Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Lynott’s

Yes, it’s yet another new pub this week, replacing one more short-lived but much-loved Dublin spot – we venture back to The Liberties to bid farewell to All My Friends, and to say hello to Lynott’s.

We never had a chance to write up All My Friends in its relatively short tenure, but we always heard good things about the LGBTQ+-friendly space* that was known as a great spot for local artists and other creatives to showcase their work. It was a relatively quick turnaround (by local standards) for the pivot to Lynott’s – yes, it namechecks one of Dublin’s most famous sons, but it also feels very much like a traditional neighbourhood pub that’s been there for ages.

Indeed, it seems to have hit the sweet spot between newly-opened Old Man Pub and modern-day venue for music of all sorts, with more comfortable and varied seating than you might get in a pub that’s been going for 50 or 100 years. The wood isn’t all dark, and the colours are a bit brighter, with a small stage near the front for the regularly-planned tunes. There is a mix of old-school horse racing-inspired art and a fair few portraits of Phil himself, many by local artists.

Beer-wise, it’s mostly the usual suspects, but we were pleased to see that in addition to a Rye River tap, there is now also one for Trouble, so local independent beer is getting a look-in (plus some cocktails). With so many pubs in such a small area, it’s hard not to feel spoiled for choice in The Liberties, so it’s important that pubs here do have their own distinctive feel and offering. There’s likely a bit of settling in yet to be done here (food is still on its way, as of this writing), but it’s clear there’s an emphasis on supporting local musicians, so that’s a nice hook (see what we did there?).

And while we couldn’t find any direct connection between Phil Lynott and pubs in this part of town – it would be a bit of a walk to The Long Hall, where he famously filmed the video for Old Town, or his childhood home in Crumlin – it seems the kind of spot he’d have enjoyed. As to whether we’re pronouncing it the way he did or the way most people seem to, the jury’s out…we heard both versions whilst out and about.

We’ll need to revisit once the food is A Thing, but again, given so many pubs in the area, it’s easy to put together a nice Liberties pub crawl.

Where: 61-63 Meath St, The Liberties, Dublin 8, D08 H2NE
Access from the city centre: Buses C4, G1/G2, 13, 23, 24, 27, 56A, 73, 77A, 80, 150, 15ish minute walk
Food: Coming soon
Sport: Horse racing, football, rugby (not just men’s, which was nice), etc
TVs: All around
Music: Regular live music – check the socials
Family-friendliness: A fair few kids in during the afternoon
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Lucky’s, Drop Dead Twice, Dudley’s, Arthur’s, Swift, Love Tempo (still closed, post-fire, as of this writing), Guinness Open Gate Brewery, The Thomas House, The Lord Edward, The Bull & Castle and Thomas Read’s/The Oak are all within a short walk; The Brazen Head is also not far, if you’re feeling touristy
Local sites of note: Guinness Storehouse, Vicar Street, Olympia Theatre, Christchurch Cathedral, Dublinia, St Audoen’s Church
Haunted: The Liberties is crying out for more pub ghost stories – someone supply some!
Other notes: There’s a lot of interesting history on Meath Street, if you know where to look
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

*FWIW, we wouldn’t go anywhere that wasn’t LGBTQ+-friendly, but obviously, some pubs are more specifically aimed at the community than others…something that probably needs its own list at some point.