or transit-related in Dublin take much, much longer than they do in most other places, so you likely have a goodly amount of time to visit the pub in advance.

It’s hard to miss it if you’re walking by – the well-kept mural of its namesake king on horseback takes up most of one wall, and while his horse and armour may be a bit more High Victorian Medieval Fantasy than 11th century, well…you probably also don’t believe that Brian Boru ‘camped on this spot‘ before the Battle of Clontarf…and that’s perfectly acceptable. But historical facts need not interfere with the enjoyment of a pleasant bit of neighbourhood art, so we’ll move swiftly inside. There are multiple snugs and seating areas, two bars and even a bright conservatory, so you can get the full dark-wood ‘Irish Pub’ experience or even catch some occasional sun in the spacious beer garden to the rear of the pub. Beer-wise, Little Fawn from The White Hag is the only independent offering, but there’s also Beamish as well as Guinness, plus the useful Guinness 0.0 and Heineken 0.0 options.

'The Brian Boru' in stained glass, from inside the pubThe pub has been here since the 1850s, and in the Hedigan family since 1904, and you can’t miss their name in neon, either. Of course, like so many pubs along this route, it’s name-checked in Ulysses, and has a useful write-up on the NBHS website, where it’s noted that its own house whiskey blend was particularly fine, and that ‘…traditionally held to be the only pub in Ireland that did not run out of whiskey during the Second World War.’ So, there’s a fair amount of history to the place – well over 200 years, all told, and there was likely an earlier pub (or pub-like) business on the spot, too. And yet, it will all have to go for the MetroLink (at some point in the future)…so what does a transit-loving pub nerd do with that information?

A pint of Guinness 0.0 at The Brian BoruWell, there have been proposals to name the future station here for the pub, possibly including some of the pub’s architectural details. And while the MetroLink wouldn’t be anything on the scale of the Tube, there’s plenty of precedent for naming stations after both extant and long-vanished pubs over on the Neighbouring Island. And it’s not as though this part of Dublin, where Phibsborough turns into Glasnevin, is short of pubs – there are many excellent ones in the area. All the same, it’s a bit of a shame there’s not a good way to incorporate the pub more fully into the eventual station, but we also desperately need real transit to the airport (among other places).

So, I suppose the message is to enjoy this pub while you can…though given how slowly the MetroLink project has gone thus far, you may have a few decades to stop by.

Where: 5 Prospect Rd, Glasnevin, Dublin, D09 PP93
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 40, 46A, 83, 140; Luas Green Line; 30ish minute walk
Food: Lunch, dinner & kids’ menus
Sport: Football, GAA, rugby, etc…
TVs: Throughout the pub
Music: Indie faves, but also trad sessions and other live gigs
Family-friendliness: Very approachable menu and seating options
Pub-crawl-ability: High – The Bald Eagle, Doyle's Corner, The Boh, The Hut and The Back Page in one direction, with The Botanic, The Gravediggers and The Tolka House in the other…
Local sites of note: Royal Canal, Glasnevin Cemetery, National Botanic Garden, Dalymount Park
Haunted: While not as close to the cemetery as The Gravediggers, surely it’s near enough for someone to craft a good ghost story
Other notes: Can get quite crowded before Bohs games; also pet-friendly
Socials: Instagram, Facebook