Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Thomas Read’s

It’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).

The 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…

In 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.

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