What's the roughest pub in Dublin city?

IRE60 · 18-10-2019 12:16pm

ShyMets wrote: »

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

Jesus, you must have lead a charmed life if you thought that was rough! Gone now, its partially fell down after a fire. Around the corner was the Glimmer Man - choice during the horse fair!

Actually, I had a beer once in a boozer near the markets locally known as 'El Paso' - I didnt (nor need to) ask why it got that nom de guerre!

thecretinhop · 18-10-2019 12:18pm

the lantern in galway is good craic.
remember collecting dad years ago, a line of prams lined up like planes on a runway outside..

btw it was Christmas eve

Oasis1974 · 18-10-2019 12:23pm

tdf7187 wrote: »

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.

Wasn't it open till 6/8am had some weird licence that gave it that length?

andekwarhola · 18-10-2019 12:27pm

Dublin Spur wrote: »

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

rough as f**k

The Welcome Inn was full of students, occasional locals and bohemian types. Half the pubs in this thread listed as rough really make me fear for some people's ability to cope with everyday life.

swervring · 18-10-2019 12:46pm

Had a few drinks in the Sunset House before concert in Croke Park & it was a bit rough but no trouble.

The Kiltipper Bar would have a few characters drinking in there but I wouldn't class it as rough.

The Furry Bog in Whitechurch has to be up there.

adgib · 18-10-2019 12:49pm

Baron John's was rough, went in for a Sunday afternoon pint once,put money on the pool table, guy who was playing had a cue cracked over his head shortly after, didn't hang around

Hotblack Desiato · 18-10-2019 1:22pm

thecretinhop wrote: »

the lantern in galway

Have a look at the thread title (and forum name) there, good lad.

Stacksey · 18-10-2019 1:39pm

ShyMets wrote: »

Does anyone remember the The Fleet on Fleet St, now part of Dolyes. Its gone about ten years. But my God, you got some class of character in that place.

They let me in there when I was 16 with an Xtra-Vision Card

yabadabado · 18-10-2019 1:39pm

andekwarhola wrote: »

The Welcome Inn was full of students, occasional locals and bohemian types. Half the pubs in this thread listed as rough really make me fear for some people's ability to cope with everyday life.

The owner was a bit odd as well but it wasnt a rough house.

fryup · 18-10-2019 2:30pm

fryup wrote: »

is that provo pub widow scannels still open?

Muahahaha wrote: »

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.

ah very nice, cead mile failte how are you

Anus Von Skidmark · 18-10-2019 2:44pm

swervring wrote: »

Had a few drinks in the Sunset House before concert in Croke Park & it was a bit rough but no trouble.

Am I way off the mark, or was(is?) Gerry Hutch a part owner of that place?

heffo500 · 18-10-2019 3:02pm

Ned Scanlon's on Townsend St was fairly rough spot, knocked down in the past few months.

SligoSean · 18-10-2019 3:02pm

L1011 wrote: »

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

57 Talbot...that used to be Mother Kelly's?
I live in Oxford and only pass through Dublin occasionally on my way to Sligo. I watch Oxford United sometimes and after reading a post from the landlord of Mother Kelly's (who claimed he was an Oxford supporter) on a forum, decided to pass my usual watering hole (Ryan's) looking for a few scoops while waiting on the bus and head to Mother Kelly's. You know when as soon as you walk into a pub and wish you hadn't? The landlord seemed to be long gone and there were no United (Oxford, not the other one) photos on the walls as he'd bragged. I swigged the pint in one, used the jacks and ****ed myself right out of there back to Ryan's! Nobody made me feel particularly unwelcome, I could just sense trouble in the air and this was at about 2:00pm on a weekday afternoon!
Seems to be called Molloy's on google earth?

BDI · 18-10-2019 3:11pm

One time a fella in the proiorswood pub was thrown out for fighting. He then had a fight in the car park. He couldn’t get back in after it so he went home and got his van and drove up to the doors and reversed right up to the now locked doors and tried to carbon monoxide everyone in the pub. His plan had obvious holes in it but that’s kind of what you are dealing with.

fryup · 18-10-2019 3:22pm

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

like something out of a Roddy Doyle book

L1011 · 18-10-2019 3:25pm

SligoSean wrote: »

57 Talbot...that used to be Mother Kelly's?
I live in Oxford and only pass through Dublin occasionally on my way to Sligo. I watch Oxford United sometimes and after reading a post from the landlord of Mother Kelly's (who claimed he was an Oxford supporter) on a forum, decided to pass my usual watering hole (Ryan's) looking for a few scoops while waiting on the bus and head to Mother Kelly's. You know when as soon as you walk into a pub and wish you hadn't? The landlord seemed to be long gone and there were no United (Oxford, not the other one) photos on the walls as he'd bragged. I swigged the pint in one, used the jacks and ****ed myself right out of there back to Ryan's! Nobody made me feel particularly unwelcome, I could just sense trouble in the air and this was at about 2:00pm on a weekday afternoon!
Seems to be called Molloy's on google earth?

Molloys is the other end of the block and is a totally different pub

Mother Kellys used to usually have an inch of piss on the floor of the toilets; that might settle which it was!

Skelet0n · 18-10-2019 3:39pm

I’ve never been in, but Stoney Bar on Hill Street looked rough as hell from the outside. I believe it’s now called “Hill Street Sports Bar”, still looks just as rough.

L1011 · 18-10-2019 3:52pm

Skelet0n wrote: »

I’ve never been in, but Stoney Bar on Hill Street looked rough as hell from the outside. I believe it’s now called “Hill Street Sports Bar”, still looks just as rough.

Its now apartments

Skelet0n · 18-10-2019 3:56pm

L1011 wrote: »

Its now apartments

Ah no! I’ve been building up the courage for the last decade to go in. I’ll never get to experience the Stoney hospitality.

BillyBird · 18-10-2019 4:05pm

L1011 wrote: »

that was absolutely grand but I suspect is normally awful (Auld Triangle, coated in Republican murals and memorabilia inside and out)

I was in there a few times around All Ireland matches. Different crowd, mostly fine.

Wandered in one night on the way home after a few in town. Not there 10 minutes when some lad walked in with a knife and started a fight with a bunch sitting down. Bottles, glasses and chairs flying. Annoying because they were serving after hours and now they had to call the Gardaí so no more beer

That aside I didn't get a bad vibe off the place. Just seems like a place with cheap beer.

spurious · 18-10-2019 4:22pm

swervring wrote: »

Had a few drinks in the Sunset House before concert in Croke Park & it was a bit rough but no trouble.

Anus Von Skidmark wrote: »

Am I way off the mark, or was(is?) Gerry Hutch a part owner of that place?

I believe he was alleged to be a part owner of a place further towards town called (I think) The Castle. Hardly ever opened.

Cusack's and Annesley House on North Strand both fine local pubs, though Cusack's gets a lot of spillover from the non-locals attending Da Mimmo.

What used to be the Strand House at the Five Lamps was a grand place, but changed hands to owners who didn't give a **** what went on in the place and it ended up a right kip - mysterious 'fire' and all. It looks from the outside as if it is some sort of student bar now, but I've never seen it open.

Agree about Cleary's near Connolly. Grand spot.

Sebastian Dangerfield · 18-10-2019 4:42pm

I did see someone stabbed outside the Millennium Inn by Museum luas stop, but I think it was junkies in the vicinity rather than customers.

Odd shop though, landlord was an ex priest who was good craic but all sorts drank in there. I went in to watch the hurling one day, bad from the night before. Wasnt long sat down and a woman hands me a sandwich and a napkin. I was starving so took a lump out of it. When I looked around I realised she was a customer, looked mad as fcuk, pulling cheese sandwiches out of her coat pocket and wrapping them in bog roll I assume came from the jacks. Bits of tobacco stuck to them and all sorts, rotten

tricky D · 18-10-2019 5:24pm

The pub that used to be at the NE corner of Cumberland St Nth, opposite the dole was fun and had those tiny windows at head height was some hole.

Another one was at the junction of Grenville St and Hill St.

We used to hang around in the Phoenix on Dominick St Upper which had a regular ambulance call about every second sunday for the all-day-sunday drinking ladies who would get seriously viscious after 9pm. We had the upstairs with a great pool table and got a few visitors some who ended up shot. We also attempted to play in the Superleague pool competition which brought us to all sorts of salubrious places. Never had any trouble but I still would not tap a pool cue against the table in the what is now (is still?) the Irishtown House.

Tony Burkes, later Stoneys, wasn't rough when I drank there over 2 decades. Biggest trouble in that pub was when the wife caught the owner with the au pair and took him for half the pub.

Carpentry · 18-10-2019 5:28pm

Has anyone mentioned Mullet's Bar on Amiens Street ?

L1011 · 18-10-2019 5:51pm

spurious wrote: »

What used to be the Strand House at the Five Lamps was a grand place, but changed hands to owners who didn't give a **** what went on in the place and it ended up a right kip - mysterious 'fire' and all. It looks from the outside as if it is some sort of student bar now, but I've never seen it open.
.

Operator went under a few months ago and it's back up for rent again

Theres a recurring trend of people nominating pubs that are long long closed, the Millennium is the latest there. Most really rough pubs have gone it seems.

Yer Da sells Avon · 18-10-2019 6:12pm

Ned Led Zeppo wrote: »

The Noggin Inn in Sallynoggin,wear a suit of armour.

It's not great, but it's hardly 'Deerhunter' levels of rough. Now that was a kip.

beertons · 18-10-2019 6:13pm

What about The Furry Bog?

corner of hells · 18-10-2019 6:22pm

Sebastian Dangerfield wrote: »

I did see someone stabbed outside the Millennium Inn by Museum luas stop, but I think it was junkies in the vicinity rather than customers.

Odd shop though, landlord was an ex priest who was good craic but all sorts drank in there. I went in to watch the hurling one day, bad from the night before. Wasnt long sat down and a woman hands me a sandwich and a napkin. I was starving so took a lump out of it. When I looked around I realised she was a customer, looked mad as fcuk, pulling cheese sandwiches out of her coat pocket and wrapping them in bog roll I assume came from the jacks. Bits of tobacco stuck to them and all sorts, rotten

Was that originally Nangles or Nagles ? I went school with a bloke who said his father owned that pub, the fcuker was off his head.

I worked in the museum when it was originally a barracks , a lot of those pubs were wild enough back then.
Nowadays they're a lot quieter, Chancery can be a bit the wall and theres another early house in around Smithfield, Brunswick that has bouncers on the door in the early morning. I know some locals who never get into it.

I drank a lot in around Finglas and South Inner city and theres pubs I would never go near in those areas.

AVFC.Stephen · 18-10-2019 6:24pm

Yer Da sells Avon wrote: »

It's not great, but it's hardly 'Deerhunter' levels of rough. Now that was a kip.

Deerhunter was a great bar... I remember in the 80s my father would go in there and let us play on the snooker tables... later in life I use to drink in the bar and probably some of the best pool players around at the time (1997). Nobody was really nasty in the place compare to lots in the area (ballybrack to dun laoghaire) I never saw a fight in there and I drank in it every friday in my late teens..

I wouldn't of brought my gf at the time to it. Then it was rock riellys

whomitconcerns · 18-10-2019 6:26pm

I went into the widow scallons on parse Street years ago for a point, I loved nearby. But I brought an English mate of mine on with me. We were advised to leave.....

But a favourite of mine when I was 18 was the Daniel o'connel at o'connel bridge. Little did I know what choice patronage that had!!!

smelly sock · 18-10-2019 6:32pm

Finnegans in Dalkey is fairly rough.

StolenKrone · 18-10-2019 6:34pm

The Sunset house

AVFC.Stephen · 18-10-2019 6:36pm

Knew a few lads that drank in a bar in dun laoghaire... close to York road.. 2 lads on a pool table started arguing over a bet (maybe 1 punt bet per game) . It ended up with a guys ear been bitten off and spat out onto the table.

A mate went in a week after and asked why did they change the cloth on the table to red instead of green.

The owner said do you realise how much a cloth costs? This way if it happens again I won't have to change it

AVFC.Stephen · 18-10-2019 6:37pm

smelly sock wrote: »

Finnegans in Dalkey is fairly rough.

Dirty kip. Needs a good clear out

Spanish Eyes · 18-10-2019 6:39pm

smelly sock wrote: »

Finnegans in Dalkey is fairly rough.

Indeed it is, the clientele travels on the DART to annoy the natives. Nothing they can do about it really. And as a frequent visitor to this establishment, I can tell you that the price of lunch there would not put anyone off.

Joking aside, last time I was there it was Literary week or something like that, and a guy in an Australian hat with corks around the edges pulled up outside and was hand delivered a bottle of something. Well he was driving some kind of vintage MG. But it was hilarious.

Lots of ordinary Joes and Josephines live around there too. Salt of the earth.

Muahahaha · 18-10-2019 6:53pm

Was only in it a couple of times but Barcode in Clontarf started off very successful with every 20 something year old on the northside congregating there but over the course of time it became a place where gangs from the various suburbs would have their mass brawls. In the end it got so bad they were refused a license and it was forced to close. Think the Gardai were sick of the nightly calls to it.

Collie D · 18-10-2019 6:59pm

Barcode was grim. Dodgy punters, nasty pints from a McDonald’s type “tap” ie push a button to select drink and all came from the same nozzle, dickhead bouncers. The novelty of the place soon wore off and I’d say somewhere that size would have gone out of business anyway.

padd b1975 · 18-10-2019 7:21pm

Zulu wrote: »

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

I was just going to mention it.

It doesn't have any windows, instead it has windows painted on to the walls!

IRE60 · 18-10-2019 7:31pm

Skelet0n wrote: »

I’ve never been in, but Stoney Bar on Hill Street looked rough as hell from the outside. I believe it’s now called “Hill Street Sports Bar”, still looks just as rough.

Stoneys had many incarnations! At one point used as an after show spot by the 'luvvues' working the Gate Theatre. Then stoney leased it and it hit the skids. I frequented it after many Dublin games and liked the place - with a weather eye on the door! (I tried a J Cash number there one night during a karaoke session).
Of late the shut hit the fan. A family member of the Hutches lived a spit away and was shot outside his home - and, I'm told, the KOCG bought the lease as the ultimate fcuk you as a few hutch family members would drop in now and then - locals decided enough and stopped drinking there.

redarmyblues · 18-10-2019 7:34pm

Collie D wrote: »

Some fairly tame suggestions. Molloy’s for example - I’d imagine it gets its share of odd characters with it being an early house but half of Store Street Garda Station used to drink there when I was working local - not sure if they’ve found a new pub since then.

Dicey’s and the River Bar wouldn’t be rough either - **** “pubs” and serving overpriced drinks in the case of the latter but certainly not full of scrotes.

Molloys is fine always has been, few smelly feckers is all.

Collie D · 18-10-2019 7:36pm

wobert wrote: »

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.

One I keep meaning to check out. It was up for sale very recently so may or may not be a pub for much longer.

redarmyblues · 18-10-2019 7:37pm

StolenKrone wrote: »

The Sunset house

Closed and opened under new management, called the Little Tree and being ran by a veteran of the pub scene.

redarmyblues · 18-10-2019 7:38pm

Collie D wrote: »

One I keep meaning to check out. It was up for sale very recently so may or may not be a pub for much longer.

SH1t if it's up for sale, gem of a pub, particular about who they serve.

Collie D · 18-10-2019 7:39pm

redarmyblues wrote: »

Closed and opened under new management, called the Little Tree and being ran by a veteran of the pub scene.

Passed by it on day of All Ireland replay a few weeks ago. Looks like a trendy wine bar/coffee shop/deli now. Wasn’t even sure if it was still a pub or not.

BDI · 18-10-2019 7:41pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

Was only in it a couple of times but Barcode in Clontarf started off very successful with every 20 something year old on the northside congregating there but over the course of time it became a place where gangs from the various suburbs would have their mass brawls. In the end it got so bad they were refused a license and it was forced to close. Think the Gardai were sick of the nightly calls to it.

As far as I remember it never had a license. It took all them years for anybody to realise. Was in the papers at the time.

redarmyblues · 18-10-2019 7:42pm

Collie D wrote: »

Passed by it on day of All Ireland replay a few weeks ago. Looks like a trendy wine bar/coffee shop/deli now. Wasn’t even sure if it was still a pub or not.

It's a pub alright, has a license.

Collie D · 18-10-2019 7:50pm

redarmyblues wrote: »

SH1t if it's up for sale, gem of a pub, particular about who they serve.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.ie/business/commercial-property/pub-with-historic-and-film-links-on-market-for-2-75m-38185705.html

Can’t see a date on that article but somebody sent me the auctioneer’s ad a month or two ago.

Some nice little bits of trivia in the piece for anyone into their Dublin pub history.

EDIT: Article does seem to imply that the current retail venues (pub, locksmith and barbers) will continue to operate but just paying rent to new landlord and that the building has a preservation order.

redarmyblues · 18-10-2019 7:53pm

Mother Kelly's (was it) on Amiens St/Store St corner was a ripe spot, buggy's all over at 8 bells in the morning and the owners haggling over there price of take outs, the way people used to do at kicking out in certain clubs. I used to meet an ahem associate there early doors, the regulars would sometimes address me as Officer ( I wasn't undercover but looked the part). I get drinking with two lads one morning and nothing would convince them U wasn't until it turned out on his arrival we were waiting for the same man, good times.

It's a brew pub now, dear too.

redarmyblues · 18-10-2019 7:54pm

Collie D wrote: »

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.ie/business/commercial-property/pub-with-historic-and-film-links-on-market-for-2-75m-38185705.html

Can’t see a date on that article but somebody sent me the auctioneer’s ad a month or two ago.

Some nice little bits of trivia in the piece for anyone into their Dublin pub history.

It was Michael Collins local I think they used to claim. Just read the piece there didn't see it. Surprised that Dessie Hanlon it's selling, served his time in the Shelburne AFAIR. Prolly too rough for him so moved up there for peace.

retalivity · 18-10-2019 7:58pm

padd b1975 wrote: »

I was just going to mention it.

It doesn't have any windows, instead it has windows painted on to the walls!

The sign outside makes me laugh though

What's the roughest pub in Dublin city?

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