Music - Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Big Romance

February 4, 2026March 9, 2023 by Lisa Grimm

This week, we’re venturing over to Parnell Street to The Big Romance.

This is our first visit to what I would class more as a ‘beer bar’ vs a ‘pub’ – whether traditional or otherwise – indeed, on their Instagram, The Big Romance describes itself as ‘A vinyl bar with a Hatchett Soundsystem serving craft beers & cocktails.’ As someone who was last vaguely aware of anything to do with sound systems (is it one word or two? Do cool people know something I do not?) based on a handful of visits to London indie clubs in the 1990s, obviously the draw for me isn’t the tunes (though they have always been excellent – more on that shortly), it’s the beer and the welcome.

Although in some respects it seems you could pick up the whole of The Big Romance and transplant it to parts of Brooklyn or Manchester without anyone noticing – certainly, the clientele looks pretty similar when it comes to beards, tattoos and hair colour – and yes, I’m very much aware my own purple hair is adding to this stereotype – there are still uniquely ‘Dublin’ touches about it that make it very much at home in this city, and that starts (for me, anyway) with the beer.

Barring tap takeovers – and this is one of the few places in Dublin where visiting breweries do such things relatively regularly – the tap list is usually majority-Whiplash, and it always has Guinness and Hofbräu for those who only want to adventure with their ears, though recently, Whiplash’s own excellent stout, Slow Lives, has been on quite frequently, and one wonders whether anyone has secretly done a Pepsi Challenge on their Guinness Enthusiast friends while visiting. There is usually a good balance to the beer lineup in any case – nearly always something sessionable from Whiplash, like their Rollover or Body Riddle, as well as a mix of higher-octane IPAs or imperial stouts from their own stable, or from the likes of New York’s Other Half or perhaps a Spanish or Scandinavian brewery or two for good measure. Also worth noting is that the bartenders always know the beers, cocktails and wines (yes, they have those, too) inside and out – they are incredibly knowledgeable, always friendly, and make sure the really heavy things get served in an appropriately-sized glass.

The preponderance of Whiplash beers is what keeps me from calling The Big Romance a more generic ‘craft beer bar’ – while it’s not as wholly dedicated to (Mostly) Things Whiplash as its half-sister, Fidelity, which we’ll cover in a future entry, it does tend to be ‘Whiplash and Friends’ – but this is no bad thing; as mentioned, this is one of the features that makes the bar feel really ‘Dublin’ from my perspective – and perhaps even just that little bit specifically ‘Northside,’ especially since Whiplash is brewed in Ballyfermot. Now, I am certainly biased, as I live a short walk away, but I would struggle to picture a spot like The Big Romance on the other side of the Liffey, but it just ‘fits’ on a place like Parnell Street, with its long, varied, not un-messy history (for which I’d highly recommend a read of Donal Fallon’s Three Castles Burning – and I’ve seen him in a few times as well), and eclectic mix of shops, cultures, cuisines and characters.

And so, back to the music; The Big Romance is owned by Hidden Agenda, who started off producing club nights and suchlike (again, I am far too out-of-the-loop to know about These Things), and they’ve made the spot a haven for the audiophile, but never in a way that seems pretentious or unwelcoming to the uncool – I’ve enjoyed a few pints over one or two of my favourite Divine Comedy albums (entirely serendipitously – I wouldn’t have even thought to ask, yet there was the vinyl, already playing) and I have always been impressed by the jazz offerings as well – I realise how awful that probably makes me sound, but that’s the kind of thing they had around the house when I was growing up, my dad was born in the 1920s, so…not my fault! But back to descriptions…

The interior also hews strongly ‘vinyl bar’ vs ‘pub,’ but it comes across as creative reuse of an old space, rather than as a cold, try-hard re-do; I’ve always found the booths and chairs comfortable, and also welcome that it’s usually quite dark inside, but again, this is a feature, not a bug: it’s soothing! It’s equally pleasant as a slightly cavernous spot on a hot summer’s day or, as of this writing, a bit of a cold, wet and miserable one – as an additional aside, if you’re curious as to why there’s no external photo this week, this is why – it suits both moods, with low lights and a few candles.

And if you’re wondering what specific ‘big romance‘ it’s named after, well, wonder no more: it’s to do with the street’s namesake, Charles Stewart Parnell, and his career-destroying affair with Kitty O’Shea – though no signs of such complications exist at this Big Romance – just tasty, tasty pints, and some great tunes.

Where: The Big Romance, 98 Parnell St, Rotunda, Dublin, D01 T2T3
Access from the city centre: 15 minute walk; buses 1, 11, 9, 13, 16, 44, 46, 155, Luas Green Line
Food: Small nibbles; pizza from a neighbouring shop can be delivered
Sport: Nope
TVs: Nope
Music: Live music some evenings, DJs & so much vinyl
Family-friendliness: Leave the kids at home for this one
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Kimchi Hophouse, The Flowing Tide, The Confession Box, MeMa’s, The Morris Bar, Briody’s, The Sackville and Piper’s Corner are not terribly far
Local sites of note: Mountjoy Square, Rotunda Hospital, Hugh Lane Gallery, Garden of Remembrance, Abbey Theatre
Haunted: No obvious tales
Other notes: Cocktails are tasty, and while there’s always (great) music, it’s only too loud for conversation when it’s really packed – the music itself is at a sensible level
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Doyle’s Corner

February 4, 2026January 26, 2023 by Lisa Grimm

Updated 09/2024: Doyle’s Corner is once again under new management, so there are a few changes noted below. In brief, though, the craft beer selection remains strong, and while there is not food prepared in-house at present, bringing in food from other establishments in the neighbourhood is welcomed; with Vice Pizza and Bunsen both nearby, there are certainly options.

Given that the new owner is ‘in the music business,’ there will be a focus in the near future of getting more music on once again (without giving too much away before it’s shared elsewhere, yes, it’s someone you have probably heard of if you follow Irish indie music, and very likely a positive thing) – so keep your eyes peeled for gig announcements.

And while the Island’s Edge we mentioned in the original post (below) is, thankfully, now long gone (seemingly Yellowbelly, too – anyone seen them lately?), it’s been replaced with Kilkenny and Harp. There is apparently a bit of a push from Diageo to get these ‘legacy’ brands onto more tap handles around Dublin, and I’ve seen them a few other places recently, too, notably at Mooney’s – an interesting development. And now, back to our original profile, with a few edits:

We’re heading back to Phibsborough/Phibsboro this week, with a visit to Doyle’s Corner.

Dublin pubs – and, to be fair, other businesses – have a habit of lending their names to road conjunctions. In the case of Doyle’s Corner, this has happened twice: originally known as Dunphy’s Corner from the 1870s, with the requisite Joycean name-check, the intersection in front of the pub has been called Doyle’s Corner since at least the early 1900s. Although built by Thomas Dunphy in 1873, allegedly with leftover stone from nearby St. Peter’s Church, the Dunphy name receded when John Doyle bought both this pub and The Boh(emian) across the road. There is, like last week’s featured pub, The Cat & Cage, also a Brendan Behan connection, but there’s no evidence he offered to do any work here in exchange for a drink.

Although the pub’s name was changed (in the mid-2000s?) to celebrate Arthur Conan Doyle, it reverted to John Doyle’s, and then, re-opened in 2018 as Doyle’s Corner. For Dublin real estate enthusiasts/masochists, it’s worth noting that the pub sold for €4.2 million in 2006, but then had to ‘reduce its price‘ to €850,000 in 2011. These days, it’s a stretch to find many decent houses in Dublin for under that amount, much less a public one, but back to the bar…there are still some nods to Conan Doyle in the snug, with prints of various Sherlock Holmes illustrations on one wall.

I never saw the pre-renovation interior, but I find the current atmosphere very pleasant, with distinct personalities in the two main floor sections. The main bar feels, well, pubby, and the snug, with its fireplace and wood, more ‘Irish pubby’ – at least, that’s how my brain likes to interpret it. But I would hasten to add that it feels ‘Irish pubby’ in the authentic sense, not in the came-in-a-kit regard you get from overseas ‘Irish pubs’ (and, sorry to say, at least one near me, though I will likely simply never mention that particular pub here). I seem to almost always end up next to the bookshelves near the front door, which is no complaint; it’s very comfortable and an ideal spot to be tucked away for a sneaky solo afternoon pint. And, given that I walk by the pub at least twice a day, it’s extremely handy for that solo pint for me – with bonus points given as I have never been accosted by That Guy here.

I confess I have not checked out the newer sports bar and/or party venue upstairs, which makes me feel like I’m cheating to some extent by mentioning it without that more thorough exploration, but I’m very happy with the spots I in which I tend to be placed downstairs, in both sections. The chief draw for me, beyond the convenience factor and comfortable seating, is, of course, a selection of independent Irish beers. There’s always Kinnegar Scraggy Bay on, and usually something from The White Hag, Trouble or Yellowbelly. Guinness is, of course, well-represented, so it does cater to a range of tastes, with some cocktails included in the lineup as well – the Island’s Edge is kept far off to one side, where it belongs.

Doyle’s Corner is very much a pub in my ‘regular circulation’ – a fresh pint of Scraggy Bay is always worth the walk.

Where: Doyle’s Corner, 160/161 Phibsborough Rd, Phibsborough, Dublin 7, D07 R26N
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 40, 46A, 83, 140; Luas Green Line; 30ish minute walk
Food: ~~Pub grub, excellent warm cookies on the dessert menu~~ Order in or bring it with you for now
Sport: Most major Premiere League & international football matches; rugby & GAA as well
TVs: An entire sports bar section upstairs; screens come down for big games in the main bar, TV in the snug
Music: Expect to see more gig notices for the upstairs music venue
Family-friendliness: ~~Kids’ menu; plenty of the smaller ones about at reasonable hours~~ While the handy kids’ menu is gone, there are plenty of spots in the area to get them fed.
Pub-crawl-ability: High – The Hut is right next door, The Boh across the street, The Bald Eagle and The Back Page just a few short blocks away in opposite directions, with a few more in the immediate area
Local sites of note: Dalymount Park, Blessington Street Basin, Mountjoy Prison, Mater Hospital
Haunted: Poltergeist? Allegedly a ‘noisy ghost‘ ‘terrorised patrons on the second floor‘ in the early 2000s – perhaps the introduction of more events upstairs will see ‘her’ return…
Other notes: Possibly the most pleasant women’s bathrooms in a pub, anywhere; also a list of cans and bottles from local breweries

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Cat & Cage

February 4, 2026January 17, 2023 by Lisa Grimm

The sign outside The Cat & Cage declares that it has been trading here since 1690; its website repeats this assertion, though footage of the pub from the 1960s gives the founding date as 1750. While I am typically not inclined to take the ‘ancient’ claims of most Dublin pubs at face value, I’m more open to an earlier date for The Cat & Cage – and not just because I happen to think it’s a wonderful pub, though that helps.

It was known by the 1780s as ‘…a famous old punch house…kept by a witty blacksmith’ in an 1860s review of Sydney, Lady Morgan’s autobiography; her mother had kept a country retreat nearby. And the literary references do not end there – no, not an appearance in Ulysses, but rather, in Sean O’Casey’s Pictures in the Hallway. The playwright was a regular and, at least per his book, got into a few scrapes here. In the same vein, Brendan Behan (allegedly) painted the exterior and was, so the story goes, at least partially paid in pints. His statue, not a terribly far walk away on the Royal Canal, would no doubt approve. But, back to ‘just how old is this pub?’

Once again, The Cat & Cage was described in the 1870s as ‘a very old two-storey thatched tavern’ whose heyday had been ‘thirty and forty years ago’ – a similar jab was levied at the pub in the early 2010s, so, it seems, ’twas ever thus. The insistence that a pub was once pretty fantastic, but now, leaves something to be desired reminds me very much of M.R. James’s rules for ghost stories: ‘For the ghost story a slight haze of distance is desirable. ‘Thirty years ago,’ ‘Not long before the war’, are very proper openings.‘ There seems to be a parallel tendency to think a pub is ‘past it’ – but the recently-renovated Cat & Cage is anything but…even if it’s not entirely clear exactly how old it is.

But let’s look at what it looks like now: the exterior could easily pass for anything between ‘improved’ 18th century to late 19th century, while the interior has benefitted from a thoughtful facelift, marrying exposed stone with modern lights, design and seating, plus an old-school snug and an airy upstairs space that kept things ticking over as a bottle shop-and-takeaway-pizza spot during lockdowns, while the renovation in the main pub was happening downstairs. There are two sets of taps downstairs, one with the usual suspects of Guinness, Heineken and Lagunitas, but with a few always-on local craft taps from Trouble and Rascals. The other side of the bar, which opens into another, wallpapered room, features some other craft options, often from Scandinavia or Spain, and other locals like Wicklow Wolf or Whiplash. The upstairs lounge – formerly Knead, the aforementioned pizza-and-beer spot, also has a few taps, and some lovely bottles and cans.

I love that each part of The Cat & Cage has its own personality (and a variety of beer options), and that the renovation did a great job of showing off some of the building’s historic fabric, but allowed it to be very comfortable and modern at the same time. Given the pub’s age, regardless of which date is ‘correct,’ it’s nice to see it move with the times, but retain the aspects that give it character. And if I put on my amateur architectural historian hat – those archaeology degrees give me just enough knowledge to be dangerous, if not wholly accurate – I’d be willing to wager on something in between the two dates, and perhaps even to consider something a bit older, albeit spottily recorded. There would have been a small settlement here in the 17th century, and the church and churchyard just a short walk away was old enough to have been ‘dilapidated’ and needed a rebuild by the 1740s; nearby Belvedere House dates to the 1660s-70s, and given that The Cat & Cage was established enough to be a postal stop and coaching inn that featured in the 1798 rebellion, well…there are certainly possibilities. And while I could go do actual research, as with The Bald Eagle, it’s also nice to leave a bit of a mystery – and I’d rather just relax and enjoy a pint.

And that brings me to the other positive of this pub; it’s great for kicking back with other (grownup) friends, yet they will also happily handle my smaller child’s bizarro no-sauce pizza order without blinking if it’s a family afternoon or evening out. And while I sometimes feel that I need to campaign for more mac & cheese options in Ireland – why should the US have all the fun when the cheese here is an order of magnitude better? – the recently-returned-to-the-menu mac & cheese suppli are the best bar snacks around. I may have, on occasion, stopped in just to get some. Well, and a pint, but that goes without saying, and having a real variety of beers that aren’t all 6%+ helps keep things going.

I have yet to collect any specific ghost stories, but let’s just say I wouldn’t be mad about it – a resident spook would be a perfect fit for a pub with such a heritage.

Where: The Cat & Cage, 74 Drumcondra Road Upper, Drumcondra, Dublin, D09X620
Access from the city centre: Buses 1, 11, 13, 16, 44
Food: Pizza, tacos, pub grub, gorgeous mac & cheese suppli
Sport: Most major Premiere League & international football matches
TVs: A few small ones, with a screen that comes down for bigger games
Music: Often top 80s and 90s jams on the speakers, though not live music
Family-friendliness: No specific kids’ menu, but smaller sizes are available and children are welcome
Pub-crawl-ability: Medium: The Ivy House, Fagan’s and Juno are all within a reasonable walk, but allow for strolling in between
Local sites of note: DCU St Patrick’s & All Hallows Campuses, Drumcondra Church & Churchyard, Griffith Avenue, Belvedere House, Croke Park, Tolka Park
Haunted: One would hope so – vibes
Other notes: Excellent bottle/can list