Proper old school Dublin pubs thread

Cienciano · 03-02-2021 12:05pm #1

OK, we have the roughest pub in dublin thread, closed down pub thread, but seems that the best type of pub is that "old school" Dublin pub.
The type where the bar man eats his dinner behind the bar while looking up at the horse racing. The type that you're afraid to ask for anything other than a Guinness. A few old guys are the bar all the time and have their own seats. Always the same barman and his relations. Places that haven't become too touristy (looking at you mulligans and gravediggers). Places that haven't seen a coat of paint in 40 years but are well run and aren't full of skangers.
Kennedys beside Tara Street station was well known used to be one of these. Pubs that have avoided being "modernised" in the last 20 years. Here's a couple more:

Clearys on Amiens street. Right under the bridge. Smell of guinness fart when you arrive in is a good sign.

Harold House on Clanbrassil Street. You can also get a good beamish here. Always pretty lively, friendly crowd.

ShyMets · 03-02-2021 12:25pm

Bowes on Fleet St

Cienciano · 03-02-2021 1:03pm

I think Nearys on Chatham St is worthy. Does food, but just sandwiches and the sandwiches are amazing. While you wouldn't feel guilted into ordering a guinness, it's definitely one of the better old school vibe pubs in a central location.

ShyMets · 03-02-2021 1:06pm

McDaids on Harry St. Although the bar staff can be a salty at times

dobman88 · 03-02-2021 1:11pm

Tom Mayes, Dorset street/top of frederick street. Had to meet a chap there for match tickets one time and been back loads of times since. Bit rough around the edges but never felt unsafe. Definition of an old school boozer for me.

L1011 · 03-02-2021 1:12pm

Walshs in Stoneybatter.

odyssey06 · 03-02-2021 1:29pm

Gaffneys in Fairview

Thinkingaboutit · 03-02-2021 1:34pm

Delaneys on North King St, no efforts at looking archly traditional. Nothing fancy, but good.

Hodors Appletart · 03-02-2021 4:56pm

Harry Byrnes in Clontarf is a brilliant old style boozer (up until the lockdown you couldn't even get a sambo in it)

it's "of it's area" though, so there is a bit of the golf/rugby jumper-on-the-shoulder type in there, but the barmen are sound and proper barmen.

Kavanagh's in Marino is also a good old style pub, not been in there in a while, but it's always a good source for croke park tickets on match day.

11wingnut · 03-02-2021 5:06pm

The Palace Fleet st

POBox19 · 03-02-2021 5:09pm

The Pebble Beach, Conquer Hill.

Caranica · 03-02-2021 5:14pm

Fallon's in the Liberties. An ex used to live close by so we spent a bit of time there. Definitely old style

ShyMets · 03-02-2021 5:23pm

The Swan on Aungier St

markest · 03-02-2021 6:05pm

O'Loughlin's, 26 George's Street Lower, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, A96 KP62

jippo nolan · 03-02-2021 6:39pm

L1011 wrote: »

Walshs in Stoneybatter.

I think you get a bang of Hipster in there!

raheny red · 03-02-2021 9:15pm

The Sheds, Clontarf.

Gravediggers.

McGraths, Drumcondra.

The Cedars, Raheny.

Day Lewin · 03-02-2021 9:16pm

Toners in Baggot st. Good old times. sobs

Another vote for Bowes, too.

killbillvol2 · 03-02-2021 9:19pm

Caranica wrote: »

Fallon's in the Liberties. An ex used to live close by so we spent a bit of time there. Definitely old style

You obviously haven't been there for a long time. A lot of "ethnic cleansing" went on to remove its character.

donvito99 · 03-02-2021 9:41pm

The (recently closed) Bottlers' Bank in Rathgar. The old school bit of Coman's, also gone.

dazberry · 03-02-2021 11:54pm

Cienciano wrote: »

The type that

another sign for me is when the gents jacks is just off the bar, where by the wimminz have to go half way around the world to get to their toilets

Slatts - Inchicore - bar side only has a gents and the pub is split in two by the bar, so any ladies that find themselves in the bar side have to go out onto the street and back in the lounge door, and then up a flight of stairs

The Glen - Inchicore - the gents has two doors, one into the lounge and one into the bar, the ladies is right at the back of the pub, so from the bar involves walking thru' the snug and then all the way up the lounge.

The BlackLion - Inchicore - again the bar side - would also get an honourable mention - as it used to be men only for years. The time I had to order a coffee for the wife (as she was going on night duty) and the look I got from the barman...

and McDowells on Emmet Rd, maybe another honourable mention, never there during a match tho', only when it was quiet with just a couple of oul lads at the bar.

Can't think of anything else on the Kilmainham, Mount brown, James St, Thomas St axis until you get to the Lord Edward, but have never have been in McCanns, Bakers or (Tom) Kennedys.

Wishbone Ash · 04-02-2021 8:20am

dazberry wrote: »

...The time I had to order a coffee for the wife (as she was going on night duty) and the look I got from the barman....

It's usually a good indication of an old school pub when the coffee available comes out of a small jar of Maxwell House and the barman has to look for it.

04-02-2021 8:26am

dazberry wrote: »

another sign for me is when the gents jacks is just off the bar, where by the wimminz have to go half way around the world to get to their toilets

Slatts - Inchicore - bar side only has a gents and the pub is split in two by the bar, so any ladies that find themselves in the bar side have to go out onto the street and back in the lounge door, and then up a flight of stairs

The Glen - Inchicore - the gents has two doors, one into the lounge and one into the bar, the ladies is right at the back of the pub, so from the bar involves walking thru' the snug and then all the way up the lounge.

The BlackLion - Inchicore - again the bar side - would also get an honourable mention - as it used to be men only for years. The time I had to order a coffee for the wife (as she was going on night duty) and the look I got from the barman...

and McDowells on Emmet Rd, maybe another honourable mention, never there during a match tho', only when it was quiet with just a couple of oul lads at the bar.

Can't think of anything else on the Kilmainham, Mount brown, James St, Thomas St axis until you get to the Lord Edward, but have never have been in McCanns, Bakers or (Tom) Kennedys.

Slatts is a real hidden gem.

The Royal Oak up to about three years ago was a proper pub with a grumpy old barman from Tipp. Looks like they've gone down another route now which is a pity.

Twee. · 04-02-2021 4:47pm

The Glen/Jack's in Inchicore still doesn't take card, been caught out a few times down there, can never remember!

Strawberry Hall is another one that doesn't take card, great pub though and family run.

I brought some friends who were visiting Dublin to Fallon's a while back as we were in the area and they wanted to try some different whiskeys. Fallon's would have been known for a good selection but that seems to have changed a lot, I was disappointed with what was on offer.

Bowe's and the Long Hall would be favourites of mine in town, I like the Palace too but it can get very crowded.

Strumms · 04-02-2021 11:53pm

Big fan of the Gravediggers... well run, well managed and well staffed boozer... owner Ciaran is sound as.. as are all the staff and punters..

Not for from The Gravediggers... The Autobahn up on Glasnevin Avenue I guess would still be considered ‘old school’ yet comfy too, mostly excellent staff , absolutely deliciously savage food and a great choice of beers and other drinks... Guinness is savage.. incidentally all the pubs ran by The O’Malley group are excellent old school boozers, they just bought the Old Stand on Exchequer St too.. supposedly cost 3 million....be interesting to see what they can do with that... always thought that pub to be a bit unremarkable... great area but was a kind of small blandsville establishment.

Thelonious Monk · 05-02-2021 12:00am

jippo nolan wrote: »

I think you get a bang of Hipster in there!

Walshes of Stoneybatter. I used to go there before it was cool.
No really I did, back in the early 2000s I had a flat around there and then I went again in around 2018 and the interior had totally changed and it was a beardfest.
It was nothing like that back in the day.
Best pint of Guinness in the world for me, before it was cool of course.

My favourite two now are Bowes and Nearys. Oh man I can't wait to go back and pound Guinness.

Thelonious Monk · 05-02-2021 12:03am

Harry Byrne's is a beautiful building, but as someone else said you get a lot of golfy types and jeans and pinstripe suit jackets and scorfs. Lovely bar staff.
Plus every time I go for a piss Mattress Mick seems to be standing beside me.

HeidiHeidi · 05-02-2021 12:09am

O'Brien's, Leeson St.

Follows the mens-jacks-only-in-the-bar rule mentioned earlier

I presume it must have had a lick of paint at some point in the 30+ years I've been going there, but it hasn't changed one iota. Sound staff, and a gorgeous pint.

dobman88 · 05-02-2021 12:46am

Probably not "old school". Not sure what it would be considered to be. A music venue? A dive bar? I'll let ye tell me. But Frank Ryan's in Smithfield. Only there a handful of times but the bar man is definitely of the old school variety. Asked him once who was in a cool photo behind the bar, he said to guess so I said John Dillinger. He just tutted in disgust and said "ya fcukin gob****e" :pac: that was enough for me to want to go back when a lad doesn't give a shìte like that, great craic. Photo turned out to be young Sinatra lol.

Bonus points cos they have a resident dog too.

ShyMets · 05-02-2021 9:54am

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Walshes of Stoneybatter. I used to go there before it was cool.
No really I did, back in the early 2000s I had a flat around there and then I went again in around 2018 and the interior had totally changed and it was a beardfest.
It was nothing like that back in the day.
Best pint of Guinness in the world for me, before it was cool of course.

My favourite two now are Bowes and Nearys. Oh man I can't wait to go back and pound Guinness.

I noticed a bit beard/hipster element creeping into Bowes. Hopefully it gets nipped in the bud

05-02-2021 10:32am

ShyMets wrote: »

I noticed a bit beard/hipster element creeping into Bowes. Hopefully it gets nipped in the bud

That would be a shame. My favourite pub in Dublin during my time there. Great staff and a few characters around. A real refuge from the bustle of the city if you had a few hours to while away.

Unfortunately, they all have to go down the craft beer and whiskey route to stay competitive, and that brings with it the risk of attracting the rollie smoking bearded brigade.

Cienciano · 05-02-2021 10:33am

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

O'Brien's, Leeson St.

Follows the mens-jacks-only-in-the-bar rule mentioned earlier

I presume it must have had a lick of paint at some point in the 30+ years I've been going there, but it hasn't changed one iota. Sound staff, and a gorgeous pint.

I was in there once about 8 years ago during the day and remember thinking it looked like a great pub.

Some central pubs are almost a victim of their location. Hartigans pub on Leeson street is another, but it's location gets it crowded with the suit wearing people.

Generally a good food menu is a bad thing. Crisps, a basket of random chocolate bars and a ham and cheese toasty made on a counter top oven is the extent of the food

Proper old school Dublin pubs thread

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