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 pub, since it’s a classic of the dive bar genre – and so, to The Thomas House.
From the Sailor Jerry tattoo-inspired exterior decoration to the dark-but-welcoming interior stuffed full of music memorabilia, a step into The Thomas House is immediately an entry into something of an alternative universe: part music venue, part regulars’ pub, but a welcoming, inclusive space that seems to recognise that everyone has their own favourite obscure acts, and that sharing the love over some pints is a lot more fun than gatekeeping that kind of knowledge. And the pints are very affordable – any tourist still smarting after a trip to The Brazen Head should stop in for a much-more-wallet-friendly (and well-kept) Beamish or Ambush (there is, of course, Guinness as well, plus the lesser-spotted but more-frequently-appearing-of-late Kilkenny).
There are soft pretzels – as we’ve complained before, both here and elsewhere, a rarity around these parts – and while they aren’t as fancy as those at the nearby Guinness Open Gate, they are cheap and cheerful. Perhaps one of the most compelling sights at The Thomas House is the fish tank…there’s something oddly soothing about watching its inhabitants swim around in the near-darkness.
And although this is most definitely a nighttime spot – no afternoon pints here – it’s an ideal location to stop in for a more reasonably-priced pint before heading to a show at Vicar Street, or as part of a longer wander up or down Thomas Street. And there’s something of a nice sense of a continuous practice there: while the buildings in the vicinity are largely 19th century (with some surprising outliers), Thomas Street has been a busy commercial thoroughfare since at least the medieval period, and if you look around, you can still see some of that history in street layouts and names. There may not be a spurious claim to being an ancient hostelry at The Thomas House, but stopping in here for a few drinks is very much carrying on a centuries-long tradition for this area, so consider it something of an exercise in exploring the past through the present.
Finally, we’re left to ponder why it seems that Dublin’s dive bars (see also: Anseo) have more interesting beer selections than many of their more mainstream, city centre counterparts do nowadays…answers on a postcard!
Where: 86 Thomas St, The Liberties, Dublin
Access from the city centre: Buses C4, G1/G2, 13, 23, 24, 27, 56A, 73, 77A, 80, 150, 15ish minute walk
Food: Soft pretzels, crisps
Sport: Music >> sport here
TVs: Didn’t see any, but it *is* dark (just not Frank Ryan’s-level dark)
Music: Punk, rockabilly, reggae, ska, metal…you name it
Family-friendliness: Not for the small ones
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Dudley's, Arthur's, Swift, Love Tempo, Guinness Open Gate Brewery, The Christchurch Inn, The Lord Edward, The Bull & Castle and The Beer Temple/The Oak are all within a short walk; The Brazen Head is also not far, if you fancy paying more
Local sites of note: Guinness Storehouse, Vicar Street, Olympia Theatre, Christchurch Cathedral, Dublinia, St Audoen’s Church
Haunted: Fish ghosts?
Other notes: Keep an eye out for surprise music royalty of all descriptions
Socials: Instagram, Facebook
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