It’s hard to beat The Liberties for a Dublin pub crawl, since there is a pub of absolutely every sort within a very small radius – everything from old-school Old Man Pubs to pricey tourist hotspots (several, in fact), with everything else in between. We have been remiss thus far in not mentioning this week’s pub, since it’s a classic of the dive bar genre – and so, to The Thomas House.
From the Sailor Jerry tattoo-inspired exterior decoration to the dark-but-welcoming interior stuffed full of music memorabilia, a step into The Thomas House is immediately an entry into something of an alternative universe: part music venue, part regulars’ pub, but a welcoming, inclusive space that seems to recognise that everyone has their own favourite obscure acts, and that sharing the love over some pints is a lot more fun than gatekeeping that kind of knowledge. And the pints are very affordable – any tourist still smarting after a trip to The Brazen Head should stop in for a much-more-wallet-friendly (and well-kept) Beamish or Ambush (there is, of course, Guinness as well, plus the lesser-spotted but more-frequently-appearing-of-late Kilkenny).
There are soft pretzels – as we’ve complained before, both here and elsewhere, a rarity around these parts – and while they aren’t as fancy as those at the nearby Guinness Open Gate, they are cheap and cheerful. Perhaps one of the most compelling sights at The Thomas House is the fish tank…there’s something oddly soothing about watching its inhabitants swim around in the near-darkness.
And although this is most definitely a nighttime spot – no afternoon pints here – it’s an ideal location to stop in for a more reasonably-priced pint before heading to a show at Vicar Street, or as part of a longer wander up or down Thomas Street. And there’s something of a nice sense of a continuous practice there: while the buildings in the vicinity are largely 19th century (with some surprising outliers), Thomas Street has been a busy commercial thoroughfare since at least the medieval period, and if you look around, you can still see some of that history in street layouts and names. There may not be a spurious claim to being an ancient hostelry at The Thomas House, but stopping in here for a few drinks is very much carrying on a centuries-long tradition for this area, so consider it something of an exercise in exploring the past through the present.
Finally, we’re left to ponder why it seems that Dublin’s dive bars (see also: Anseo) have more interesting beer selections than many of their more mainstream, city centre counterparts do nowadays…answers on a postcard!
Where: 86 Thomas St, The Liberties, Dublin
Access from the city centre: Buses C4, G1/G2, 13, 23, 24, 27, 56A, 73, 77A, 80, 150, 15ish minute walk
Food: Soft pretzels, crisps
Sport: Music >> sport here
TVs: Didn’t see any, but it *is* dark (just not Frank Ryan’s-level dark)
Music: Punk, rockabilly, reggae, ska, metal…you name it
Family-friendliness: Not for the small ones
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Dudley’s, Arthur’s, Swift, Love Tempo, Guinness Open Gate Brewery, The Christchurch Inn, The Lord Edward, The Bull & Castle and The Beer Temple/The Oak are all within a short walk; The Brazen Head is also not far, if you fancy paying more
Local sites of note: Guinness Storehouse, Vicar Street, Olympia Theatre, Christchurch Cathedral, Dublinia, St Audoen’s Church
Haunted: Fish ghosts?
Other notes: Keep an eye out for surprise music royalty of all descriptions
Socials: Instagram, Facebook
This week, we remain on the south side of Dublin with a visit to 
And it was a very pleasant discovery indeed – the Dark Arts was as fresh as promised, but there were other independent offerings as well, notably Sullivan’s Black Marble Stout from Kilkenny. There were several Changing Times beers, and while we 
It’s a very ‘pubby’ pub, with the usual dark woods and a lovely decorative ceiling. The atmosphere was very calming, certainly a change from the post-holiday shopping and pizza lines outside. It wasn’t quite full 
Rather like 
Welcome to 2026!
Before we go on our Christmas/New Year hiatus, we’ll leave you with a brief wrap-up of 2025. This year, we wrote about 39 pubs – or, if you prefer, 38 locations, as our very first pub of January, 
And finally, this coveted award:
While Dublin city centre certainly has plenty of pubs, we are fortunate in also having additional parts of town that are also jam-packed with excellent options, especially when 
So, it’s taken us a while to get to Delaney’s, which has very much a ‘pubby’ pub feel, but it was worth the wait. There’s a wonderful fireplace for our current season, and a large back garden for less-chilly temperatures (though it is also heated); it is truly a pub that caters to the ever-changing weather – just mind the suit of armour by the back door. While the building was 
Staying on 
Inside, it can be absolutely packed at this time of year, both with decorations (similar to 
But The Hole in the Wall is a pub for life, not just for Christmas – there are also running and cycling clubs based here, and it’s a handy spot if you happen to be on this side of the Phoenix Park (though you’d have 
And while the two clear front-runners in the Most Extra for Christmas race are 
Dublin – indeed, Ireland – is not over-endowed with glorious (or even ‘fine’) train stations. Having recently 
The staff were also friendly and welcoming – how many pubs would put on the ‘Airwolf’ theme when asked to do so (not, it must be said, by us, but we did enjoy it)? And while it’s true that this part of Dublin still has a bit of a ‘reputation,’ something we’ve discussed in our entry on 
We’ll say up front that we are very much not night owls.
It’s once again worth stating, though, that it’s entirely possible that we’re not the target demographic, and that the real action begins after, say, 9 pm…by which point, we’re generally in pajamas. In this particular instance, we wanted to continue to celebrate the footy win, and so hopped back across the street to 
What happens when your favourite pub closes?
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.
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.