One of Dublin’s main draws is the charisma of its people, and the best way to sample their unique character is to visit a Dublin pub. See below for some popular haunts.
Neary’s Pub
1 Chatham Street, Dublin 2, Dublin
Situated near the Gaiety, just off Grafton Street, Neary’s is one of Dublin’s old theatrical pubs. The pub is renowned for its pint of real Guinness.
Davy Byrnes
21 Duke Street, Dublin 2, Dublin
Davy Byrnes is located on Duke Street in the centre of Ireland’s capital. It is a superb pub for a relaxing drink with friends.
Bleeding Horse
24/25 Camden Street, Dublin 2, Dublin
Reputedly licensed in 1649, the Bleeding Horse is believed to be the second oldest pub in Dublin. The name derives from the practice of bleeding a horse behind the ear to cure “head staggers”. It is rumoured that Joseph Le Fanu and Bram Stoker hatched the plot for ‘Dracula’ in this hostelry. Joyce, Oliver St John Gogarty and John Elwood all supped here too.
Newly restored with pitch pine and yellow pine everywhere, its secluded corners and nooks upstairs are popular with office crews for lunch. The food on offer has a Spanish flavour.
Kitty O Sheas
23-25 Upper Grand Canal Street, Dublin 4, Dublin
Call into Kitty O’Sheas on Upper Grand Canal Street for good pints and a great atmosphere.
Bloody Stream Seafood Bar And Restaurant
Howth Railway Station, Howth, Dublin
The Bloody Stream Seafood Bar And Restaurant gets its name from a great battle that took place in 1177 between the Normans and the Danes.
It has received numerous awards over the years, and features an attractive Mediterranean-style beer garden.
McGowans of Phibsboro
18 Phibsboro Road, Phibsboro, Dublin 7, Dublin
This is a pub/restaurant strategically located close to St. Michan’s, The Law Library, Mountjoy Jail and a host of Dublin landmarks.
The small public front bar is cosy with plenty of seats and an array of interesting theatrical posters. The big back bar is favoured by the young and trendy.
With an extensive menu on offer McGowan’s is known as a good eating, meeting and drinking place.
Old Stand
37 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2, Dublin
The Old Stand appears to have originated as a medieval inn and a favourite of John Philpot Curran, father of Sarah Curran, who was to become one of Ireland’s most distinguished barristers.
The Four Seasons Inn
Junction of Bolton and Capel Street, Dublin 2, Dublin
This respected social landmark stands commandingly in the history-laden heart of old Dublin, just a stones throw from the capital’s main boulevard, O’ Connell Street. Undoubtedly one of the best inner-city establishments, this pub is unique in that it combines the unhurried charm of a rural tavern with the nostalgic solidity of on old-world Dublin ale house.
Wooden floor boards, stained bench settles, high ceilings, dated bric-a-brac and the distinctive Georgian decor around the bar confirms that this pub has refused to bow to the whims of modernisation for its continuing popularity.
