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, it’s not as simple as merely simply walking a shorter distance to one of your other local options. What made Underdog unique was not just its dedication to independent beer, but the community that Paddy, Maura and other staff members have been instrumental in building since 2017. Although there are some other spots with a wider-than-usual beer selection, on the whole, it can be fairly difficult to find anything other than Guinness or Heineken products without actively seeking them out – and even then, you may have only one ‘non-corporate’ tap. No other pub in Dublin has a comparable beer selection – an especially difficult loss for smaller Irish brewers who already have relatively few places to get their beers noticed on tap.

In short, this one hurts.

Covid lockdowns notwithstanding (and even then, there were occasions where it was possible to pop in to pick up some cans), I have never known an Underdog-free Dublin. Yes, that’s a reminder of my blow-in status, but it was one of the first local pubs I ever visited, long before moving here, as well as the last before lockdown started, just after we arrived permanently. In those days, Underdog was in the basement of Brogan’s; the damp from neighbouring Dublin Castle’s moat made things moist at times. But there were good memories from that location, most notably, the working beer engine on Fridays, and incredibly friendly regulars. The beer was a fantastic mix of interesting beers from all across Ireland, as well as choices from the UK, the US and elsewhere in Europe. The bottles and cans were just as diverse as the options on tap, and the knowledgeable crowd would happily make recommendations to visitors or newbies. I quickly got to know Paddy, the owner and all-around legend, and always felt warmly welcomed.

After Covid, the many issues with that space led to a temporary ‘residency’ at the Legal Eagle, with the same great range of beers, minus the beer engine. Much of the previous crowd migrated to the new space, and it was easy to become a regular, making firm friends. And when the former Galway Bay Brewing spot that had been Paddle & Peel, and then, Taco Libre became available (is it cursed? Who can say?), Underdog moved in on a permanent basis – at least, that was the idea. This was ideal for me as it was only a 15ish minute walk away, and it became a proper community hub: being a regular here meant that no advance planning was ever needed – you’d always run into a friend and have some great discussions/rants; a chance to put the world to rights, and to do so over some of the best beers you’ve tried anywhere. Visitors were warmly welcomed (unless they got aggressive about the lack of Guinness, even after being pointed to the O’Hara’s stout options, which I did see happen a few times) and quickly included in chats and impromptu tastings.

Underdog hosted some wonderful events, too – the usual tap takeovers from breweries near and far, beer history talk with Ron Pattinson, a book launch for Christina’s excellent Filthy Queens, an episode of A Place in the Sun with live commentary from the participants (also regulars) and some fiendishly difficult pub quizzes; when the beer questions are too difficult for a group of beer nerds, you know you’ve hit upon something unique.

The close-knit nature of our rotating band of regulars meant that when it was rumoured that the end was approaching for Underdog, word went around almost instantaneously. Rescue plans were mooted, possible buyers discussed and so on, but really, there was one overarching question: where do we go now?

We still have no firm answer to that question, but it’s fair to say we made the most of the last few weeks of business; there would be no kegs left for any potential new owners to have to worry about. We brought in bottles and cans from all over the world to share as the taps ran out, and made sure that we put in extra orders at the excellent Boco Pizza across the street. From leftover Mexican-ish lager to Westvleteren 12 (and everything in between), it was all shared and, mostly, enjoyed. There were hugs, some tears and a lot of laughter on the final night.

And yes, we can, of course, wander to other pubs on a whim, but it won’t be the same – those serendipitous chats and chance encounters will need to be more planned and organised. This is no great tragedy in the grand scheme of things, obviously, but it’s still a kind of loss.

Maybe, down the line, Underdog will be reborn in slightly (or very) different form; after all, it did happen for The Punter’s Club, the Melbourne bar whose 2007 tribute in song by The Lucksmiths bookends this post. But for now, thanks to Paddy, Maura and everyone else who ever worked behind the scenes – you created something unique to Dublin, and it’s going to be much missed. GRMA.

I’ll be alright
We’ll make tonight tomorrow morning
Sometimes you wanna go
Where everybody knows you’re drunk*

*Song lyrics, folks! Drink responsibly, etc…

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Your friendly neighbourhood guide to Dublin's best pubs, from a weirdo perspective - craft beer, food, family-friendliness & potential for ghosts.

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