What's the roughest pub in Dublin city?

One More Toy

Morbid curiosity has me wanting to go to a dive of a place

Infernal Racket

One More Toy wrote: »

Morbid curiosity has me wanting to go to a dive of a place

I'd day any of the local spots in Cabra or Finglas and if you don't find what you're looking for u could always venture out to the Jobstown Inn. Good luck to ya

Esse85

Didn't some fella get a smack in a pub in Drimnagh too?

SmartinMartin

Finch's in Ronanstown.

retalivity

Noctors

SmartinMartin

Nope, the jetfoil and noctors were the worst 30 years ago but finch's is way ahead of that now. Mind you, the Cardiffsbridge inn and the Barry House wouldn't be far behind it.

Dublin GAA Central Parnell Street.

L1011

Deleted User wrote: »

Dublin GAA Central Parnell Street.

Gone for about three years, pub has reopened, closed and reopened again as two completely different pubs in the interim. Its not even vaguely rough now.


The Barry House mentioned above closed down about eight years ago; its open now as the Abbey Tavern and is apparently not as bad as it once was. I'm going off second hand info there but I suspect the person who mentioned it was going off ancient info!

The Oasis

Odyssey 2005

One More Toy wrote: »

Morbid curiosity has me wanting to go to a dive of a place

Which one did you get thrown out of ?

ShyMets

It gone a few years but the Museum Rest just of Queen St was pretty nasty

DellyBelly

Esse85 wrote: »

Didn't some fella get a smack in a pub in Drimnagh too?

Think that was the Marble Arch. Conor McGregor hit some auld fella.

Birneybau

This was a great old thread, hasn't been updated in a year.

And now dumb dumb will add the link:

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin//showthread.php?t=2055647278

petros1980

Deleted User wrote: »

Dublin GAA Central Parnell Street.

That's closed; And anyway it was a lot rougher in its previous incarnation The Blue Lion. When I was a stupid young fella just up to Dublin from the country I ventured in their one afternoon while doing door to door sales in businesses on Parnell street. Got tackled from behind, pinned down, and they robbed my bag. The lads play acted that they were only messing etc. I stupidly spent a while arguing with them for my stuff back. In hindsight I was lucky they didn't give me a hiding. :o:o

Geuze

How would the Lark Inn on Meath street rank on the "rough" scale?

Muahahaha

Trying to think of Dublin pubs where murder or attempted murder has taken place.
Ballybough House, someone shot and killed in there as part of the Kinahan Hutch feud
Deputy Mayor in Charlestown, Finglas, iirc someone went in there with a samarui sword and chopped off a mans hand
Cabra House- some one shot dead in there in 2013 but I think it has had more than one shooting?

Must be a few more pubs with murders or attempts. Regency Hotel too of course.

L1011

Muahahaha wrote: »

Trying to think of Dublin pubs where murder or attempted murder has taken place.
Ballybough House, someone shot and killed in there as part of the Kinahan Hutch feud
Deputy Mayor in Charlestown, Finglas, iirc someone went in there with a samarui sword and chopped off a mans hand
Cabra House- some one shot dead in there in 2013 but I think it has had more than one shooting?

Must be a few more pubs with murders or attempts. Regency Hotel too of course.

https://dyingforapint.blogspot.com/

Knock yourself out. Or maybe don't, if you do it too hard it could be considered a pub-related killing :pac:

L1011

petros1980 wrote: »

That's closed; And anyway it was a lot rougher in its previous incarnation The Blue Lion. When I was a stupid young fella just up to Dublin from the country I ventured in their one afternoon while doing door to door sales in businesses on Parnell street. Got tackled from behind, pinned down, and they robbed my bag. The lads play acted that they were only messing etc. I stupidly spent a while arguing with them for my stuff back. In hindsight I was lucky they didn't give me a hiding. :o:o

Blue Lion was a different pub. That Dublin Supporters Club once was probably The Thornbush in that era.

Porklife

Geuze wrote: »

How would the Lark Inn on Meath street rank on the "rough" scale?

Veerrryyyy rough. Full of junkies who I reckon they serve cos they'd be scared not too. Men fighting in the doorway and actually smoking inside!!! You've to ring a bell to get into the off licence and you'd be lucky to make it out alive! Absolute kip!

retalivity

Geuze wrote: »

How would the Lark Inn on Meath street rank on the "rough" scale?

Its been done up, looks nice now, massive windows on the front. Same as the lamplighter just down the road.

The pub where luckys is now, looked rough before, Cant mind the name of it

Porklife

retalivity wrote: »

Its been done up, looks nice now, massive windows on the front. Same as the lamplighter just down the road.

The pub where luckys is now, looked rough before, Cant mind the name of it

The Lark Inn is still an absolute kip!! The place is full of scumbags!

tdf7187

The Horseshoe Bor in the Shelbourne after Ahreland lose in the rugbah.

tdf7187

ShyMets wrote: »

It gone a few years but the Museum Rest just of Queen St was pretty nasty

Was never in it but it looked like quite a joint. Could never figure out why they called it the Museum Rest, it's a good stretch from the Collins Museum.

Gavin "shels"

retalivity wrote: »

Its been done up, looks nice now, massive windows on the front. Same as the lamplighter just down the road.

The pub where luckys is now, looked rough before, Cant mind the name of it

Both pubs were told they needed windows in by Kevin St or their bar licenses were not being renewed or something to that effect.

Luckys used to be Bohans. Lad who used to run the bar in Tolka Park was involved with Bohans before or after Tolka iirc.

petros1980

Porklife wrote: »

Veerrryyyy rough. Full of junkies who I reckon they serve cos they'd be scared not too. Men fighting in the doorway and actually smoking inside!!! You've to ring a bell to get into the off licence and you'd be lucky to make it out alive! Absolute kip!

Is the below the same pub :pac::pac::pac:

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=ZzinXYjXMITWao-ZsIgN&q=lark+inn+meath+street+dublin&oq=lark+inn+meath+&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0j0i22i30.480.4283..6107...0.0..0.76.799.15......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i131j0i22i10i30.X3gvXT3ruN8#lrd=0x48670c24fda048cb:0x4b59cc3194d8b22,1,,,

Scoundrel

Morriseys on Cork street is as rough as a badgers arse

tylercheribini

The early house in the Chancery, I always sat closest to the door for a quick escape.

Paulzx

tdf7187 wrote: »

The Horseshoe Bor in the Shelbourne after Ahreland lose in the rugbah.

In fairness if you're looking for a collection of gangsters and chancers in fancy suits it fits the bill every day of the week

careless sherpa

L1011 wrote: »

Blue Lion was a different pub. That Dublin Supporters Club once was probably The Thornbush in that era.

The thornbush was a great pub in its day. Don't remember it being rough. I do remember a fella getting shot in the blue Lion though. It was rough alright

Easy Rod

Porklife wrote: »

Veerrryyyy rough. Full of junkies who I reckon they serve cos they'd be scared not too. Men fighting in the doorway and actually smoking inside!!! You've to ring a bell to get into the off licence and you'd be lucky to make it out alive! Absolute kip!

Think that’s a different pub up the road you’re thinking of - Graingers?

GRACKEA

tylercheribini wrote: »

The early house in the Chancery, I always sat closest to the door for a quick escape.

Ahhh I have a soft spot for the Chancery. Around 9/10am is an amazing anthropology opportunity. On weekends though so you get a good mix!

tylercheribini

GRACKEA wrote: »

Ahhh I have a soft spot for the Chancery. Around 9/10am is an amazing anthropology opportunity. On weekends though so you get a good mix!

Lads with scars on their face from forehead to chin always had me on edge.

BDI

Ballybough had a pub where an IRA man who was managing the pub was shot dead a year or two ago.

There’s a pub up from Meath street market on a street with a few antique shops that is just bleak. The povos with enough money to sit inside do but there is a contingent of povos who don’t have enough money to sit inside who turn up with a bag of cans or whatever and stand a door up and let their kids play about while they shout over to whoever is outside for a smoke like as if they are patrons of the pub too. This was a Sunday I think. I parked there to walk up to Meath street and jumped in the car and locked the door in a mad panicked scramble when I got back at like 6pm on a summer day. I don’t think the pub has a name just a door and some smokers. There was a little church on the corner of the street that tourist were stopping to photo. About three or four minutes walk from Meath street.

There’s another couple of bars just off the spire heading towards temple street that have smell bags sat outside at 3pm out of their heads with kids in buggies. Always busy on a weekday afternoon too.

BDI

sugarman wrote: »

The Lamplighter or Graingers?

Both are awful kips.

Which one?

ibarelycare

A favourite pastime of mine is a game called Danger Pints. A drink in some of the roughest pubs in Dublin. Generally you go in on a weeknight/weekend afternoon. Have one, max two drinks. Preferably sit at the bar for maximum enjoyment. Bonus points if there's been a murder or murder attempt. Ones I've frequented to date:

Barn House, Dolphins Barn
Finches, Neilstown
Jobstown House
Killinarden House, Tallaght
The Marble Arch, Drimnagh (my local)
The Black Forge, Crumlin
Cleary's, Kilmainham (surprisingly, this is the one I felt most uneasy in)

BDI

sugarman wrote: »

The one you were talking about on Meath St.

Oh right. It’s not on Meath street. If you leave the market main entrance and head left to the chemist a bit up the road then take a left directly at the chemist you walk by loads of flats or assisted living looking buildings on the left and little houses on your right. A bit up this road is a big republican mural thing visible in an estate to the left. Three or four minutes up this road lands you at this pub with a little church and a few antique shops in a cluster.

Mad I remember the little details of this little trek because I was so on edge that fateful summer day. I also tried to buy pork ribs from the butchers but they hadn’t got any left. Lucky really because I don’t think I’d have made it back to my car if I went down this road with a bag of pork ribs.

Looking at google maps it’s Francis street I’m talking about. Can’t tell which one is the tough pub and which one is the hipster pub.

One More Toy

ibarelycare wrote: »

A favourite pastime of mine is a game called Danger Pints. A drink in some of the roughest pubs in Dublin. Generally you go in on a weeknight/weekend afternoon. Have one, max two drinks. Preferably sit at the bar for maximum enjoyment. Bonus points if there's been a murder or murder attempt. Ones I've frequented to date:

Barn House, Dolphins Barn
Finches, Neilstown
Jobstown House
Killinarden House, Tallaght
The Marble Arch, Drimnagh (my local)
The Black Forge, Crumlin
Cleary's, Kilmainham (surprisingly, this is the one I felt most uneasy in)

Excellent this is what I was looking for. A concise list of where I might possibly get involved in a brawl or lose my life. Thank you

r93kaey5p2izun

The Finches is really not that bad. Try The Swallows in Deansrath. Chasers in Ballyfermot is intimidating due to the upstairs setup, but it's probably more depressing and grim than truly dodgy.

retalivity

BDI wrote: »

Ballybough had a pub where an IRA man who was managing the pub was shot dead a year or two ago.

There’s a pub up from Meath street market on a street with a few antique shops that is just bleak. The povos with enough money to sit inside do but there is a contingent of povos who don’t have enough money to sit inside who turn up with a bag of cans or whatever and stand a door up and let their kids play about while they shout over to whoever is outside for a smoke like as if they are patrons of the pub too. This was a Sunday I think. I parked there to walk up to Meath street and jumped in the car and locked the door in a mad panicked scramble when I got back at like 6pm on a summer day. I don’t think the pub has a name just a door and some smokers. There was a little church on the corner of the street that tourist were stopping to photo. About three or four minutes walk from Meath street.

There’s another couple of bars just off the spire heading towards temple street that have smell bags sat outside at 3pm out of their heads with kids in buggies. Always busy on a weekday afternoon too.

The Liberty Belle, it always seems to have a few cushioned stools and waster outside it during the day.
They have a sign outside inviting tourists in to pull their own pint. I'd bet any that did wouldn't be rushing back anytime soon...

Nika Bolokov

Javion Vast Straw wrote: »

The Finches is really not that bad. Try The Swallows in Deansrath. Chasers in Ballyfermot is intimidating due to the upstairs setup, but it's probably more depressing and grim than truly dodgy.

Yeah the Swallows in Deansrath is far worse than Finches. Some fella strolled in there with a shotgun a few years ago looking for someone and one of the patrons, annoyed at the disturbance to his pint, battered the guy with the gun.

lunamoon

Noctors, without a doubt.

Geuze

Porklife wrote: »

Veerrryyyy rough. Full of junkies who I reckon they serve cos they'd be scared not too. Men fighting in the doorway and actually smoking inside!!! You've to ring a bell to get into the off licence and you'd be lucky to make it out alive! Absolute kip!

I was there one night.

I sat at bar in right hand room.

Space beside me, and then a man in the next seat.

My friend arrived later and sat in the empty seat between me and the man.

The man then frisked my friend. He patted him up and down.

He told us that he is related to both the Hutchs and the Kinahans.

He was familiar with Blacklion prison.

He told us about late-night and early-morning drinking dens in Dublin.

I would return to that pub.

Roadtoad

A buddy used drink in Finches. He said that on the way in the security would tap you down checking for knives etc. If you didn't have anything they would supply you!
Same guy would never produce a €20- or €50- there, as there would be too many pan-handlers looking for a free pint if they felt he was flush.

theteal

ibarelycare wrote: »

A favourite pastime of mine is a game called Danger Pints. A drink in some of the roughest pubs in Dublin. Generally you go in on a weeknight/weekend afternoon. Have one, max two drinks. Preferably sit at the bar for maximum enjoyment. Bonus points if there's been a murder or murder attempt. Ones I've frequented to date:

Barn House, Dolphins Barn
Finches, Neilstown
Jobstown House
Killinarden House, Tallaght
The Marble Arch, Drimnagh (my local)
The Black Forge, Crumlin
Cleary's, Kilmainham (surprisingly, this is the one I felt most uneasy in)

Not to be pedantic but the Forge is Walkinstown. Also, it's not rough as such, it's just loud and uncomfortable. It's the kind of place you go to when you're young and dumb but then grow up and realise that not being able to hear yourself is not a fun night - although in saying that one of my close friend's parents still regularly drink there.

I went out with a Clondalkin (Greenfort iirc) girl for a while in my youth. She wouldn't bring me to Finches because she thought I was a bit too posh for it - I'm born and raised a minute around the corner from the Black Forge

miamee

Deleted User wrote: »

The Oasis

Is it called The Cabra House now? I haven't been in there in over 20 years but it was rough then and from what I can tell hasn't changed much over time.

Gloomtastic!

Noctors is gone, I think. It’s been closed every time I’ve passed recently.

Geuze

ibarelycare wrote: »

Cleary's, Kilmainham (surprisingly, this is the one I felt most uneasy in)

Is this on Sarsfield road?

greenpilot

"She wouldn't bring me to Finches because she thought I was a bit too posh for it"....

She may not have brought you to Finches for other reasons....he he ....

(gets coat...)

theteal

theteal wrote: »

Not to be pedantic but the Forge is Walkinstown.

I'd be a little more pedantic and call it drimnagh

It's in the Bermuda triangle of all three really.

Moghead

I lived in Dublin years ago and I was told that the Swiss Cottage in Santry was a rough pub. I see its closed now but was it bad in its day?

Moghead

Moghead wrote: »

I lived in Dublin years ago and I was told that the Swiss Cottage in Santry was a rough pub. I see its closed now but was it bad in its day?

It wasn't great. But far from being one of the rougher ones even in the area. The Black Sheep, The Towers & The Penthouse were all worse.

When they closed down one by one, the Swiss did "inherit" a lot of different elements of scum but it wasn't too bad.