The Thomas House

Miguel_Sanchez

I see The Thomas House has shut its doors. Does anyone know who the landlord of the premises is or how I'd go about finding that out? I was hoping to use the pub as a location for a film in a few months time.

Sunnyisland

Cant help you with the landlord, But the fountain on meath street shut its doors on monday night as well.Very depressing for the area.

Gavin "shels"

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

I see The Thomas House has shut its doors. Does anyone know who the landlord of the premises is or how I'd go about finding that out? I was hoping to use the pub as a location for a film in a few months time.

Getting onto the NCAD student union might be an idea, they used to always have things on in the Thomas House.

realies wrote: »

Cant help you with the landlord, But the fountain on meath street shut its doors on monday night as well.Very depressing for the area.

Was only down there the other day and didn't even notice. Be surprised if anything else goes into the premises there tbh.

It's only closed for a clean up according to their facebook page.

Miguel_Sanchez

Deleted User wrote: »

It's only closed for a clean up according to their facebook page.

I hope that's true. A guy cleaning up outside the food court next door told me they owed the landlord too much and had closed down.

[edit] Checked out their Facebook page - they're installing a Pinball Machine and a Wurlitzer Jukebox! They're not closed after all! Good stuff. [/edit]

boosh_fan

I know you're sorted now but I think they're connected in some way to Sheebeen Chic on Georges St. same owner/ management.

kc87

the pub has bein taken over by new lads and hopefully will be open tomorrow night.

they plan on opening thursday-sunday nights for the time bein so drop into them and have a yap and am sure they'll help you out if they can

A Disgrace

The big mistake of the Thomas House was when they renovated about 7 years ago. It went from being an accidental dive bar to a deliberate one.. also, they were shut for about a year while they rebuilt, and lost all their goodwill and custom, to Anseo on Wexford st. If it had have stayed the way it was (tiny, old school, decks on the bar) Thomas st would be the current Wexford st

Miguel_Sanchez

A Disgrace wrote: »

The big mistake of the Thomas House was when they renovated about 7 years ago. It went from being an accidental dive bar to a deliberate one.. also, they were shut for about a year while they rebuilt, and lost all their goodwill and custom, to Anseo on Wexford st. If it had have stayed the way it was (tiny, old school, decks on the bar) Thomas st would be the current Wexford st

Was it not that new people took it over when it was renovated?

Also it did pretty much stay tiny and old school. I don't think moving the decks from the bar to a table beside the bar really is something customers really care about too much.

Saying Thomas Street would be the current Wexford Street is nonsense to be honest. There's loads of pubs and venues on Wexford Street that contribute to it being what it is. Thomas Street isn't going to rival that with one pub across from Vicar Street.

A Disgrace

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

Was it not that new people took it over when it was renovated?

Also it did pretty much stay tiny and old school. I don't think moving the decks from the bar to a table beside the bar really is something customers really care about too much.

Saying Thomas Street would be the current Wexford Street is nonsense to be honest. There's loads of pubs and venues on Wexford Street that contribute to it being what it is. Thomas Street isn't going to rival that with one pub across from Vicar Street.

Well they significantly enlarged it, modernised it took away most its charms. At this time you also had Vicar St opening to the general public (rather than just for gigs) and it regularly held decent club nights too. When they both closed, people had no reasons for being on Thomas St. Had they have stayed open however, you may well have found pubs like The Clock, Kennedys and Bakers prospering too, and not forgetting Mcgruders further up the street. All these, together with even the Tivoli, could have formed a nice little scene had it have working out differently..

Wexford st has always been about Whelans but when Cons bar became Anseo (and wasn't gutted and redesigned like TH) and Modern Green (Solas) opened up, you had an instant district. I'm not saying Thomas St would have gone the same, but it could have, and I blame the Thomas House for that.

btw, most of the regulars started going to Anseo, when the renovations begun, and because they took so long, never went back. I was one of them.

This is a bit ridiculous imo. I lived around Camden St, worked in Anseo for quite a long time and can't disagree with you more!

Couple of facts: Camden St has been quite a trendy district since Whelans opened up in 1989, it harnessed it's reputation through the mid 90's with bands like The Frames, Whipping Boy and other bands making it "Their home" for gigs and what not. It was taken over in 99 by Frank Gleeson who did the right thing and changed sfa except made it better for the musicians coming in.
You left out The Village in your post as well, which started out as the Mean Fiddler. another great live music bar. I wouldn't class Solas in the same bracket as they try and get different crowds in. The most bohemian is Whelan's, then The Village, then Solas.
Anseo started in 2002. The owners had a really tough time at the start as Cons had a fair few undesirables that caused a concern when they reopened. They modeled it on New York Dive Bars, the owner and manager had spent a lot of time in New York.

Thomas St on the other hand.

McGruders was closed down and lost their licence in 07/08. If you had been to any of the party's there, you would know why. There was a fair share of drugs, underage drinking and stay-backs. Anything was allowed (I loved it at the time, but I knew it couldn't last)
Vicar St f8cked themselves when they shut down Vicar St II. Vicar St II was a great venue next door to Vicar St. It held 250-300 people, A medium sized venue that there's not many of in Dublin.
Lastly Thomas House. Thomas House 7+ years ago had the same problem as MacGruders. If you wanted pills, head down to Thomas House. That couldn't last either When it reopened under new management and ownership in '06/07 the staff were handpicked as the owner knew that the staff make a place. They had a great New Yorker and a great Aussie bloke working behind the bar. It was still a dive though. Unfortunately the rent didn't get paid, and the lads turned up to find a guy changing the locks.
It was pretty messy for a few weeks, then a new guy came in and bought the bar. They're set up now with it being a "home" for NAYD students. So it'll be interesting to see how they decorate.

And in a nutshell, Thomas St is too far away from town, with very few bars working together and instead seeing each other as competition. It won't change until they cop on to that fact.

I can see the Northside becoming more "hip" happening sooner than Thomas St. Bars like Sin É, Fibbers on the Quays and Dice Bar will take a lot of custom away from Camden St if they do the clever thing and team up instead of seeing each other as competition

Miguel_Sanchez

I don't think you can blame one pub for the whole street not turning out the way you wanted it to.

I liked the guys who worked in The Thomas House's most recent incarnation - they were friendly, chatty and did a good job.

From the photos on the Facebook page the decor looks pretty similar but with an old jukebox and they say a pinball machine too.

A Disgrace

Deleted User wrote: »

This is a bit ridiculous imo. I lived around Camden St, worked in Anseo for quite a long time and can't disagree with you more!


Anseo started in 2002. The owners had a really tough time at the start as Cons had a fair few undesirables that caused a concern when they reopened. They modeled it on New York Dive Bars, the owner and manager had spent a lot of time in New York.

Thomas St on the other hand.

This all depends on your defintion of 'town'. Thomas St is closer to the main drag, ie 'the dame st/south great georges st' axis than Wexford and Camden st, but I agree Wexford st has more going for it (indirectly thanks to Coppers and the Palace etc) so it attracts the crowds...

As for the Village, remember it became Mono and it was major failure, and it can never recover the glory days of the Mean Fiddler.. It's the best strip in town, but it's not without its problems.. The Junction/Cornerstone/Karma or whatever it is now is a constant disaster.. it should be great, it has an important position, a nice building and a everyone passing by, yet it changes names, and hands, at least once a year..

DA2/Carnival/Against the Grain has the same problem

I just thought Thomas St, with Meath st and Francis st close by, could have become something, and while blaming the Thomas House for the whole thing is a bit harsh, it certainly had an effect...

As a footnote, I know the guys in Anseo quite well, and one night (in the Village) I said to one of them that he'd done a great job creating an authentic dive bar in Dublin

'You think it's a dive?' he said, and looked at me like I'd just set fire to his cat. He put the book shelves in a week later.

latenia

A Disgrace wrote: »

DA2/Carnival/Against the Grain has the same problem

Let's not forget the worst named Dublin pub of all time back in the late 90s

Nasdaq-The Bar

CiaranC

A Disgrace wrote: »

DA2/Carnival/Against the Grain has the same problem

Against the Grain seems to be flying

A Disgrace

CiaranC wrote: »

Against the Grain seems to be flying

Really? Haven't been up in while, but glad to hear it..

Phenomenally Phrank

Deleted User wrote: »

McGruders was closed down and lost their licence in 07/08. If you had been to any of the party's there, you would know why. There was a fair share of drugs, underage drinking and stay-backs. Anything was allowed (I loved it at the time, but I knew it couldn't last)

I was there too, went to loads of events there during 2007 and a load of the staybacks as well. All of us wired as **** and having a brilliant time, the last time I was there was nye 2007/2008....remember waking up on a sofa in the chillout zone at 6 in the morning still off my chops oh memories

*edit:last time I was there was actually sometime later in 2008 for a mate's going away party
**just seen mcgruders now on google street view;all boarded up, kinda sad looking

Yillan

Are there pubs on Thomas St that would be considered off limits to the general public? I've never seen inside The Clock, but I've heard good things. A friend of the family had a syringe pulled on him in a pub on Thomas St, but he doesn't know which one. Just looking for other options. The Hill Top looks dodge out. Are there any others I should be avoiding? Tom Kennedy's?

What about down Francis St? The Liberty Belle. The Bayno. Dean Swift?

latenia

Yillan wrote: »

Are there pubs on Thomas St that would be considered off limits to the general public? I've never seen inside The Clock, but I've heard good things. A friend of the family had a syringe pulled on him in a pub on Thomas St, but he doesn't know which one. Just looking for other options. The Hill Top looks dodge out. Are there any others I should be avoiding? Tom Kennedy's?

What about down Francis St? The Liberty Belle. The Bayno. Dean Swift?

The Clock is a good pub and, while I wouldn't consider the other places dangerous, they're very much "local pubs for local people." There's also that refurbished place Arthur's further up the street but I haven't been in yet. Fallons on The Coombe is a good spot

Gavin "shels"

Yillan wrote: »

Are there pubs on Thomas St that would be considered off limits to the general public? I've never seen inside The Clock, but I've heard good things. A friend of the family had a syringe pulled on him in a pub on Thomas St, but he doesn't know which one. Just looking for other options. The Hill Top looks dodge out. Are there any others I should be avoiding? Tom Kennedy's?

What about down Francis St? The Liberty Belle. The Bayno. Dean Swift?

I'd say away from the Bayno. As said, Fallons is your best bet in the area imo.

CiaranC

Yillan wrote: »

Are there pubs on Thomas St that would be considered off limits to the general public? I've never seen inside The Clock, but I've heard good things. A friend of the family had a syringe pulled on him in a pub on Thomas St, but he doesn't know which one. Just looking for other options. The Hill Top looks dodge out. Are there any others I should be avoiding? Tom Kennedy's?

Was in Tom Kennedys after the moz gig last week. It was jammed, good spot. Very much a local boozer for the local working class population.

A Disgrace

CiaranC wrote: »

Was in Tom Kennedys after the moz gig last week. It was jammed, good spot. Very much a local boozer for the local working class population.

Agree, Kennedys is a good pub, Morrissey himself was in it a few months ago after watching a gig in Vicar St. The Hill Top seems a bit dodgy (judging by the characters usually standing outside smoking) but it used to be a very popular gay bar (The Wing and Pen).

Arthurs is quiet, very quiet. It was recently re-opened and seems totally aimed at trapping the tourists heading to and from the Guinness Storehouse and is pretty non-descript.

Bakers (on the corner of Meath and Thomas streets) is nice enough, but never been there at night.

There's a tiny pub called 'The Harbour' on Echlin st (just beside the Guinness Storehouse) The finest Guinness I've ever had

Sunnyisland

Yillan wrote: »

Are there pubs on Thomas St that would be considered off limits to the general public? I've never seen inside The Clock, but I've heard good things. A friend of the family had a syringe pulled on him in a pub on Thomas St, but he doesn't know which one. Just looking for other options. The Hill Top looks dodge out. Are there any others I should be avoiding? Tom Kennedy's?

What about down Francis St? The Liberty Belle. The Bayno. Dean Swift?

Dean swift is not bad, A good man runs the shop there and takes no messing, But like most if not all the pubs around that area its a very old part of Dublin with a lot of the people related to each other and very clannish,But once you get talking to them sure there the salt of the earth

I was in Thomas House tonight. I have absolute faith after talking to the lads that are running it, that it's gonna be something special again. €3 pints and €4 bottles atm can't be sniffed at either! McCardles in a pint bottle is lovely by the way.

A Disgrace

Deleted User wrote: »

McCardles in a pint bottle is lovely by the way.

If they have it, I am there

bombidol

Hey there, im one of the gang running Thomas House these days. We are reopen as of last week. We open all week from 6pm and Sat and Sun we open at 12.30. We do indeed have a vintage Wurlitzer jukebox thats operational. Theres a pinball machine and an arcade cabinet going in within a few weeks. All pints and bottles are €4 all night and we have a good range of beer. Pop in for a pint and say hello. The venue is being renovated and will be open in about a month.

Gaspode

Deleted User wrote: »

McCardles in a pint bottle is lovely by the way.

Definitely gonna drop in there so, hard to find that drink these days

bombidol

Arcade machine is installed! 'mon in fer a game!

bombidol

Arcade machine is installed! 'mon in fer a game!

Yillan

Considering watching the Ireland match on Thomas St tomorrow. The bond is on Irish flag overload, so I'm guessing there should be a good atmosphere up there come match time. Any recommendations? Somewhere 5 lads (23-27) can watch it without hassle, but with a good view of the TV.

bombidol

We will indeed be showing the game. Its not a sports bar by any stretch but our regulars come in and scream and shout abuse at the telly. drop in.