Perhaps surprisingly to some (certainly, to us), Dublin pubs do not contain a wealth of ghostlore. There are, of course, a few good stories, but there isn’t the critical mass of spectral servants, long-dead landlords and pesky poltergeists who turn up in the dozens (and dozens) of books about haunted pubs on the Neighbouring Island. Indeed, we have books covering small parts of individual counties that span to over 100 pages, but for whatever reason*, Irish pubs simply don’t seem to have the same ghostly population.
However, ’tis the season, and we always have an eye or ear out for a good creepy pub story. One of our favourite tales is tied to the Bull & Castle, although the current building replaced the one in which James Clarence Magnan was born; nonetheless, he’s meant to haunt the place, drifting around and leaving a melancholy atmosphere (as you do). And the pub does have a very atmospheric feel, so it’s well worth a visit for a spooky pint.
We’re less inclined toward the flashy, big-name haunting at The Brazen Head, though at least there’s historical reason to associate Robert Emmet with the pub (unlike its entirely spurious ‘founding date’), so we’ll give it a pass, with reservations. Just around the corner (and we swear we’ll get to spooky pubs outside The Liberties, but it does have some of the more well-preserved ‘older’ buildings in Dublin, so sorry/not sorry), The Lord Edward is meant to still accommodate its namesake ghost, and the décor would back that up.
Sticking with one of the more well-known spots for spooky vibes, we can’t miss The Gravediggers; of course, the location next to Glasnevin Cemetery helps (see? We left The Liberties!), but it’s also got a proper ghost story of the ‘messing with the electrics‘ sort, which is always interesting from a folklore/ghostlore classification perspective (well, we get excited about that sort of thing). Similarly, Mulligan’s and Brogan’s both have more ‘modern haunting’ elements – we ignore mention of the dreaded orb, but we do enjoy non-specific bumps, knocks, moving pints and the like – and L. Mulligan, Grocer, also has some gentle ‘haunted’ vibes in that direction.
There is another ‘classic’ haunting of the folkloric stripe at The Portobello Bar, where a 19th century lock-keeper still keeps watch…or, perhaps, lures victims into the canal near Rathmines Bridge – if time permits, we’ll investigate this one properly this month and provide an update. The Bleeding Horse also has some literary ghost cred, so it nearly counts in this list.
But we also want to shine the spectral spotlight on another pub whose apparitional associations are often overlooked: Doyle’s Corner. Whilst nowadays, with Gavin James onboard, its musical reputation is growing again, but in Brendan Behan’s day, it was known as the pub in which executioner Albert Pierrepoint would relax pre- or post-work at nearby Mountjoy Prison. It even had reports of poltergeist activity in the 2000s.
And while we still have no creepy tales about The Cat & Cage, well…we hope there are some out there, it would be a brilliant spot for a ghost story on a chilly night. It’s also right next to an atmospheric churchyard, and makes for an ideal spot to pause on an autumnal stroll.
Perhaps we need a pubby ghost story contest…
*Would happily retire and do a folklore PhD on this topic. Just saying!
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