Kennedy's Bar on Georges Quay (Directly at the entrance to Tara St. Station). Closed?

oldscoil

Hi Folks.
One of Dublin best (if not THE best) pubs seems to be closed.
Does anyone know why?

Kennedy’s on Georges Quay has long been my favourite spot for a few pints. It’s also a bar I share with friends and family. Ciaran is always glad to see you and the Guinness is crackin’.


When I began going there (only in the past 12 years) it was a real gem of a place, especially as all the other boozers in Dublin were slowly descending into Celtic Tiger tainted sh1t-holes I wouldn’t go it to, even to use the Jacks.

At the time Kennedys didn’t even have a actual “Ladies”, the Mrs had to go upstairs, but it didn’t take away from the place. it gave it more character.

In recent years Ciaran has begin to play music and has even played my Bro’s own band’s CDs. The recent addition of a smoking area at the back has made it the full package.

However when a group of us were organising our Christmas pints in Kennedys we realised that it has been closed for a good few weeks. Talking to a mate last night he said he went to in the night of Arcade Fire in the O2 and it was closed then. That's was the beginning of December.

I know they always closed up over the Crimbo for a few days but never this long.

Also I wouldn’t say its in need of a refurbishment, maybe move the Chet Baker Live in Milan poster around to a different wall……:)

I’m really hoping Ciaran hasn’t decided to close up shop. And I hope all is well for himself and the Family.

Can someone shed any light on this….?

Thanks in advance Folks.

Miguel_Sanchez

Was really disappointed to find it closed on New Year's Eve.

Don't know any more about it than that unfortunately.

It's my favourite pub in Dublin. I really hope it reopens.

reprazant

Great pub, it would be very sad if it has closed?

Has anyone tried it lately?

Do you know if it is actually still closed?

oldscoil

reprazant wrote: »

Great pub, it would be very sad if it has closed?

Has anyone tried it lately?

Do you know if it is actually still closed?

Drove by it on Saturday @ about 21:00. Closed

1968

Their Facebook says they're closed for repairs:

http://comeheretome.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/kennedys-georges-quay-closed/

oldscoil

1968 wrote: »

Their Facebook says they're closed for repairs:

http://comeheretome.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/kennedys-georges-quay-closed/

Thanks 1968.

I was gonna look for them on Facebook, but thought naaaaahhhhh, they won't on there....:p

oldscoil

oldscoil wrote: »

Thanks 1968.

I was gonna look for them on Facebook, but thought naaaaahhhhh, they won't on there....:p

According to their Facebook:

http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/J-Kennedy-Bar/100001860886869

J Kennedy Bar closed for repairs. We had a bit of burst pipe problem during the cold snap! Will keep you posted.

So fingers crossed they'll be open soon.:)

stovelid

Good to hear. Grand little spot.

A-Train

Great to hear, it's a great spot and the pints are great.

AnonoBoy

What's that?

Dublin city forum pints in Kennedy's when it reopens?

Why that's a great idea AnonoBoy!

Miguel_Sanchez

From their Facebook page:

J Kennedy Bar wrote:

Latest update is that it looks like we will not be open until May. The water did more damage than initially thought. Hope to see you all back then. Not all at the same time though; don't think all our 1847 friends would fit in all at once!

MossyK

Kennedys is under repair and should be open again before Christmas. Same boozer and same music, pints etc. Should be interesting.

MossyK

Its open again

Larianne

What are the prices like?

Is it a proper auld man pub?

Miguel_Sanchez

It's been done up and has lost some of its 'dingy auld pub' appeal in doing so.

However the music is still great in there (what other Dublin pub plays full Yo La Tengo albums from start to finish?) so hopefully it will continue to be an enjoyable spot for pints.

BraziliaNZ

I loved that place, but not long before it closed it was getting a bit hipster-ish. The barman is a top man though.

Miguel_Sanchez

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

I loved that place, but not long before it closed it was getting a bit hipster-ish. The barman is a top man though.

It became a haunt for a lot of young actors I noticed. During the theatre festival you couldn't move for the luvvies.

Effects

Before it closed I found it got way too packed to enjoy.

upandover

Old thread, but I used to love going in here for a quiet pint to enjoy a chat or just read and listen to the owner's great music.

Went in tonight after the refurb and renaming to "the workshop" and jesus what have they done. It's now a gastropub, seemingly for **** from the IFSC, with the ****test music imaginable (somewhere in the space between dance cliche and adult movie soundtrack). Bowls of wine and champagne on the bar, clueless barman, 7.60 for a bottle of stout. Horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible....

Miguel_Sanchez

upandover wrote: »

Old thread, but I used to love going in here for a quiet pint to enjoy a chat or just read and listen to the owner's great music.

Went in tonight after the refurb and renaming to "the workshop" and jesus what have they done. It's now a gastropub, seemingly for **** from the IFSC, with the ****test music imaginable (somewhere in the space between dance cliche and adult movie soundtrack). Bowls of wine and champagne on the bar, clueless barman, 7.60 for a bottle of stout. Horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible....

Ah boo.

They must have sold the place then.

The Master

Miguel_Sanchez wrote: »

Ah boo.

They must have sold the place then.

No, was talking to the new manager last week
The Kennedy family still own it this guy is leasing it from them

As above, horrid place now
Old work tools on the walls etc..
New manager kept trying to insist they've kept the
"Warm inviting feel" of the old place...
They have in their ring

Lovely Bloke

What stout was €7.60? Hardly Guinness?

Pobb

Ah sh*te.

Always loved the old Kennedy's. Shame to hear that another pub has fallen to gentrification.

odyssey06

Pobb wrote: »

Always loved the old Kennedy's. Shame to hear that another pub has fallen to gentrification.

+1

RebelButtMunch

So Ciaran is not behind the bar any more, playing his eclectic tunes?

upandover

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

What stout was €7.60? Hardly Guinness?

O'Hara's. Nice enough, but not when listening to godawful music while suited twits from some corporate dickhead hothousing project try to out-prick each other

upandover

RebelButtMunch wrote: »

So Ciaran is not behind the bar any more, playing his eclectic tunes?

No. I asked clueless barman (appeared not to know what I meant by 'stout'). He said they are playing new music.

upandover

Pobb wrote: »

Ah sh*te.

Always loved the old Kennedy's. Shame to hear that another pub has fallen to gentrification.

I know what you mean, but I hate this term. They are not gentry, ie well-bred, being catered to. They are pricks in suits.

imme

Sad to see. I noticed the new pub sign last weekend. The old sign for J Kennedy is still on the building, vertically on a sign, so it will probably in time become a 'ghost sign'.

Was never in the old Kennedys but this new place doesn't sound like an improvement.

Cianos

Damn. I had been meaning to make it back there for ages now, sad to hear I've missed my chance, was one of my favourite bars in Dublin.

anncoates

Another one bites the dust.

Miguel_Sanchez

upandover wrote: »

No. I asked clueless barman (appeared not to know what I meant by 'stout'). He said they are playing new music.

The fact that Ciaran would play whole Neu or YLT albums from start to finish was part of what made me love the place.

upandover wrote: »

O'Hara's. Nice enough, but not when listening to godawful music while suited twits from some corporate dickhead hothousing project try to out-prick each other

O'Hara's is nice but it's not 7.60 nice. I don't think I've ever seen it at that price anywhere - even the stronger stout that they do.

chopper6

Always found it to be a rank,smelly old kip...now that they've tried to posh it up by increasing prices I hate it even more.

Trond

chopper6 wrote: »

Always found it to be a rank,smelly old kip...now that they've tried to posh it up by increasing prices I hate it even more.

Agree completely. Drank there on and off for years (it was a work venue unfortunately). Dirty pint glasses. Their pints of Staropramen and Stella tasted like they were poured through a dirty sock.

chopper6

Trond wrote: »

Agree completely. Drank there on and off for years (it was a work venue unfortunately). Dirty pint glasses. Their pints of Staropramen and Stella tasted like they were poured through a dirty sock.

Not only that..the place was so damp that the spores from the dirty carpet and peeling walls would get into your lungs within minutes of arriving.

I always developed a chest infection after drinking there.

A Disgrace

After the flood in 2011, they foolishly did the place up and it lost most of the dive-bar charm – since then it has struggled. Still, a crying shame to see such an iconic pub literally change overnight – could something like this happen to somewhere like The Lord Edward, Grogans or Mulligans? And if so, shouldn’t we protect some of these pubs as ‘culturally important’ or something?

Trond

I don't really get the whole iconic thing when it comes to Kennedy's to be honest. Fair enough its an old pub in a good location but there's nothing else to it. They made their bed years ago. Weird ass techno nights, xmas parties and whatever else they got away with. Concentrated on too many things and mastered none of them.

Again just my own opinion but Its nothing in comparison to the likes of Mulligans/Grogan's in terms of history, service or vibe.

Pobb

Trond wrote: »

I don't really get the whole iconic thing when it comes to Kennedy's to be honest. Fair enough its an old pub in a good location but there's nothing else to it. They made their bed years ago. Weird ass techno nights, xmas parties and whatever else they got away with. Concentrated on too many things and mastered none of them.

Again just my own opinion but Its nothing in comparison to the likes of Mulligans/Grogan's in terms of history, service or vibe.

You're thinking of the wrong Kennedy's there.

Trond

Pobb wrote: »

You're thinking of the wrong Kennedy's there.

Oops I am indeed. Now the historic comment makes far more sense.!

I'm not a fan of the other place as you can see!!!

Pobb

Trond wrote: »

Oops I am indeed. Now the historic comment makes far more sense.!

I'm not a fan of the other place as you can see!!!

Ha.

I like the one on Westland Row too - I've had some great nights at the techno gigs in the basement!

anncoates

What's weird is that it was probably doing quite well as it was and now will probably not.

gypsy79

These places are horrible, and the price they are trying to charge is scandulous.

I got charged 7.25 for a bottle of cider in a Galway bay pub that was 5.75 a year ago just last week. As a result they have lost my custom forever

If Guinness can be sold for €4 a pint, O Hara's is worth about €1. Awful piss. WHo want a pint of stout that tastes like coffee

Lovely Bloke

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reprazant

anncoates wrote: »

What's weird is that it was probably doing quite well as it was and now will probably not.

I doubt it was doing well. It was very quiet anytime I was in there. I'd imagine that if all the people who said they loved it so much actually went regularily, it wouldn't have changed.

The place hasn't changed hands btw.

anncoates

reprazant wrote: »

I doubt it was doing well. It was very quiet anytime I was in there. I'd imagine that if all the people who said they loved it so much actually went regularily, it wouldn't have changed.

The place hasn't changed hands btw.

I've been in there before when I was quite busy.

chopper6

And on the subject of Mulligans,what,exactly is so good about it?

It's always jammed with sweaty people in shirts and the noise level is appalling..usually nowhere to sit,expensive and very ordinary pints.

RebelButtMunch

chopper6 wrote: »

And on the subject of Mulligans,what,exactly is so good about it?

It's always jammed with sweaty people in shirts and the noise level is appalling..usually nowhere to sit,expensive and very ordinary pints.

Agreed. A few years back it seemed way better. Now I just get the feeling it depending on that reputation. Right about the pints too. Way too cold. A couple of weeks ago I had the best pint in ages in the palace. Creamy and just below room temp.

chopper6

RebelButtMunch wrote: »

Agreed. A few years back it seemed way better. Now I just get the feeling it depending on that reputation. Right about the pints too. Way too cold. A couple of weeks ago I had the best pint in ages in the palace. Creamy and just below room temp.

I think it's one of these places that people go to because they think it's cool to go to.

I heard somebody talk about "culturally important" in relation to Mulligans and the Lord Edward....they are PUBS...they have no cultural significance at all.

Pubs arent there to do us a favour,they're there to make money for the owners who arent above putting prices up whenever the hell they feel like it.

Just for the record,i had my worst pint *ever* in this country in the Lord Edward,it was flat with a bit of crud floating in it..when i returned it yer man made a face as if it was coming out of his arse pocket.

I've never been back.

Trond

Id a few lovely pints in Mulligans recently. It was a Saturday afternoon rather than a Friday night so maybe that had something to do with it. The place can get very annoying with its properly jammed.

Pobb

Which Mulligans are people talking about?

odyssey06

Pobb wrote: »

Which Mulligans are people talking about?

I assume Poolbeg Street.