While today Whelan’s is best known as one of Dublin’s best venues for live music, its history as a pub stretches back further than one might imagine, and it’s a much more storied history at that. We’d recommend you go read Gerry Farrell’s excellent post on the subject, but a few highlights to tempt you with include the fact that it’s actually older than suggested by the ‘1894’ above the door (nearly the opposite of the usual situation when a pub chooses a date with which it claims some sort of association), and it also has significant associations with Dublin’s political history. There’s also the almost-standard Ulysses nod, too.
But it’s really its modern status as a place to see fantastic bands of all genres that bring nearly-nightly crowds to Whelan’s, and it’s been serving in that capacity since the 1990s. And while it’s a great spot for a gig as we’ll discuss shortly, you don’t need a ticket to wander in for a pint. It’s still very much a pub on the ‘pub’ side facing onto Wexford Street (as this part of the street is called – it changes names several times, incorporating Camden Street, Aungier Street and Richmond Street, depending on who and where you ask). And there’s good support for local independent breweries at Whelan’s, which is rarely the case at other local venues. But there are often taps and bottles from the likes of O’Hara’s, Rascals and Kinnegar, though of course you are covered if it’s just a Guinness (both 0.0 and full-fat) or Tuborg you want with your show.
And we find it an absolutely ideal spot for a gig: you can grab a pint on the pub side first, then head into the performance space, which we’ve seen configured in a variety of ways, for artists of all sorts. Relatively recent highlights for us include seeing The Wedding Present again, as well as the fantastic show put on by Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan. The sound is great (though earplugs are never a bad idea), there are no bad sightlines and it’s (typically) not a crazy price for tickets.
It’s on our Best Pubs for Music list with very good reason.
Where: 25 Wexford St, Portobello, Dublin 2, D02 H527
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 14, 15, 16, 27, 56A, 65B, 77A, 83, 140, 151, 15-ish minute walk
Food: Not a food spot
Sport: None here
TVs: Screen-free (unless the show calls for it)
Music: Obviously, the main reason you are here
Family-friendliness: Most gigs are 18+
Pub-crawl-ability: High – The Bleeding Horse, Devitt’s, Anseo, Barebone, The Camden, The Portobello Bar, Egan’s, Ryan’s of Camden Street, The Swan Bar…and the local ‘Spoon’s, Keavan’s Port
Local sites of note: Iveagh Gardens, St Stephen’s Green, National Concert Hall, Marsh’s Library, St Patrick’s Cathedral
Haunted: Alas, just, er, this
Other notes: Keep an eye on the socials for surprise gigs
Socials: Instagram, Facebook
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