Month: August 2026

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Bill Aherne’s

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Exterior of Bill Aherne'sIn 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 kept us away until now, but once the Bat Beer Signal went up from Donal, via his excellent Public House History, a visit to Bill Aherne’s was a must.

What and why, you may ask?

Well, it’s simple – Bill Aherne’s is the newish name for what was most recently Fitzgerald’s Bar, but this location has been a pub known by a variety of monikers since it was built in the late 19th century. Now under the ownership of Willie Aherne – grandson of Bill, and yes, the same Ahernes who own The Palace Bar, there’s a similar commitment to whiskey and keeping the historic interior in tip-top shape. But what made the beer nerds descend was not a name-change…rather, it’s the opportunity to try ‘warm Guinness‘ – well, sort of. Let’s explain.

One of the major reasons there’s vanishingly little cask ale in Ireland is that Guinness moved to tap-dispensed kegs in the 1950s and 60s; as the major supplier to essentially every pub in the country, they also upgraded (or, if you prefer, changed) the infrastructure in those pubs to cold rooms and keg dispense – and kept the competition out, while they were at it. And yes, this is wildly oversimplifying, but it was essentially the end for cask in most places here; you need to know where to go (and hope it’s on) if you’re a fan.

The tap boxAnd while there is no beer engine option here, there is a 1960s tap box on the bar, set up to dispense Guinness at something closer to room temperature. Naturally, we’ve all had to give it a go. So much of Guinness culture is the theatre around its presentation and serving – the two-part pour (don’t get us started on that, nor on Splitting the G, except as a parody concept), letting it settle, the branded glassware all play a part. And there’s a special glass involved here if you order a pint from the tap box – the extra gold on the lettering is a nice touch.

The back of Bill Aherne'sAnd does it taste markedly different from ‘cold’ Guinness? Well…perhaps a bit, though it’s also a similar experience if you’re slowly sipping, and the beer has warmed up while you’ve taken your time over it. But as a bit of a change from the standard Guinness pint (also, it should be noted, very much available here, along with Changing Times, though we’ve opined about that elsewhere – the Rye River tap looked to be getting some use as well on our visit), it’s good fun, and the pub has been nicely spruced up; though not hugely changed from its previous incarnation, it does seem a bit brighter and lighter. The back of the pub looks to be larger than it was before, with a small stage (there is regular live music). All told, it’s a very comfortable pub now, with some lovely snugs.

And there are (whiskey) casks as well…it would be delightful if the experiment with the ‘historic’ equipment also led to a cask option for at least one beer here.

We live in hope…

Where: 22 Aston Quay, Dublin 2, D02 FH28
Access from the city centre: In it – the Liffey is opposite the pub, Temple Bar is down the road, Trinity around the corner…
Food: Crisps
Sport: Nada
TVs: No
Music: Live trad and other gigs in evenings – check the socials
Family-friendliness: Spotted a few kids in snugs in the afternoon
Pub-crawl-ability: High – sister pub The Palace Bar, Cassidy’s, JR Mahon’s, O’Neill’s, Bowes, Tapped, Harty’s Bar, The Oval, Mulligans, The Flowing Tide, The Morris Bar & Piper’s Corner are all nearby
Local sites of note: National Wax Museum, Trinity College, Abbey Theatre, Irish Whiskey Museum, O’Connell Street
Haunted: No good ghost stories that we know of
Other notes: Basement toilets
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Dogs

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Dorcas at The Bernard ShawThis 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), or general ‘how do I pub?‘ questions. But what most people seem to want to know isn’t about the beer or the atmosphere; rather, it’s ‘where can I bring my dog?’

So, without further ado, we’ve collected Dublin’s most dog-friendly pubs – you can use it as a guide if you want to take your own Good Boy or Girl out for a pint, as many of these spots also offer treats and water bowls, or if you are dog-averse, this tells you where you may want to tread cautiously – we do mention a spot where you’ll especially want to avoid tripping on tails below.

Nelly and Dorcas at The Bernard ShawMost of the more dog-friendly spots are outside the immediate city centre, which is hardly surprising, as most dog owners live at least a little bit further out. But Dublin is a city which has seen a horse on the Luas, so dogs at certain in-town pubs is not a shocker. Mary’s Bar and Hardware Shop on Wicklow Street fits the bill in that regard, but you will certainly have better luck with your furry friend even just slightly outside this area. Street 66 and Lucky’s both welcome dogs, and McNeil’s, The Morris Bar, MeMa’s and The Big Romance are all quite central, and great spots to hit on walkies.

Like The Big Romance, its sister bar Fidelity is also dog-friendly, and just across the street is Frank Ryan’s, where the resident dog is one of the trip hazards in the always-dark interior – mind where you step! Head a bit further back toward The King’s Inn and it’s something of a hidden gem for dogs, both outside and in. And speaking of inter-related pubs, all of the Animal Collective bars – Kodiak, Bonobo, Caribou and Daphni, which even has a dog logo – all welcome furry friends. BrewDog is pet-friendly, too…perhaps the clue is in the name.

Doggie portraits at The Barber's BarSome other spots the dog-walker may want to keep an eye out for include The Circular, The Old Royal Oak, Taphouse and The Old Spot, while Brickyard asks its dog customers to stay relaxed on their comfortable outdoor deck. There’s a nice walk possible from the newly-reopened Quinn’s to The Cat & Cage, then across Griffith Park to The Gravediggers (there are some neighbourhood cats along the way, so be aware if that’s potentially of too much interest to one’s dog) and on to The Botanic, with Phibsborough serving as a dog magnet, courtesy of some nice parks, as well as The Back Page and Doyle’s Corner.

Nelly at BrickyardBut there is no better neighbourhood for pints with pups than Stoneybatter – indeed, you can have a very fully-featured pub crawl, with a warm welcome for Fido all over the area: Hynes’ Bar, Kavanagh’s, Nancy Hands, The Belfry, L. Mulligan. Grocer and The Glimmer Man are all top spots, but even here, nowhere celebrates all things canine than The Barber’s Bar. There’s a wall with photos of doggie regulars, snacks and water, beds and even little hidden boltholes for the more retiring dog.

In closing, thanks to Des for the pics of our models, Nelly and Dorcas, and have a look over at HUG to find out how you can help a local greyhound find a new home. And if you’re not a fan of dogs, well…maybe Stoneybatter is a place to leave off your list. But we’ve always found local dogs in these pubs to be well-behaved…it’s not always the case with tourists in Temple Bar!