Pavement Pints

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Merry Cobbler

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Exterior of The Merry CobblerThis week, we make a trip not only south of the Liffey, but nearly into the heart of Dublin 4, with a visit to The Merry Cobbler.

While we are now happily Northside people, when we first moved to Dublin, we were initially deposited nearby – this area is, at least as stereotypes go, a land of rugby and Range Rovers, D4 accents and posh schools (though it is much more diverse than that generalisation would have one believe). The nearby Aviva Stadium can, at times, feel a world away from our now-neighbour, Croke Park, despite the venues being only a few kilometres apart. Irish pubs, though, can feel like great equalisers, and The Merry Cobbler is no exception.

A Wicklow Wolf at The Merry CobblerIt’s very much a neighbourhood spot, welcoming local families, game day regulars and guests – you can even stay in the pub. And while its renovation of the past decade means it’s got a bit more polished wood and stained glass than many of its counterparts on the other side of the river, it never feels snobby. There are some lovely snugs – again, more stained glass – and various different spaces to spread out around this large pub. Local independent beers are well-represented (from Trouble and Wicklow Wolf on this most recent visit, though we’ve also seen Hope in the past), but this is another spot where the stout enthusiast can do the full Guinness–Beamish–Murphy’s taste test.

There’s a lovely fireplace that’s worth a visit in the colder months, and a few outdoor seats next to the yarn-bombed bollards for fine weather – we will admit there’s much less traffic than we tend to get near some of our closer pubs that have Pavement Pints options.

Inside The Merry CobblerWe will eventually do a ‘Best Pubs for the Aviva’ roundup to complement our ‘Best Pubs for Croke Park‘ summary, but in the meantime, this is one to add to that list.

Where: 78-82 Irishtown Rd, Dublin 4
Access from the city centre: Buses C1, C2; Dart to Lansdowne Road; 40-ish minute walk
Food: Pub grub, pizza, weekend brunch and tasty desserts
Sport: Rugby (you are on the southside, after all), football…all the big sports
TVs: Many screens all around
Music: MOR pop hits of the 80s and 90s on our visit
Family-friendliness: Very family-friendly indeed
Pub-crawl-ability: Low-medium – The Vintage Inn and Irishtown House are very close, with The Oarsman and The Yacht Tavern up the road in Ringsend; The Old Spot and The Bath Pub are not too terribly far. While BrewDog is close as the crow files, actually getting there can be a challenge from here
Local sites of note: Aviva Stadium, Ringsend Park, Irishtown Stadium, Seán Moore Park (for Poolbeg Parkrun – you can get your New Year’s Day run in here), Poolbeg Chimneys, Sandymount Strand
Haunted: The church just steps away always looks a bit spooky
Other notes: Dogs welcome; main floor toilets but a few areas of differing floor heights around the pub
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Token

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Exterior of Token: yes, it looks that corporate now This week, we are visiting more of an event venue than a pub, but needs must.

The subject of our profile is Token, relatively recently re-opened in a new location, some two years after closing in Smithfield to general consternation. As the name implies, it’s more of an arcade than a bar, with a mix of video games, pinball and suchlike.

But it wasn’t (quite) always like this; although we only hit the former location once or twice, it did seem that the balance tipped a bit more toward the ‘pub’ side before, whereas now that feeling is very much reversed. Token in its previous incarnation held a wide variety of events, from art-making to LGBTQ+ community gatherings (and everything in between). In short, it felt like a neighbourhood bar that offered something of an alternative to simply ‘sitting at the bar,’ though you could do that as well, if you preferred. This Token, however, feels very much more transactional, and much more, well, bro-y.

Inside TokenAnd it may be that this vibe is a direct result of this new space: surrounded by bland offices and corporate apartments, it now feels like an after work ‘enforced fun’ spot for company meetings. The prices certainly fall into the ‘someone else is paying’ category with an ambitiously-priced pint of Scraggy Bay on offer for €8.20 (and a service charge added to food orders, despite it being relatively difficult to find someone to take your payment when you want to leave, even at the bar).

A model shark at TokenAlthough it’s part of the same ownership group as The Back Page, it feels less like a pub in comparison to that one as well, though both have games on offer. Their other sister venue, The Bernard Shaw, has arguably also lost much of what made it unique when it moved locations some years ago, though it still hosts a number of handy neighbourhood activities and meetups.

Really, the main lesson learned is that we should have let the tween solve a Rubik’s Cube in under a minute for a free pint (for us) – it would have been a fair exchange for some game tokens. Still, there is a shark…

Where: Custom House Square, Unit 4 Mayor Street Lower, North Wall, Dublin 1, D01 DE47
Access from the city centre: Luas Red line, buses G1, G2, 14, 15, 27, 56A, 77A, 20-ish minute walk
Food: All-day breakfast, burgers, pizza, vegan bowls, snacks
Sport: Lots of sport
TVs: Many screens of varying sizes around the venue
Music: Aggressively ’80s on our visit
Family-friendliness: Kids welcome and busy spending money before 6 pm
Pub-crawl-ability: Low-medium – The Brew Dock, Urban Brewing, or head across the water to Dockers, Daphni or Brewdog, if you prefer…
Local sites of note: EPIC, Connolly Station, Grand Canal Dock, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
Haunted: Presumably by poor choices made at work off-sites
Other notes: Another karaoke warning; main floor toilets
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Thomas Read’s

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Behind the bar at Thomas Read'sIt’s time for another pub re-brand, but this one does seem to be purely a name swap and a bit of a paint job, rather than anything more drastic. We speak, of course, of Thomas Read’s, latterly known as The Beer Temple. But while the name has changed, it’s not even an entirely new one: the pub was previously known as Thomas Read’s (also previously Thomas Reade and similar variations), so it’s really just a return to what might be classed as tradition, although the current building does not go quite as far back as the specific Thomas Read namechecked.

That said, while this site was largely rebuilt in the late 19th/early 20th century, Parliament Street and the surrounding area does have Georgian roots, with much of the area having been an output of the Wide Streets Commission. As we like to bang on about, it’s why there isn’t much of medieval Dublin visible above ground (though this is a good neighbourhood to go searching for little glimpses), but there are historical elements here. Yes, this spot is mentioned in Ulysses (though not as a pub), but it was also held by the Irish Citizen Army during the 1916 Rising (with considerable repair work required after).

More at Thomas Read'sThe Read family did run their business from what is now House of Read just to the rear – while the date above the door there suggest a 1670 date (which does line up with the business founding), the location is a firmly 18th century building, mostly likely constructed in the 1760s as with much of the surrounding area. But for the much more complicated history of the Thomas Read name and its association with the pub trade, check out Every Pub in Dublin – happily for everyone involved, Cian has done the heavy lifting here, with the attendant Celtic Tiger-era twists and turns. We also recommend House of Read for tea and small snacks; they do excellent miniature cakes and pastries, among other more substantial offerings, and the interior there has been very well-restored to its 1760s appearance.

But back to the pub…

More nautical photos are on The Oak sideIn truth, beyond some more sober colour choices and nods to both the Read family and a portrait of Michael Collins, little has changed – but this is no bad thing. The more recent trend around Dublin has been for pubs to remove their independent beer taps when they renovate, but happily, Thomas Read’s remains a Galway Bay Brewing pub, so there is the usual range of their beers and a few guests, although there are, perhaps, a few more Guinness and Heineken taps than there used to be. The Oak side has also had a bit of a glow-up, though again, the major changes there are cosmetic – adding some decoration to the many mirrors, for example – the are-they-from-the-Mauretania panels have been left alone. Staff suggested that the aim is to think of The Oak as more of a whiskey bar, although it’s easy enough to walk from one side to the other with your beverage of choice.

Here we are once more at the scene of our former triumphs (yes, before another Divine Comedy gig)And it’s a change that makes sense from a tourism point of view: if we’re being honest, The Beer Temple was a name that sounded a little try-hard and bro-y (even if the pub was not – indeed, it’s always been one of the most family-friendly in town), whereas Thomas Read’s is very much more ‘Irish pub’ – and in this part of town, with so many tourist attractions, it makes sense not to make tour groups or travellers think that your business only caters to a certain brand of drinker. So it’s not quite a more ‘grown-up’ name, but it is a nice nod to the area’s history.

And given where Thomas Read’s is, right at the entrance to Temple Bar, it’s by no means cheap, but there is one nice promotion that they look to continue to run – on Mondays and Tuesdays, Galway Bay Brewing pints are only €6.50. Around these parts, that’s a great deal.

Where: Thomas Read’s, 1-3 Parliament St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 AN28
Access from the city centre: You are in it – nearly everything touristy is within a 5-10 minute walk
Food: Usual Galway Bay menu; breakfast on weekends
Sport: Not constant, but now there are bigger games on
TVs: See above: more for major rugby, football, etc
Music: Playlist now depends on the day; occasional live acts
Family-friendliness: Still very welcoming to all ages at the usual times, with food that appeases fussy eaters; kids’ menu available
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Porterhouse, all the Temple Bar tourist traps, The Lord Edward, The Bull & Castle, The Brazen Head, or wander into The Liberties for spots like Dudley’s, Swift, Lucky’s and more…
Local sites of note: Olympia Theatre, Dublin Castle, Dublin City Hall, Chester Beatty Library, Christchurch Cathedral, Dublinia
Haunted: Still no obvious ghosts
Other notes: Basement toilets still not meaningfully renovated or accessible

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Neary’s

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The famous hand-held lamps at Neary'sWhile The Flowing Tide serves as Northside Dublin’s premier theatrical pub, with its close associations with the neighbouring Abbey Theatre (and its short walk to The Gate), Neary’s takes on that role on the Southside for the Gaiety Theatre. Alas, though, one of the finest theatrical tales about Neary’s seems to be a bit of a myth. In Donal Fallon’s excellent new book, The Dublin Pub: A Social and Cultural History (a must-have for any pub nerd), the story of Alan Devlin storming offstage at the Gaiety during a production of HMS Pinafore* and demanding drink at Neary’s is only true…in part.

A glass of O'Hara's upstairs at Neary's

In reality, it seems Devlin only made it as far as Sinnott’s, just steps away…so while Neary’s have claimed the (delightful) story, it’s actually more accurately one that belongs to the whole street. But Neary’s has featured in other legendary activities, too – Nell McCafferty famously led a protest here in 1974, demanding that women be served pints (THINK OF THE CHILDREN), and a version of the story makes its way into the book as well; the good news is that once again, there’s more than a grain of truth here.

The main bar at Neary'sAnd it is, perhaps, fitting that Neary’s is a pub that attracts this kind of lore; its beautifully-maintained interior hearkens back to the 1880s – well, at least in the main bar downstairs – while upstairs, it’s a slightly more updated restaurant feel, but still elegantly understated. The working gas lamps and dumbwaiter inside are well-known historical features, but the literally hand-held lamps outside are iconic.

Despite its history and location next to the Gaiety, it doesn’t feel quite as ‘theatrical’ as The Flowing Tide – the subject of its own chapter in The Dublin Pub – but it wears its literary heritage very well indeed. Pints-wise (and yes, anyone of age can have those pints now), O’Hara’s is the independent option, with the usual Guinness as well. Our small quibble would be the unused/possibly not real hand pumps – regular readers know we feel A Way about cask ale – but they do seem part of the furniture here.

Of course, we’ve only scratched the surface here; Dublin’s pubs have so many fantastical stories – some more fact-based than others – and we cannot recommend Donal’s book highly enough. Consider this your call to action to pick up a copy if you have not already done so!

It’s an ideal read for an afternoon with a book and a solo pint.

Where: 1 Chatham Street
Access from the city centre: You are in it
Food: Sandwiches (toasties and more), salads, oysters
Sport: Not here
TVs: None at all
Music: Quiet jazz upstairs in the Lounge, occasional live sets
Family-friendliness: A surprisingly large number of babies and toddlers mid-afternoon
Pub-crawl-ability: High – The Hairy Lemon, Caribou, Bar Rua, The Long Hall, Grogan’s, Peter’s Pub, Sinnott’s Bar and more are all within a short wander
Local sites of note: Gaiety Theatre, Craft Central (absolutely a landmark for the beer nerds), Little Museum of Dublin, George’s Street Arcade, St Stephen’s Green, Grafton Street
Haunted: There’s a story of a deceased punter…so perhaps!
Other notes: While there is the dreaded (by us) Changing Times Hazy IPA, there’s still the aforementioned O’Hara’s
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

 

*FWIW, your fair scribe has been in many productions of HMS Pinafore, and could easily step into essentially any role if need be, as long as some transposing down were a possibility for anything higher than mezzo. But Sir Joseph? Yes, could absolutely do it. And so could our sisters and our cousins and our aunts…

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Portobello Bar

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Outside The Portobello PubAs regular readers know, we are always on the lookout for a pub with a good ghost story, whether it’s October or, really, any time. The pub in question we’re visiting this week doesn’t feel particularly spooky, but it does have an interesting history to go along with the ghost story, even if they aren’t perfectly well-connected. Without further ado, we make our way to The Portobello Bar.

The front bar at The Portobello BarWhile the ‘since 1793’ date is a little shaky, given the current building’s construction in the 1870s, it seems entirely plausible that there was, indeed, an inn or pub around here earlier. The Grand Canal’s proximity – just across a heavily-used road – supports the possibility of an earlier date, and it’s also what supplies our ghost story. Construction began on the Grand Canal in the late 18th century, and it was a key piece of infrastructure in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Our ghost – a ‘vengeful’ or ‘drunken’ lock-keeper (take your pick/why not both?) – is alleged to originate in the middle of the 19th century, forever haunting the lock just outside the pub. He’s even meant to be responsible for multiple deaths, appearing as a shapeshifting light-into-human-figure. As an aside, we don’t get enough shapeshifting ghostlore any more – there used to be a proud tradition of spooks turning into hay bales or cows and horses, and that seems to have vanished in modern ‘it happened to me stories’ – someone should get on that. But we digress…

But there was a very real tragedy just opposite the pub’s location in 1861, when a horse-drawn omnibus went off the nearby bridge into the canal, killing all the passengers as well as both horses. While ‘some’ attributed the accident to the spectral lock-keeper, it would be an interesting exercise to trace back the origin of that part of the story, especially since the current pub (or, at least, most of it) would have been built or re-built at least a good few years after the accident.

Back bar at The Portobello BarSo, ghosts aside, what is the pub like? Well…most definitely not creepy. If anything, it’s a bit too polished to feel at all like a liminal space. There are several very different sections of the pub with their own character, but none are especially dark or gloomy. The front is much more ‘pubby’ and the rear more of a restaurant or hotel bar vibe (the many large TV screens are part of what gives that impression), though it’s worth knowing that the back bar is where the sole local-craft-beer representative is; there’s a Rye River tap if you know where to look. Indeed, the food was very good – a step up from a lot of pub food, though the enormous portions are perhaps created more for tourists than locals. There’s also the usual Guinness – and Murphy’s – plus some Warsteiner.

Covered Pavement Pints area at The Portobello BarThere’s a covered outdoor space too, more Pavement Pints than beer garden, given the amount of traffic nearby, but you do get a view of the canal lock and the (haunted?) bridge. And even if you’re not into the ghostly folklore, The Portobello Bar does have other legitimate historical claims: back when it was called Davy’s, it was an important site during the Easter Rising in 1916, and that history is very much remembered in this pub.

We may not have seen the vengeful lock-keeper at The Portobello Bar, but we did have a good burger and pint. We’ll keep trying to find some good haunted Dublin pub stories…

Where: 33 South Richmond St, Dublin, IE D02 CF40
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 15, 15A, 15B, 16, 83, 83A, 140; 25-ish minute walk
Food: Elevated pub grub, carvery, weekend brunch
Sport: All the sport, football especially
TVs: So many large screens in the back that it can feel a bit sports-bar-y
Music: DJs and live music at weekends
Family-friendliness: At the usual times
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Camden street is full of pubs and bars like The Bleeding Horse, Devitt’s, Teach Tábhairne Ag Teach, The Camden, Whelan’s, Anseo, Ryan’s of Camden Street…and the local ‘Spoon’s, Keavan’s Port
Local sites of note: Iveagh Gardens, St Stephen’s Green, National Concert Hall, St Kevin’s Park, Grand Canal
Haunted: Is it the lock-keeper? The tram passengers? The horses? Everything to play for here
Other notes: Main-floor toilets, though no specific disabled toilet
Socials: Facebook, Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The 1884

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Outside The 1884The 1884 is so called after the year that the GAA was founded, and it is very much a sporty pub. And while the GAA is the most-represented sporting genre on the walls and in the niches, there’s plenty of (association) football on the screens as well, especially on a weekend visit such as our recent one.

GAA decor in The 1884And like many pubs in the more suburban parts of Dublin, it’s absolutely enormous inside – indeed, somewhat barn-like. But it’s all very tidy, and there’s plenty of space to spread out. There are much-appreciated coat hooks under the bar, which really should be standard everywhere, but here we are. Only a few years ago, this pub was known as Grainger’s, and it had, well, a reputation, and although there are a few reminders of that era, it seemed generally ‘neighbourhood-pubby’ on our visit.

The beer garden at The 1884And while the beer selection is mostly the usual Guinness-and-Heineken-and-so-so-much-Rockshore (despite being listed as a stockist of Hope, brewed just a bit further north), there is also the lesser-spotted Kilkenny, which has been popping up here and there of late, and it’s a nice alternative. The real hidden gem of The 1884, though, is the enormous beer garden out back. Yes, there is a Pavement Pints option out front, right on the busy road, but if you head to the back, there is a wide range of covered and uncovered seating options.

Marino may not be much of a tourist destination (despite its legitimately interesting history from a city planning perspective, as well as its outstanding – and free – Casino Marino), but for the visitor looking for an almost-certainly tourist-free locals’ pub, The 1884 might be what they are looking for.

Where: 74 Malahide Road, Dublin 3, Marino, Dublin, IE D03 XW54
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 13, 14, 15, 27A, 27B, 83, 123, 151
Food: Pub grub, wraps, crisps
Sport: All the sport, though mostly-GAA decor
TVs: Many screens all around the pub
Music: Live music at weekends
Family-friendliness: KEEP THEM SEATED
Pub-crawl-ability: Low – a longish walk to The Strand House and Gaffney’s, or toward The Ivy House and The Cat & Cage
Local sites of note: Casino Marino, Griffith Avenue, Bram Stoker’s birthplace, Fairview Park
Haunted: Perhaps only by talk of the previous pub…
Other notes: Main-floor toilets
Socials: Facebook, Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Bernard Shaw

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Exterior of The Bernard Shaw

Despite walking past it multiple times a day most days, we’ve not had occasion to call in to The Bernard Shaw recently. This part of Dublin – the Phibsborough/Glasnevin border – is already well-served with great pubs like The Bald Eagle just across the canal, more food-forward spots like The Botanic around the corner, and world-renowned spots like The Gravediggers within a short walk. And so despite having an interesting selection of food vendors in its adjoining Eatyard, The Bernard Shaw is rarely top of mind as a spot for a quiet (or loud) drink or a family meal. True, they do have a drag brunch that we’ve heard is good fun, but the in-house food and drinks are always mentioned as not quite up to par for the neighbourhood, especially for the price.

And perhaps the fact that it doesn’t feel  much like, well, a pub is part of the issue; in its previous incarnation in Rathmines, it had a variety of spaces and programming options, but it still felt very much like a (rather scruffy) pub. However, that closed in 2019, and it moved to the current spot, a former Porterhouse location, not terribly long after. But much about the interior feels very much temporary: colourful cardboard dividers, upstairs and downstairs spaces closed off at some times and not others, and even the Eatyard itself is sometimes table service, sometimes walk-up, and it’s never entirely clear which is which or what is on offer when.

Inside one end of The Bernard ShawWhile it does have a theoretically reasonably interesting drinks lineup, like its fellow Bodytonic-managed bar, The Back Page, sometimes quite a few taps are not in working order – but again, other times, it’s all fine. But if all is present and correct, there are usually multiple Kinnegar choices, an Outcider tap and the more usual Guinness and Beamish, plus cocktails. Between the two locations, we tend to go to The Back Page more often: it has a more distinct identity as a spot for watching soccer and some more obscure sport, and the pizza is consistently pretty decent.

A beer on a table at The Bernard ShawIt is, of course, entirely possible that it’s simply aiming for a younger/cooler demographic, which is fair enough…though it does beg the question as to why there’s a mural of Peter Fonda on one side of the building…it’s not something that resonates with GenXers like us…are the younger Millennials into Easy Rider? We’ve been told it’s a ‘no’ from Gen Z: ‘…it’s no Taxi Driver.’

But we actually *do* quite enjoy some of the events that take place at The Bernard Shaw – there are handy record fairs, local community art markets and so on that are great to have in the neighbourhood; we may just go elsewhere for that ‘pub’ experience after. But with so many to choose from in this area, there’s absolutely something for everyone.

Where: Cross Guns Bridge, Dublin, D09 XW44
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 40, 46A, 83, 140; Luas Green Line; 30ish minute walk
Food: Breakfast, lunch, dumplings, hot dogs
Sport: Big events shown: Rugby, football, etc
TVs: Scattered around
Music: The hipster music vibes are strong
Family-friendliness: Children around at the usual times
Pub-crawl-ability: High. Multiple options nearby: The Bald Eagle, The Brian Boru, Doyle’s Corner, The Boh, The Hut and The Back Page in one direction, with The Botanic, The Gravediggers and The Tolka House in the other…
Local sites of note: Royal Canal Greenway, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin Cemetery, Mountjoy Prison, Dalymount Park
Haunted: Oddly, no ghosts obviously associated with the nearby Cross Guns Bridge
Other notes: Toilets are very much not accessible
Socials: Facebook, Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Harty’s Bar

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The streetscape at Harty's Bar, with Tapped to its rightCask ale, as we have often complained, is something of a rarity in Ireland. While there are a few more pubs with a regular cask offering up in Belfast, here in Dublin, it is simply not a regular feature in most pubs. Happily, though, a tipoff from a reader (cheers, Ciaran!) alerted us to a beer engine in regular use at Harty’s Bar. Naturally, we dropped everything to go investigate.

A pint of Brehon Blonde next to the hand pumpOne reason this pub had not been on our radar is that, appearances notwithstanding, it’s a fairly new establishment (but also not; bear with us) – until about 18 months ago, it was the Dingle Whiskey Bar. But like its neighbour, Tapped, with whom it shares a kitchen and menu, it has had a variety of identities, both before and throughout its tenure in the broader Porterhouse portfolio. Now described as ‘a country pub in the big smoke,’ its most recent refit leans into low light, dark woods and deep reds. It also seems smaller than during its whiskey days, but we’re not certain whether this is an accurate feeling or some kind of MR James ‘Number 13’ effect happening. In any event, there’s still plenty of Dingle Whiskey, also part of the Porterhouse group, as well as others.

A view into Harty's BarWhile it doesn’t have the selection of beers next door in Tapped, with its enormous bar, for a small space, it has a good lineup of some of the more standard Porterhouse beers – the Plain Porter, Yippy IPA and Red – as well as Trouble’s Ambush. There’s also Guinness, of course, and Beamish. But as you know, we were here for the cask option: this week, it was Brehon Brewhouse’s Blonde. And cask is a great way to serve this beer; it helps bring out a bit more of the biscuity malts that are a bit harder to notice when it’s poured from a can. The bartender shared that it’s more commonly the Stony Grey IPA on the hand pump, so it was a nice changeup.

And although you can still count the pubs in Dublin with working beer engines on one hand, it’s nice to know that we are at least back to having at least 1-2 cask options available on nearly any day of the week…if you know where to go.

And to that end, we’ve added a new category: cask.

Enjoy!

Where: 44 Nassau St, Dublin, D02 YY44
Access from the city centre: Right there
Food: Pub grub and beyond
Sport: Football, GAA…the usual big sports
TVs: Small screen near the bar
Music: No music on our visit; sport instead
Family-friendliness: Depends on the time of day, but there is food
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Tapped is next door, and McDaid’s, Bowes, O’Neill’s, Cassidy’s, Mulligans, The Palace Bar, JR Mahon’s, The Oval Bar, Porterhouse Temple Bar, Kennedy’s and many, many more are all within a very short stroll
Local sites of note: Trinity College, National Library of Ireland, National Museum of Ireland (Archaeology and The Dead Zoo), Leinster House, Irish Whiskey Museum, NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM
Haunted: Perhaps the revamp was too recent for ghosts?
Other notes: There’s even working air con…more rare still than cask ale
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Frank Ryan’s

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Outside Frank Ryan'sHave we found Dublin’s darkest pub?

While the exterior of Frank Ryan’s Pub is bright-ish candy colours of pink and yellow, the interior is more None More Black. The smell of incense and the nod toward illumination with a string of fairy lights adds to the student-squat vibe, but this is a student squat for someone who takes their music collection (vinyl, presumably) quite seriously.

And while the music is a shared interest with Fidelity, just across the street, the look and feel could not be a greater contrast: Fidelity is all large windows and polished metal, while Frank Ryan’s is more found furniture and inherited memorabilia everywhere. And yet, there is a significant crossover in the Venn diagram of pub-goers: it is not at all unusual to see people shuttling between the two pubs. No doubt some of this is down to the pizza offering at Frank Ryan’s – the food at Fidelity Studio is wonderful, but it can seem more of a ‘special occasion’ meal (indeed, you may need a reservation), while the pizza can be a more affordable handy mid-session snack or meal.

Pizza and a Carlsberg at Frank Ryan's

While we wouldn’t quite put the pizza in the same class as MeMa’s or The Morris Bar (not to mention Rascals, which is next-level), it is tasty. The beer offerings are a bit more pedestrian than some in the area – the O’Hara’s and Hopefully taps seemed a bit tired – but the Carlsberg was quite lively, and there’s always the Guinness. Again, though, there’s a world of options just across the street at Fidelity on the beer front, and with such proximity, there’s no need to choose just the one type of establishment. And sometimes, there’s nothing better to pair with a pizza than a fresh Carlsberg.

There is some light to be found toward the front and back of Frank Ryan’s (if you’re the sort of person who prefers to see your pizza or pint), and there’s even a seating area at the rear that splits the difference between a small beer garden and a Pavement Pints setup; we’ll allow arguments either way.

Inside Frank Ryan's: barrels, tables and fairy lightsAll told, though, the vibe at Frank Ryan’s is extremely laid-back, and it can be a respite from the sun on a hot day; it’s not the sort of pub that’s going to be to everyone’s taste, but with so many in the broader Smithfield/Stoneybatter area, there’s a pub for nearly everyone.

Just remember to have the light on your phone handy here.

Where: 5 Queen St, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 T227
Access from the city centre: Buses C1, C2, C3, C4, 37, 39, 39A, 70, 83, 83A, Red Line Luas, 20ish minute walk
Food: Pizza
Sport: Not likely
TVs: If they are there, they are hidden in the dark
Music: Eclectic mix of jazz, Afrobeats and other good stuff; live jazz on Thursdays
Family-friendliness: Saw a few mid-size small folk getting pizza
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Fidelity is right across the street, and Bonobo, The Cobblestone, Delaney’s, The Belfry, The Brazen Head, The Barber’s Bar, Walsh’s, Hynes’ Bar and L Mulligan, Grocer are all within a few minutes’ walk – and that’s just getting started
Local sites of note: Lighthouse Cinema, Collins Barracks, Four Courts, St Michan’s Church, St Audoen’s Church, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublinia, Guinness Storehouse
Haunted: I mean, it *is* dark…
Other notes: The women’s toilet is hidden behind the ‘gents’ sign and neither seems especially accessible; dogs welcome
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: McDaid’s

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Outside McDaid'sIt’s time for another one of our rare trips into Dublin city centre proper with a visit to McDaid’s, a pub with a fine literary heritage. Granted, there are many, many pubs here with similar claims to fame, but most do come by it quite honestly. There’s the requisite Brendan Behan connection (this is a pub, after all), but it was also a haunt of Seamus Heaney, Patrick Kavanagh, Flann O’Brien, and J.P. Donleavy, before there was something of a writerly migration to Grogan’s in the 1970s.

The bar at McDaid's

Inside, the feel is ‘classic Irish pub’ in a more weathered, relaxed way than you find elsewhere in this part of town; the crowds are spilling out onto the footpath at Kehoe’s, but it’s it bit calmer at McDaid’s. There are some lovely tiles all around the pub, and the dark wood and red leather is cosy and lived-in. The usual Guinness is available and well-kept, and there’s an O’Hara’s tap for the indie beer fan – something that is far from guaranteed in this part of Dublin.

An O'Hara's at McDaid'sIt would be interesting to do a deeper dive into the history of the building and previous pubs trading on this site…the ‘est 1779’ above the door has little to do with the current incarnation of the pub, which is a mid-20th century affair, and the building that houses it is from the late 19th century. There are several ‘facts’ traded around about its past (‘former morgue!’ ‘Moravian chapel!’) which likely have the odd grains of truth here and there – the stained glass and frontage do have an ecclesiastical feel – but one does wonder where the 1779 date came from.

Still, we wouldn’t want to get in the way of a good story, especially in a pub with such a storied past; it’s often a blissfully-chill spot in an area that can be heaving with tourists and students. A good ghost story wouldn’t go amiss.

Where: 3 Harry St, Dublin, D02 NC42
Access from the city centre: In it
Food: Crisps
Sport: On when there’s a big game
TVs: Above the main entry
Music: Bit of an MOR playlist
Family-friendliness: Not really ideal for the littles
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Kehoe’s, Grogan’s, The Hairy Lemon, The Long Hall, Tapped, Bruxelles, Neary’s, Bar Rua, Davy Byrne’s…and many, many more
Local sites of note: Grafton Street, Gaiety Theatre, St Stephen’s Green, Trinity College, National Gallery, National Library of Ireland, National Museum of Archaeology, Leinster House, Little Museum of Dublin
Haunted: Seems odd there isn’t a literary ghost story
Other notes: Worryingly narrow stairs up to the toilets
Socials: None in general usage