What's the roughest pub in Dublin city?

beertons · 17-10-2019 7:14pm

The Corduff Inn was fairly rough, closed a while now.

L1011 · 17-10-2019 7:16pm

Anus Von Skidmark wrote: »

Apart from the Brew Dock, pretty much anywhere near Connolly is bad! Especially heading up towards the Five Lamps / North Strand. Scum central.

Graingers is fine, Ryans is fine, the two hotel bars are fine, the Harbourmaster is fine, Urban Brewing is fine, Ely is fine... One of those (North Star hotel bar) is in your up towards definition.

L1011 · 17-10-2019 7:21pm

beertons wrote: »

The Corduff Inn was fairly rough, closed a while now.

Long since reopened

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Bar/Leonards-Bar-Corduff-467816856907909/

VW 1 · 17-10-2019 7:39pm

beertons wrote: »

The Corduff Inn was fairly rough, closed a while now.

Reopened quite a while now, done up but same clientele. The local of the missus, only been in once.

Edgware · 17-10-2019 8:36pm

VW 1 wrote: »

Reopened quite a while now, done up but same clientele. The local of the missus, only been in once.

It wouldnt suit to be drinking where the missus was head bouncer

wobert · 17-10-2019 8:41pm

L1011 wrote: »

Graingers is fine, Ryans is fine, the two hotel bars are fine, the Harbourmaster is fine, Urban Brewing is fine, Ely is fine... One of those (North Star hotel bar) is in your up towards definition.

Clearys on Amiens St, under the bridge is a great pub.
Its well run and lovely pints. I call in for a guinness after work every so often.

Sinbad311 · 17-10-2019 8:47pm

BDI wrote:

Amazing it still gets a bar license. An inspector would see drug use just from walking into the place on a Tuesday afternoon.

BDI wrote:

I named a few earlier and never thought to name my old local. The priorswood inn. When I was young and tough and in my 20s I drank here. Then at a certain age you realise you arnt bulletproof and I stopped drinking there.

BDI wrote:

I was looking around one time trying to figure out If I was the only man in the pub that hadnâ€™t been to jail. The fact Iâ€™d a conviction or two wasnâ€™t an issue Iâ€™d never been locked up so seen myself as the gentleman of the pub.

BDI wrote:

The pub itself has had so many fights, stabbing, shootings over the years they donâ€™t get mentioned in the paper. People shot or shot at on their way home from there a fair bit.

BDI wrote:

Iâ€™d be frightened now in my late thirties even going into the newsagents a few doors up from it.

BDI wrote:

I remember as a kid actually eating food in there. They donâ€™t serve food anymore I donâ€™t think.

BDI wrote:

Iâ€™d actaully say at any time in that pub there could be ten people sat there who have been shot before. No exaggeration.

Lovely pint of Guinness in the bar though :-)

Easy Rod · 17-10-2019 8:47pm

The Beach Tavern in Irish town was a mad little place. Went in there twice after I had a skinful as it was the only time I was brave enough. Apparently the clientele was anyone who was banned from all other pubs in ringsend & irishtown. More full of oddballs than any real danger though. I remember going for a piss and there was a fella having a dump in a cubicle with the door open!

It had that hipster style writing on the outside like you’d see in the Galway bay bars advertising a ‘pizza & pint’ deal. I can’t imagine what you’d get served up if you ordered it!

Alvin Holler · 17-10-2019 8:51pm

Noctors seemed open when I went by this evening. Never the most inviting place so hard to tell!

A former contender the sunset house has reopened as the little tree...big windows now like the places on meath st

Character Building · 17-10-2019 8:53pm

The Snug Bar

Dr Turk Turkelton · 17-10-2019 9:07pm

Can't believe it took six pages for the Priorswood to be mentioned.
Had a few good nights in there but the crowd was very dodgy looking, definitely the roughest place I've drank in Dublin.

PowerToWait · 17-10-2019 9:35pm

careless sherpa wrote: »

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

Yeah Thornbush is going back to the mid to late 90s. Good bar, easy enough to walk in the Blue Lion by mistake coming from Gardiner St if you weren’t sure. You probably drank in the Welcome Inn as well no?

The Towers in Ballymun was fairly sketch at one time. Loads were back in the day, Chinaman, Harp Bar, William Tell. All gone, all different but all dodgy in their own way. Don’t think pubs like that exist today really.

neris · 17-10-2019 10:47pm

The towers, the only boozer next to a garda station that had regular armed hold ups

PowerToWait wrote: »

Yeah Thornbush is going back to the mid to late 90s. Good bar, easy enough to walk in the Blue Lion by mistake coming from Gardiner St if you weren’t sure. You probably drank in the Welcome Inn as well no?

The Towers in Ballymun was fairly sketch at one time. Loads were back in the day, Chinaman, Harp Bar, William Tell. All gone, all different but all dodgy in their own way. Don’t think pubs like that exist today really.

tdf7187 · 17-10-2019 10:54pm

That place The Sunset House where a guy was murdered a few years back and is now trading under a new name apparently, I was in it a few times before or after concerts in Croker and never saw any trouble. Friends of mine from Cork used it as their pre-match pints pub when the rugby matches had temporarily relocated to Croker due to Lansdowne being refurbished. I think they were unaware of its somewhat dicey rep. But yeah personally I never saw any trouble there.

Muahahaha · 17-10-2019 11:52pm

ibarelycare wrote: »

Yeah it is. A lot of the clientele have started drinking in Lagoona in the IFSC, which results in a very strange mix on a Friday afternoon/evening of corporate after-work drinkers, and really rough folk.

Definitely wouldn't class the Patriots as rough. It's a mix of locals and tourists, and they do really decent grub from the Italian restaurant upstairs (you can eat it in the pub if you want).

Although the first time I was in there they played the national anthem at the end and everyone stood up.

Haha that brings back memories, me and a friend moved into the area in 2005 and went on a search for a new local. Found ourselves in the Patriots at closing time and when the karaoke finished on went Amhran Na Bhfiann and the whole pub rose up. You could still buy a pint when it finished

Good pub the Patriot, they had a very active darts team in the bar and the 'Old Kilmainham' locals were always friendly. We drank there for a few weeks until we discovered the Royal Oak and then that became our permanent local. Anyone know is the Patriot still playing the national anthem at closing time?

andekwarhola · 17-10-2019 11:59pm

careless sherpa wrote: »

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

Never had any bother in the Thornbush. Likewise Cardiffsbridge Inn. Went in a few times and just seemed a bit of a local aul fella boozer.

andekwarhola · 18-10-2019 12:02am

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)

Jobstown House, Killinarden House and the Black Forge really aren't that bad at all. Most especially in the afternoon. You must be quite easily worried.

Clearys seemed a bit of a kip when I was last there alright

machaseh wrote: »

Kiltipper Inn, Kiltipper Tallaght.

Good lord.:D It's just a bog standard suburban Dublin pub that serves food. If you relocated to any postcode in Dublin, it'd be virtually indistinguishable from most pubs there. Has anybody thanking these posts actually had a drink in any of these pubs?

Muahahaha · 18-10-2019 12:07am

fryup wrote: »

is that provo pub widow scannels still open?

That place was rough as fcuk and wins this thread. In 1994 the UVF came through the doors with a bomb in a holdall. A doorman challenged him and they shot him dead point blank and ran. Had the bomb gone off they would have killed dozens of IRA members who were in the pub holding a fundrairser for IRA prisoners families.

Then in 2002 the the Holiday Inn hotel had just opened up opposite the Widow Scallons and Pearse Street started getting tourists for the first time ever. A family of English tourists walked in for a pint not knowing it was a IRA pub, locals heard the accents and one of them got stabbed several times outside the pub soon after with the others getting badly beaten.

neris wrote: »

The towers, the only boozer next to a garda station that had regular armed hold ups

That garda station next to the Towers was rigged out like an army fortress complete with 20ft high barbed wire fencing all around the perimeter. It said a lot about Ballymun that the Gardai had to fortify their station.

Lucas Hood · 18-10-2019 12:14am

The black forge is fine. Never once seen any trouble in it and I used to go most weekends for years.

The kestrel house is way worse.

Horseshoe inn crumlin village bit of a drive too

andekwarhola · 18-10-2019 12:17am

Ninthlife wrote: »

Anyone remember Baron Johns in Crumlin Shopping Centre just above the off license?

Only ever made a brief visit in there myself but used yo have a bad rep when I was growing up

Mad place. Closed years ago though.

tdf7187 · 18-10-2019 12:23am

Almost forgot, it doesn't really qualify as a pub as it was a nightclub and I'm not sure if it ever had any kind of licence, The Asylum. It was a notorious ravey-type nightclub on Sackville Place open in the early 1990s - there's a long-running thread about it somewhere on boards. Heard a rumour that the bouncers took to carrying guns towards the end of its short existence.

andekwarhola · 18-10-2019 12:27am

Muahahaha wrote: »

Haha that brings back memories, me and a friend moved into the area in 2005 and went on a search for a new local. Found ourselves in the Patriots at closing time and when the karaoke finished on went Amhran Na Bhfiann and the whole pub rose up. You could still buy a pint when it finished Good pub the Patriot, they had a very active darts team in the bar and the 'Old Kilmainham' locals were always friendly. We drank there for a few weeks until we discovered the Royal Oak and then that became our permanent local. Anyone know is the Patriot still playing the national anthem at closing time?

The Patriot is quite a tourist pub these days I would have thought. Last time I was in the Royal Oak about a year ago, it's been taken over and seems really hipster now in keeping with the area. Still a lovely pub though and hasn't changed physically except for the little drinking area outside.

Qrt · 18-10-2019 12:30am

I’ve heard bad things about Agnes Brown’s on Thomas Street... something along the lines of a kingpin sitting down the back

18-10-2019 12:43am

Kiely's in donnybrook had to be shut down

BDI · 18-10-2019 12:54am

If the op gets a photo of himself in the priorswood when it’s busy I will give him a thanks on The boards thanks system.

tdf7187 · 18-10-2019 1:15am

BDI wrote: »

If the op gets a photo of himself in the priorswood when it’s busy I will give him a thanks on The boards thanks system.

That's very generous of you. I hope the OP obliges, it's the very least he could do.

tdf7187 · 18-10-2019 1:18am

Qrt wrote: »

I’ve heard bad things about Agnes Brown’s on Thomas Street... something along the lines of a kingpin sitting down the back

Bridie Mulligan from the Coombe? Her bark is worse then her bite.

yabadabado · 18-10-2019 1:19am

machaseh wrote: »

If I would take me mate on a Bad Pubs of Dublin tour, I'd choose the following ones. Mind you I have only been living here for 2 years, so my experience is a bit limited.

- Kiltipper Inn, Kiltipper Tallaght. It's actually not too bad of a pub I like it but there's some rough people with tracksuits there. Also being extremely far out of town makes it quite unique to visit, most dubliners would never come here if they werent from the area.
- Swiss Cottage has sadly closed but it was quite a rough pub.
- Lloyds on Amiens street near conolly station
- Molloy's Pub near conolly station
- Berkeley Inn on Berkeley Street (I even suffered discrimination there)
- Donaghmede Inn, better known locally as the Donaghmede Bin. It is truly the worst pub in Dublin I'd say. Absolutely no atmosphere, just a grey block of concrete in a suburban shopping mall. Fights or people tampering with the ATM are not uncommon.
- Dicey's, not really a pub but yeah...
- River Bar. I wouldnt even dare to enter.

Lloyd's is ok ,bit run down but not rough.
Molloys is full of cops and civil servants and I never seen any trouble in it .Was a regular there for a few years.Owner runs a good shop.

Diceys and the River Bar ,you must be just pulling the piss.Hard to think of many less intimidating places.

ibarelycare · 18-10-2019 7:37am

andekwarhola wrote: »

Jobstown House, Killinarden House and the Black Forge really aren't that bad at all. Most especially in the afternoon. You must be quite easily worried.

Clearys seemed a bit of a kip when I was last there alright

Good lord.:D It's just a bog standard suburban Dublin pub that serves food. If you relocated to any postcode in Dublin, it'd be virtually indistinguishable from most pubs there. Has anybody thanking these posts actually had a drink in any of these pubs?

I wasn’t worried in any of them three! Killinarden and Forge were grand. Forge is actually lovey inside. There was a man at the bar who was doing a pub crawl. On a Monday night. On his own. He’d started at the Kestral lol.

Jobstown Inn we went on a BH Monday night, stayed for a few drinks that time. There was a big football match (think it was the night Leicester officially one the league) and a great atmosphere but still very rough. Bar staff were very nice and professional.

Agree with you on the Kiltipper, it’s a pub grub type of place, families at weekends, groups of people watching sport during the week, birthday parties, etc. Nothing rough at all about it.

L1011 · 18-10-2019 8:00am

Qrt wrote: »

I’ve heard bad things about Agnes Brown’s on Thomas Street... something along the lines of a kingpin sitting down the back

Was in there early enough one weekend and they were playing clubland 3 or a similar era of overly bouncy Scouse house / remixed trance CD. Basically what teenagers would have played in their modified Japanese imports teh years earlier.

Didn't seem any rougher than many other D8 pubs though

Scoundrel · 18-10-2019 8:31am

The Capel Inn was dog rough as well think its shut now

L1011 · 18-10-2019 8:54am

Scoundrel wrote: »

The Capel Inn was dog rough as well think its shut now

Now a very fancy poitin bar called 1661

Fiftyfilthy · 18-10-2019 9:03am

Forum bar on Parnell street, blue lion and jds on Parkgate Street

Most pubs around the city centre are fine these days

Scoundrel · 18-10-2019 9:32am

L1011 wrote: »

Now a very fancy poitin bar called 1661

No way it used to be an absolute hole with some interesting characters in it to say the least its a pity in a way that these places are being replaced with fancy dan super expensive places.

Ronney · 18-10-2019 9:33am

Surprised the Hideout off NCR hasn't got a mention. Closed for a while but think its reopened now

shutup · 18-10-2019 9:51am

Deleted User wrote: »

The Oasis

Its on my Bucket list. Apparently zero chance of getting a seat without getting started on.

miamee · 18-10-2019 10:05am

shutup wrote: »

Its on my Bucket list. Apparently zero chance of getting a seat without getting started on.

My nanny and her sister had their own table in there (we're talking years back, 80s and 90s). They wouldn't go too often maybe once or twice a week on a good week so they weren't regular but as soon as they arrived if anyone was at 'their' table they'd be told to move sharpish by other patrons. Of course the nanny and sister wouldn't be above telling them to shift off their table either

yabadabado · 18-10-2019 10:41am

Ronney wrote: »

Surprised the Hideout off NCR hasn't got a mention. Closed for a while but think its reopened now

Spent a few hours in it last month.Seemed grand .

L1011 · 18-10-2019 10:53am

Wasn't a fan of the Hideout but it wouldn't have turned up on my roughest list. Should probably mention mine, bearing in mind that I've not been to some of the ones that are repeatedly mentioned yet. And this is based on what it was like when I visited; theres one in particular that was absolutely grand but I suspect is normally awful (Auld Triangle, coated in Republican murals and memorabilia inside and out)

In no particular order:

Marble Arch - they've got a fantastic physical quality pub here. Shame about the customers.
57 Talbot - all the refits in the world can't stop this being Mother Kellys.
Blind Ref - normally the roughest pub in an area is the cheapest. This isn't. Like drinking in a threatening shed.
Graingers Meath Street - another threatening shed of a pub

El Tarangu · 18-10-2019 11:17am

machaseh wrote: »

Lloyds has cheap Beamish on draft (then you already know what kind of pub it is).

My local pub, which is frequented by civil servants, retired Gardaí, and other pillars of middle-class respectability, also sells cheap Beamish on tap. If Beamish is your benchmark as to whether a pub is rough or not, you've lived a sheltered life.

Dublin Spur · 18-10-2019 11:27am

The Honey Pot (gone)
The Welcome Inn (gone)
The Blue Lion (gone)

rough as f**k

The Mulk · 18-10-2019 11:42am

Molly Heffernans in Tallaght or the Blue Banana in Clondalkin, were the maddest places I drank in, in my youth.
One place I pass regularly is the Long Island on Dorset Street, looks well dodgy but closed now I think.
I've never heard of anyone drinking in it.

Heart Break Kid · 18-10-2019 11:43am

One More Toy wrote: »

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

Marble Arch, swings from UFCs finest in there.

L1011 · 18-10-2019 11:49am

The Mulk wrote: »

One place I pass regularly is the Long Island on Dorset Street, looks well dodgy but closed now I think.
I've never heard of anyone drinking in it.

I was there a few months ago, it could have closed since. Inside and outside don't even vaguely match - its in decent nick inside and it seemed fine.

Outside is probably in the top two worst looking pubs in Dublin, vying with the Oasis!

SEPT 23 1989 · 18-10-2019 11:51am

The Mulk wrote: »

Molly Heffernans in Tallaght .

I was in there for a few Sunday mornings same crowd of seasoned drinkers each time

no messing though very friendly

tried to get a taxi home and was informed that the local firms wont send taxis up to the pub

yabadabado · 18-10-2019 11:53am

L1011 wrote: »

I was there a few months ago, it could have closed since. Inside and outside don't even vaguely match - its in decent nick inside and it seemed fine.

Outside is probably in the top two worst looking pubs in Dublin, vying with the Oasis!

Yeah inside and outside are worlds apart. Decent pub inside but its and awful looking kip from the outside.

The Mulk · 18-10-2019 11:58am

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I was in there for a few Sunday mornings same crowd of seasoned drinkers each time

no messing though very friendly

tried to get a taxi home and was informed that the local firms wont send taxis up to the pub

It's over 15 years since I was in it, was a mad place then, the off licence attached to it was full of cages to protect the drink. You had to ring a bell to get in.
Only had one or two there after training on the astro pitch beside the school.
Used to head to The Belgard or Cuckoos Nest afterwards.

beertons · 18-10-2019 12:01pm

^aka the flying stool.

Heard a great one from one of the barman who was doing a stint in the offie.

He saw some young scoby come up on a bike. He rang the bell to come in, was loitering around inside, waited till the guy was serving someone, grabbed a can of Harp and ran out the door. Barman lept over the counter, out the door and brought scoby's bike inside. Young lad was whingeing outside, but he didn't get it back. It was sold it to €30 to a lad in the bar before sometime.

Ishmael · 18-10-2019 12:06pm

Deleted User wrote: »

The Oasis

Yeah, there's two rough skobies in there always arguing with each other. They'll have a go at anyone who comments or tries to interfere. Brothers i hear.

Zulu · 18-10-2019 12:11pm

Surprised the Newtown house off the Malahide rd (darndale) hasn't gotten a mention....

What's the roughest pub in Dublin city?

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