Trad

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Vintage Inn

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Exterior of The Vintage Inn - imagine how beautiful it would be without the carsWe venture south of the Liffey again for two purposes: bagels and beer. Whilst our main goal on our visit to The Vintage Inn was more successful than the side quest, we found much more than we expected, in all of the best ways.

The Vintage Inn is a very near neighbour of The Merry Cobbler, but they are quite different establishments – both very ‘pubby’ in their own ways, but with different features and charms. A standout feature here is the beer garden, one that we will certainly include in our Best Pubs for the Sun list (though it’s possible we had our fill of sun for the summer a few weeks ago). But with a mix of cover and open air, it’s a fine spot in most weathers – beautifully decorated with a wide variety of seating options, plus the requisite giant Jenga that all beer gardens seem to have nowadays.

Beer garden at The Vintage Inn - this photo barely does it justice, it's a gorgeous spotInside, what could have been a tired 1970s-era renovation in a 19th century pub has been thoughtfully updated, keeping a bit of the old for camp and comfort, with a blend of fantastic local art, memorabilia and the finest Pride gear (not just in June, we are told, but all the year round, and it’s wonderful) well-placed on all the walls. It’s one of the most cleanly-designed pubs we’ve ever been in, but it still feels packed with personality – these aren’t the ‘hotel bar’ vibes you get from some spots that are just that bit (or rather more, in some cases) too over-designed, nor is it the ‘Oirish Pub’ kit of old signs and bits of hardware one finds (mostly) abroad. In short, it feels, friendly, inclusive and fun.

Bagel sandwich and book at The Vintage InnAnd there is truly something for everyone – sport, including an emphasis on women’s sport (FINALLY), is on various screens, there’s a monthly folk club, drag bingo and pub quizzes galore. But you’ve likely come to read about the bagels, and we wouldn’t leave you disappointed. Ireland is not generally known for its strong bagel game – see also: soft pretzels – so when one finds legitimately amazing bagel sandwiches, it would violate the social contract not to share the good news. Now available as part of the weekend brunch offering, the authentic bagels come courtesy of Fat Baby Bakes, and as former Brooklynites, we can vouch that these are the real deal, made all the more so by the perfect eggs, bacon and cheese from local producers (other toppings are available, but really, these are just as they should be).

Our one minor quibble is that the only independent beer on tap – at least on our visit – was from Galway Hooker and well…we’ve never liked Galway Hooker, their beers never seem to quite do it for us. It would be lovely to see another local rotating tap, but there is also the full Guinness/Murphy’s/Beamish trinity on offer, plus a variety of cocktails.

Even barring the beer, this is another case of ‘if this were our local, we’d be here all the time’ – but it’s also a pub with such a warm welcome (and such an outstanding beer garden) that we know we’ll be more purposeful about making the trip down in future, and not just for the bagels.Inside The Vintage Inn

Where: 74 Irishtown Road, Dublin 4
Access from the city centre: Buses C1, C2; Dart to Lansdowne Road; 40-ish minute walk
Food: Weekend brunch; keep an eye on the socials for more
Sport: Sport – not just of/for men!
TVs: Screens tastefully positioned, not overwhelming
Music: Great tunes from many eras
Family-friendliness: Kids welcome for brunch/before events at the Aviva
Pub-crawl-ability: Low-medium – The Merry Cobbler 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 far away.
Local sites of note: Aviva Stadium, Ringsend Park, Irishtown Stadium, Seán Moore Park (for Poolbeg Parkrun), Poolbeg Chimneys, Sandymount Strand
Haunted: No stories forthcoming, but we’d love to go to a Samhain/Halloween event here
Other notes: Dogs most welcome
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: O’Donoghue’s

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Exterior of O'Donoghue's. Yes, there's always this much traffic.Regular readers know that we tend to keep north of the Liffey, or else head more toward The Liberties when we must cross the river. However, we had occasion to be in the area on a weekday afternoon, and so finally made it a priority to call in to O’Donoghue’s – a pub we’ve had a few requests to cover.

Now, while it’s been on the list for a while, we’ve not made it in for a few reasons – not just our general laziness when it comes to heading south. We tend to avoid the more ‘touristy’ areas of town, not only because of the price of a pint in them (though we’re not quite talking Temple Bar pricing here), but because there also tends to be less going on in terms of food and beer selection in a lot of the pubs that pop up on the usual tourist trail recommendation lists. Add in live trad to the equation, and it can be a potent mix that signals ‘tourists only!’ – a combination most keenly felt in many of the pubs in Temple Bar, but that also applies to places like The Brazen Head. And on a recent walk past, the specific tunes and crowd spilling out of O’Donoghue’s that evening seemed to be, well, that.

Inside O'Donoghue's - much calmer!However, our midweek daytime visit was quite a different affair, and all to the good. Both the interior and the large beer garden were calm, though not empty – as we write this, it is Cheltenham week, and that tends to mean fairly full Old Man Pubs – the resulting crowd was a good mix of locals and visiting Yorkshiremen, most with an interest in the racing. It was also encouraging to see Lucky Pale Ale from Trouble on tap; so many of the ‘must-visit’ pubs here in Dublin – notably Toner’s, just across the street – only have Guinness and/or Heineken products, so seeing at least one local independent beer makes things much more interesting for us.

And the music heritage at O’Donoghue’s is a very real aspect of the appeal; The Dubliners are forever associated with it, and they are looking at you from a range of portraits and photos around the pub. The dark, scuffed (but not uncomfortable) wooden furniture adds to the atmosphere, and while it’s not as large and maze-like as its neighbour across the street, it’s still a much larger pub than you’d guess from the outside. And although the building may not be quite as old as claimed, it’s certainly in the general Georgian ballpark. But it’s the pub’s association with trad music over the last half century that makes it unique. And, like The Cobblestone, it still has a reputation for drawing trad musicians and fans from near and far – it’s not the frequently diddley-eye mix of tunes aimed only at tourists you get in certain quarters.

The beer garden at O'Donoghue'sThat said, we are more likely to take ourselves to The Cobblestone or Dudley’s if we’re in the mood for music and pints, but that’s more a function of proximity (and beer selection) than anything else. We can certainly see why O’Donoghue’s is still a real destination for trad, for visitors and locals alike, even if we don’t get down that way particularly often.

No Temple Bar vibes here!

Where: 15 Merrion Row, Dublin
Access from the city centre: Stephen’s Green is just around the corner
Food: Crisps
Sport: Rugby, horse racing, etc…
TVs: Screens both inside and out for the sport
Music: Live trad every night
Family-friendliness: More of a grownup spot, but children/families are welcome to stay in the guest rooms – no kids after 9 pm in the bar area, though, as standard elsewhere
Pub-crawl-ability: Medium-High – Toner’s, McGrattan’s, Kennedy’s and Doheny & Nesbitt are all very close, though we like to head further on up toward Tapped, Cassidy’s, Bowes or The Palace Bar
Local sites of note: Huguenot Cemetery, Little Museum of Dublin, St Stephen’s Green, Merrion Square, Fitzwilliam Square, Royal Hibernian Academy, Oireachtas, National Library of Ireland, National Museum of Ireland (Archaeology and The Dead Zoo), National Gallery of Ireland…etc.
Haunted: A strange lack of spooky tales…
Other notes: Main floor toilets
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Music

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Outside Piper's CornerAlthough Dublin has no shortage of pubs featuring music, it’s by no means all the traditional Irish music overseas tourists may be seeking out – there are many regular live DJ sets, local and touring bands across all genres, music-led performance art and everything in between. Finding what’s on when, though, can be harder than it should be; there’s no direct equivalent of Time Out (one of your fair scribe’s first employers), especially for those seeking something a bit more unusual – but we have our ways.

Outside The CobblestoneWe’ll start with trad, though, as ‘where should I go in Dublin to hear trad Irish music?’ is a common enough question, and there’s a bit of nuance in the answer. Yes, there are package-tour ‘shows’ featuring Irish dancing and music at places like Johnnie Fox’s or The Arlington, but these are very much performances, often at a not-inconsiderable price, though the musicians and dancers are fabulously talented – but know what you’re booking. If you’re looking for more of a local affair, try a session at The Cobblestone or Piper’s Corner. The Cobblestone has live music every afternoon or evening, while Piper’s Corner’s sessions tend to begin after 9 or 9.30 pm (so, for those keeping score, music at Piper’s Corner is too late to be out and about with kids – they need to be out of the pub by then). O’Donoghue’s is another legendary spot for trad – once known as the home of The Dubliners, and sessions are hosted nightly.

But these are not the only trad games in town – L. Mulligan. Grocer often has a Saturday night trad session, with TP Smith’s hosting trad musicians on Sundays at 6 pm. Hynes’ Bar has weekly trad on Thursdays, but keep an eye out for DJ sets there, too. The Big Romance features queer-led trad sessions semi-regularly, and we’ll return to their music offerings shortly – there’s much more to hear. Dudley’s also regularly hosts trad sessions – no booking required, as does The Hairy Lemon.

Martin and Eliza Carthy at The HutThere’s a folk club upstairs at The Cat & Cage, which is another one that crosses genres, and The Four Provinces offers a mix of trad, blues, swing…you name it. Monday is usually blues night at The Porterhouse, but again, there’s a mix of genres and DJ sets. And yes, while you may see tourists flocking to hear ‘trad in Temple Bar,’ The Porterhouse is the only spot we tend to go in Temple Bar…and there are plenty of other, less-crowded/expensive options for trad elsewhere, as you can see. Folk and trad both make appearances upstairs at The Hut from time to time, though theirs can be more of an IYKYK setup vs more well-publicised events. And right around the corner at (er) Doyle’s Corner, there are plenty of gigs spanning a variety of genres, now that Gavin James is calling the shots behind the scenes – you may be able to catch him doing a residency there, too.

Speakers at Fidelity

If jazz is more your thing, try Lucky’s, The Circular, The Big Romance (yes, again) or Arthur’s – they each have a slate of local and touring artists. The Vintage Inn also hosts regular jazz, folk and trad, plus a bit of everything – even CMAT stopped in after the Late Late Toy Show this past Christmas season. Slattery’s also has the odd bit of jazz upstairs…it’s not just an early house.

For the DJ set, Fidelity and The Big Romance are both go-tos, with bring-your-own vinyl nights and headlining acts from across Europe, and MeMa’s and The Bernard Shaw also get in on the electronic and adjacent scenes.

A Scraggy Bay at AnseoAnd if you’re looking for up-and-coming local bands or established touring acts, there are plenty of pubs that also serve as music venues. Whelan’s, Anseo, The Thomas House and The Workman’s Club all tread the fine line between pub/venue, but we’re including them here as you can very much just stop in for a pint without intending to see the band playing, whilst for a spot like The Button Factory, drinks are a secondary feature to the music, so we leave them off this listing.

With so many options, how can you keep track of what’s on? Broadly speaking, each pub’s Instagram account may be your best bet for many musical pub activities, but specifically for gigs, try Nialler9. You can typically simply drop into one of the abovementioned trad sessions, but tickets or cover charges will vary for other events, so it pays to do some research in advance.

Finally, if you want to join in, consider Ukulele Tuesday upstairs at The Stag’s Head. BYOU and enjoy.

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Hairy Lemon

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Upstairs at The Hairy Lemon: old signs and bikesWe’ve not always been fair to The Hairy Lemon.

In truth, until recently, we’d only visited it in a tourist capacity, long before moving to Dublin (see also: The Long Hall), and as a result, it felt less like a ‘local’ pub and more like one that catered purely to those here on brief trips. And while it certainly has a booming tourist trade, a more recent stop by made us realise that there’s more going on here, and that it can be well worth a drop in when we’re at Craft Central anyway. Uh, we are not infrequently ‘at Craft Central anyway’ – but that’s another story.

The bar at The Hairy LemonThe first point in its favour – for us, anyway – is its support for local independent beer: there are multiple Rye River taps, and they are all kept in excellent shape. Indeed, it has always felt like many of the more tourist-friendly pubs are missing a trick by not highlighting other Irish beers. Yes, people want their Guinness, but plenty of tourists also want to follow it up with something else that seems unique or exclusive to the area. The Hairy Lemon does a fine job of offering both experiences, and not just a token ‘extra’ tap – there’s not just a variety of styles from Rye River, but also Murphy’s and the rarer Murphy’s Red.

A terrible picture of the exterior of The Hairy LemonWhile it’s true that when in this general direction we are more often to be found at Caribou, with other beer options in a more ‘bar’ vibe setting, tourists (or anyone else) looking for more of an traditional pub feel are well catered to at The Hairy Lemon. And it comes by its ‘Irish pub’ bona fides honestly: the current all-yellow paintjob may be more recent, but it’s been a pub since at least the mid-19th century. The Hairy Lemon is named for one of Dublin’s many ‘characters’ – like Bang Bang (commemorated in both café and pub form, with Bang Bang in Phibsborough and Dudley’s in The Liberties), The Hairy Lemon was ‘known’ around town, and while he had no specific connection to the pub, it honours his memory, and, more broadly, that of the other long-gone Dublin ‘characters.’

And if on your visit to The Hairy Lemon it seems packed full of tourists at lunchtime, a wander upstairs can be blissfully calm; there are several pleasant nooks and crannies in which to sit with a quiet solo pint, even here in the middle of town.

Where: 41-42 Stephen Street Lower, Dublin 2
Access from the city centre: You are there
Food: Breakfast, pub grub, tourist faves, kids’ menu
Sport: Essentially all of them
TVs: Many all around the pub
Music: Fairly MOR tunes, at least on a weekday afternoon; live music in the evenings
Family-friendliness: Always a fair few kids during the day and evening and plenty of food for them
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Neary’s, Caribou, Bar Rua, The Long Hall, Grogan’s, Peter’s Pub, Sinnot’s Bar and more are all nearby
Local sites of note: Gaiety Theatre, Craft Central (we said what we said), Little Museum of Dublin, George’s Street Arcade, St Stephen’s Green, Grafton Street
Haunted: An appalling lack of good ghost stories
Other notes: Still looks more or less the same as it did when The Commitments was filmed here
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Cobblestone

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Outside The CobblestoneOur featured Dublin pub this week is one that has been in the ‘much requested’ queue for some time. While we had to make it a flying visit, we finally got to The Cobblestone.

In many ways, it’s difficult to think of a more iconic Dublin pub. News of its possible closure or truncation for yet another identikit hotel caused protests, including a mock funeral, and the pub was given extensive press coverage during that period of threat, including a wonderful documentary. And although The Cobblestone today is best known as ‘the’ spot for trad music, it was not always the case.

A pint of Four Provinces Piper inside The CobblestoneUntil a little over a decade ago, both before and after Smithfield’s redevelopment from a market into a mix of housing and offices, this was an early house, open at 7 am for the market traders and, later, shift workers. And as the number of early houses has continued to dwindle – even Slattery’s doesn’t always open so early these days – The Cobblestone has evolved as well. Music slowly became an integral part of the offering, along with things like Irish language and dance classes, meetups and the like. From what had been a few sessions a week, live music is now a daily part of festivities, but it’s still a very casual-yet-regular one most of the time.

It’s less a case of booking for a gig and more one of wandering into see who’s playing, and it’s one of the few options for the tourist who only has a few hours and wants to get in a bit of daytime trad at the weekend, as there’s nearly always something on. But unlike some pubs, this is by no means just a tourist hotspot – it’s a much-loved part of the community.

The crowd at The Cobblestone, early on a weekend afternoonAnd while it can be a bit rough around the edges, likely needing a few coats of paint and some repairs here and there (not to mention having slightly-infamous toilets), that’s part of the charm. Yes, it would be nice if some of the derelict buildings surrounding The Cobblestone were used for, say, housing, but it really does feel like a landmark as-is.

It’s not the pub you’d go to for food or for a long chat over a pint (though there is, of course, plenty of Guinness, plus some representation from Four Provinces) – there’s music to be heard here, albeit not in the coach-tour-with Irish-dancing-and-a-meal sense – but for trad and a true mix of locals and mostly-respectful tourists, it’s a go-to.

Where: 77 King St N, Smithfield, Dublin, D07 TP22
Access from the city centre: Buses 37, 39, 39A, 70, 83, 83A, Red Line Luas, Green Line Luas, 30ish minute walk
Food: None
Sport: No
TVs: Not here
Music: This is your spot for trad (though see also Piper’s Corner)
Family-friendliness: Kids are welcome earlier in the evenings to listen to music, if that’s their jam; it will nearly always be crowded
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Delaney’s is right there, Bonobo is a short walk, with, The Belfry, The Glimmer Man,  The Barber’s Bar, Walsh’s, Hynes’ Bar and L Mulligan, Grocer all in Stoneybatter – with another 10 minutes in the other direction to Underdog or down Capel Street
Local sites of note: Lighthouse Cinema, Collins Barracks, Four Courts, St Michan’s Church
Haunted: Does ‘haunting’ music count?
Other notes: The ‘could be tidier’ can sometimes apply to taplines, too – you may want to check a friend’s pint first
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Gaffney & Son

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Exterior of GaffneysDublin excels at Old Man Pubs. You can find them in every corner of the city; some are more scuffed-but-well-loved, like Briody’s, while others maintain their fine Victorian interiors, like The Hut, with a range of everything in between. Gaffney & Son, more commonly known as Gaffney’s, is very much at the ‘high Victorian’ end of the spectrum, but it has all the classic Old Man Pub features. There’s a bit of horse racing on, lots of Guinness, plenty of regulars and a generally calm, quiet atmosphere* in traditionally ‘pubby’ surroundings. The wood and walls are dark, the glass cut, the snugs cosy and the high-top tables are often newspaper-covered. But while it has all the Old Man Pub features, nothing about Gaffney’s feels unwelcoming – quite the opposite.

A pint of Hope (in an O'Hara's glass) at Gaffney'sThere’s a warm welcome, and not one, but two local independent beers offerings: Hope and O’Hara’s are always well-kept here. The bar serves two separate sections, each with their own respective snugs and other seating, and there are lots of little corners to duck into if you’re looking for that quiet solo pint. And it’s interesting to note that while everything you see now is very much hearkening back to the late 19th century, this is, in fact, an older pub – the original building(s) is/are Georgian, and its first license dates back to the early 18th century.

One of the snugs at Gaffney'sOur one knock on many Old Man Pubs is that they rarely offer any beers beyond the usual Guinness and Heineken (though to be fair, it’s usually an excellent Guinness from scrupulously clean tap lines), but as mentioned above, at Gaffney’s, there is good support for other choices, plus Beamish as another stout option. This beer selection, combined with the attractive interior, might just make it the perfect Dublin Old Man Pub.

Where: 5 Fairview Strand, Clontarf West, Dublin, D03 W5H0
Access from the city centre: Buses 14, 15, 27; DART to Clontarf Road
Food: Crisps
Sport: Horse racing, football, GAA, etc
TVs: Quite a few around the pub
Music: Bit of an MOR playlist, but there’s periodic live music
Family-friendliness: The Strand House up the street is a better option, but kids could get a pre-match Coke here
Pub-crawl-ability: Low, with only Clonliffe House around the corner and The Strand House is almost next door; longer walk to The Yacht Bar in Clontarf
Local sites of note: Fairview Park, Croke Park, Clontarf Promenade, Casino Marino
Haunted: No ghosts, but many portraits of past patrons
Other notes: The beer garden at the back is more of a smoking area, but it’s surprisingly spacious; dogs welcome
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

* But not on days when there’s an event at Croke Park. You have been warned.

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Kennedy’s

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The exterior of Kennedy's on Westland RowThis week, it’s another relatively rare visit into the more touristy part of town as we visit Kennedy’s, a pub adjacent to both Trinity College and Sweny’s Pharmacy. The literary associations here are more Wilde, Beckett and Joyce than Behan, compared to pubs on the Northside. And yes, and prices are higher, given the location, but that’s to be expected around these parts.

A glass of Ambush inside Kennedy'sKennedy’s is another pub I’ve walked past many times without entering, but I finally had a bit of free time in the area this week, so stopped in for a sneaky daytime glass after visiting the National Gallery. While not nearly as extensive a list of craft beer taps as nearby Tapped, there’s a good selection of local independent beers from Trouble, Wicklow Wolf and more – enough to give any tourists an idea that there’s more to Irish beer than just Guinness, though obviously, there’s plenty of that (and the 0.0 as well). And unsurprisingly, the pub felt very tourist-heavy, early on a weekday afternoon – but then, that’s who is free to do day-drinking at that time. And while Kennedy’s quite sensibly leans into its writerly history in its décor, it does come by this honestly; it’s been a pub since 1850, and the young Oscar Wilde does seem to have worked here for a brief period.

The basement bar, Kennedy's StationThere’s a lovely tiled bar in the basement for live music and events, and this space as well as the terra cotta decoration on the pub’s exterior add unique touches, while the rest of the interior feels a bit more ‘standard Irish pub.’ All told, it’s probably more of a destination for those on literary walking tours than anything else, but it’s nice to find a spot in tourist-land with a few craft beers; it’s not necessarily a given in Dublin.

And yes (I said yes), you can buy the lemon soap at Sweny’s, either before or after your stop at Kennedy’s.

Where: 30-32 Westland Row, Dublin 2, D02 DP70
Access from the city centre: You are there
Food: Pub grub
Sport: All the sport, especially football
TVs: Quite a few around the pub
Music: Classic rock on our visit, but check the socials for live music
Family-friendliness: No specific children’s menu, but there are chicken goujons
Pub-crawl-ability: Medium – The Ginger Man and Lincoln’s Inn are nearby, or wander to the other side of Trinity College for O’Neill’s, Tapped, Bowes and more
Local sites of note: Trinity College, Merrion Square, National Museum of Ireland (Archaeology), National Library of Ireland, National Gallery of Ireland
Haunted: Could do with a story or two – make it as ‘literary’ as you like
Other notes: Lots of acoustic tiles, for some reason
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Hedigan’s The Brian Boru

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Outside the Brian Boru: Hedigan's in neon, and mural of the man himself on horsebackLast week, we asked whether The Bloody Stream can officially be considered a railway pub. Answer: yes! This week, we are visiting a pub that will eventually (in theory) be disappearing to make way for the proposed MetroLink: Hedigan’s The Brian Boru. But all things planning- and/or transit-related in Dublin take much, much longer than they do in most other places, so you likely have a goodly amount of time to visit the pub in advance.

It’s hard to miss it if you’re walking by – the well-kept mural of its namesake king on horseback takes up most of one wall, and while his horse and armour may be a bit more High Victorian Medieval Fantasy than 11th century, well…you probably also don’t believe that Brian Boru ‘camped on this spot‘ before the Battle of Clontarf…and that’s perfectly acceptable. But historical facts need not interfere with the enjoyment of a pleasant bit of neighbourhood art, so we’ll move swiftly inside. There are multiple snugs and seating areas, two bars and even a bright conservatory, so you can get the full dark-wood ‘Irish Pub’ experience or even catch some occasional sun in the spacious beer garden to the rear of the pub. Beer-wise, Little Fawn from The White Hag is the only independent offering, but there’s also Beamish as well as Guinness, plus the useful Guinness 0.0 and Heineken 0.0 options.

'The Brian Boru' in stained glass, from inside the pubThe pub has been here since the 1850s, and in the Hedigan family since 1904, and you can’t miss their name in neon, either. Of course, like so many pubs along this route, it’s name-checked in Ulysses, and has a useful write-up on the NBHS website, where it’s noted that its own house whiskey blend was particularly fine, and that ‘…traditionally held to be the only pub in Ireland that did not run out of whiskey during the Second World War.’ So, there’s a fair amount of history to the place – well over 200 years, all told, and there was likely an earlier pub (or pub-like) business on the spot, too. And yet, it will all have to go for the MetroLink (at some point in the future)…so what does a transit-loving pub nerd do with that information?

A pint of Guinness 0.0 at The Brian BoruWell, there have been proposals to name the future station here for the pub, possibly including some of the pub’s architectural details. And while the MetroLink wouldn’t be anything on the scale of the Tube, there’s plenty of precedent for naming stations after both extant and long-vanished pubs over on the Neighbouring Island. And it’s not as though this part of Dublin, where Phibsborough turns into Glasnevin, is short of pubs – there are many excellent ones in the area. All the same, it’s a bit of a shame there’s not a good way to incorporate the pub more fully into the eventual station, but we also desperately need real transit to the airport (among other places).

So, I suppose the message is to enjoy this pub while you can…though given how slowly the MetroLink project has gone thus far, you may have a few decades to stop by.

Where: 5 Prospect Rd, Glasnevin, Dublin, D09 PP93
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 40, 46A, 83, 140; Luas Green Line; 30ish minute walk
Food: Lunch, dinner & kids’ menus
Sport: Football, GAA, rugby, etc…
TVs: Throughout the pub
Music: Indie faves, but also trad sessions and other live gigs
Family-friendliness: Very approachable menu and seating options
Pub-crawl-ability: High – The Bald Eagle, 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, Glasnevin Cemetery, National Botanic Garden, Dalymount Park
Haunted: While not as close to the cemetery as The Gravediggers, surely it’s near enough for someone to craft a good ghost story
Other notes: Can get quite crowded before Bohs games; also pet-friendly
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Bloody Stream

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Exterior of The Bloody Stream, complete with bins. Yellow building with dark-blue trimWe are back this week with a ‘request pub’ – one that’s much further north than our more common north-of-the-Liffey-but-still-pretty-central stomping grounds. We’re heading out of Dublin City proper to Howth; it’s an easy trip on the DART, but a bit of a pain if, for example, you needed Dublin Bus to deposit you to a nearby spot at a predetermined time. Dublin Bus is not always especially good at the concept of ‘on time’ (but it’s pretty great on ghost buses), so the journey in this general direction involved more taxis than I typically take in a 6-month period, but we got there in the end. Our (eventual) destination was The Bloody Stream, a brightly-painted pub nestled into the Howth train station complex.

Howth is much-visited by day-trippers, walkers and other sight-seers, and with good reason. It’s a seaside town with all the usual outdoor amenities as well as the occasionally-open National Transport Museum of Ireland. But it’s also a commuter town, with the aforementioned DART station running regular trains into Dublin City Centre (and on to Bray, for more seaside travels). But while the DART has only existed since the 1980s (and no, there’s still no train or tram to or from Dublin Airport), Howth Station – not to be confused with Howth Junction – has been here in something approaching its current form since the 1850s, with services going back to the 1840s. And while the interior of The Bloody Stream is dark, cosy and delightfully atmospheric, it’s not by any means an ‘old’ pub – it opened in a derelict part of the railway station in 1995 – and this is no bad thing!

Inside The Bloody Stream: dark wood chairs, fireplaceI’d recently had an exchange on the socials lamenting the lack of railway station bars in Ireland, and while we have nothing here quite like the small-but-mighty Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar, a strong case can be made that The Bloody Stream may be counted in this number (even though the pub itself is not directly accessible from the platform – possibly a disqualifying point for some). But perhaps it doesn’t feel like a railway pub – and that’s fine, too – but it is very handy for the train.

And while there is not a large number of independent beer taps, there was some very fresh Handsome Jack from Hope (located at Howth Junction, rather than in Howth – a brewery tour is highly recommended) on for our visit. There’s also Murphy’s for the stout crowd, presumably those folks who are not bitter, and plenty of Guinness. There is a sign outside encouraging visitors to ‘split the G,’ but please feel free to ignore that – though given that it is a touristy area, it’s at least a well-done sign.

A pint of Hope Handsome Jack in front of the fireplace at The Bloody StreamWe enjoyed excellent food and service when we stopped in, which isn’t necessarily a given in some pubs mid-week in the middle of the afternoon (hardly a fruitful time for most), so it was much appreciated. There is outdoor seating as well around both ends of the pub, but we kept to the more dimly-lit interior on a lovely sunny afternoon. Having offspring who actively avoid the sun may be odd to others, but hey, at least their vampiric ways are preventing long-term sun damage, and the pub interior really is lovely, all stone and dark wood.

There is one thing I couldn’t discover much about, however; I’ve had multiple people ask for this pub as an addition to the ‘Haunted?‘ category, and I love nothing more than a good bit of ghostlore in a pub. However, I didn’t see anything in the pub itself, though they do give a good accounting of the area’s popular history on their menus (Vikings, battles – that sort of thing). The pub does take its name from the stream that runs underneath, so it’s at least ideally set up for Stone Tape Theory enthusiasts to take and run with…but nothing more than that. That said, there are plenty of entries for Howth in dúchas.ie, including a holy well nearby with perhaps the same water source so…does that count? Of course, if you do have a ghost story to share, please do! We need a proper ‘Irish Pub Ghost Stories’ book out there – we can’t let the Neighbouring Island have all the fun in that regard.

But all told, The Bloody Stream is a lovely pub; it does feel like a trip away from the city, and has something for both the railway enthusiast and seafood lover, while also supporting local suppliers. Far too many higher-end restaurants and pubs will trumpet their investment in local produce, but skip over the local beer, so while I’d love to see an additional tap or two, it’s good to see Hope so close to where it’s made, and in top condition.

But definitely take the train – the bus is rather woeful this far out of town!

Where: Howth Railway Station, Howth, Dublin
Access from the city centre: DART from Connelly or other handy station; 6 bus
Food: All the usual ‘nicer’ pub grub hits, very well-executed – lots of seafood, unsurprisingly
Sport: Rugby, GAA, football, etc…
TVs: Scattered here and there
Music: More touristy soundtrack – trad and U2 – but also live events
Family-friendliness: Kids’ menu and good desserts
Pub-crawl-ability: Low; nearly a 10-minute walk to many other Howth pubs like The Abbey Tavern
Local sites of note: Howth Castle, St Mary’s Abbey, Ireland’s Eye, Bog of Frogs
Haunted: Folklore-adjacent?
Other notes: Main floor toilets with lovely wallpaper
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Walsh’s

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Outside Walsh's Pub, Stoneybatter. We'll pretend the finger in the corner is a ghost.While our stats here show that you seem to be extremely interested in pubs in Stoneybatter – and quite right, too, for Stoneybatter is a lovely part of Dublin – it’s more happenstance than a response to the numbers that leads us to Walsh’s this week. And frankly, we’ve put it off for far too long, as it is a delightful pub; it just happens to be surrounded by so many of my other favourite pubs, notably L. Mulligan Grocer, Hynes’ Bar and The Barber’s Bar, so going somewhere ‘new’ when in the neighbourhood is sometimes a challenge.

The post-haircut pint in question.Of course, Walsh’s is far from new, as it’s been trading on this corner since 1826, so it’s coming up on two centuries in business. One wonders if there is to be an epic celebration next year…but back to the pub itself. It’s got a beautiful mix of stained glass and dark wood, cosy nooks and a fantastic snug…really, it’s quite close to the Platonic ideal of a late-19th century Dublin pub (albeit with televisions for the footy), so its recent restoration work has been well-planned and executed. The look and feel is certainly closer to the end of the 19th century than the beginning, but that’s no critique. And while it is best-known for its Guinness, they also serve Beamish, and there are also fresh lines of Trouble’s Ambush and Kinnegar’s Scraggy Bay – it made an ideal stopping-off point for my traditional post-haircut pint not so long ago.

'Beers' in stained glass, backwardAnd Walsh’s has another point or two in its favour: it has the full-on Victorian pub splendour, without the crush of tourists you can get at The Long Hall, and it has more variety on offer, drinks-wise, than The Hut, which also has mirrors and stained glass galore. It manages to feel like both a neighbourhood pub and a destination in its own right. And on a damp afternoon, a pint by one of the colourful windows makes for a pleasantly warming experience.

Clearly, we need to do a proper Stoneybatter pub crawl write-up…but in any event, Walsh’s would be a fine spot to begin or end such an endeavour.

Where: 6 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7, D07 A382
Access from the city centre: Buses 37, 39, 39A, 70, 83, 83A; Luas Red Line, 30ish minute walk
Food: Not 100% clear if their Cheesy Chewsdays are still a going concern…otherwise, not really
Sport: Football, rugby, GAA – the usual big events and weekend matches
TVs: Screens throughout the pub
Music: Live trad and other tunes some evenings
Family-friendliness: A few kids in with their folks to watch the sport, but still mostly for grownups
Pub-crawl-ability: High – L. Mulligan. Grocer, The Glimmer Man, The Cobblestone, Delaney’s, The Belfry, Hynes’ Bar, The Barber’s Bar & Bonobo are quite close; Fidelity isn’t too much further away
Local sites of note: The Lighthouse Cinema, Arbour Hill Cemetery, TUD Grangegorman
Haunted: No known stories, but the snug would be an ideal spot for a customer from the previous two centuries to linger
Other notes: Pleasant whiskey selection, too
Socials: Instagram