Don't Miss Out On These Great Pubs in Dublin!
by James Taylor
I love being in old places that have a rich history and I also really love a good pub. So whenever I travel and have the opportunity to visit a first-class pub that also happens to be old I get to feeling like a kid on Christmas morning. If you’re thinking that I’m going to write about some old pubs that I’ve been fortunate enough to have dropped in on you’d be right. I’m happy to say that I’ve drank some very good pints in what is reputed to be the oldest pub in Ireland.
During a two and a half week trip to Ireland Susan and I visited a good number of pubs all over the Emerald Isle. Many of these pubs could be called old but the Brazen Head in Dublin was by far the oldest pub we visited and it is officially the oldest pub in Ireland dating back to 1198. It’s unclear as to how much of the original 11th century coach house is still intact but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is a very very old pub. While sitting at the bar in this pub my mind wandered, thinking about all the intrigue that must have taken place over the centuries right where I was sitting. I actually think that my Guinness tasted even better due to these provocative thoughts.
During a two and a half week trip to Ireland Susan and I visited a good number of pubs all over the Emerald Isle. Many of these pubs could be called old but the Brazen Head in Dublin was by far the oldest pub we visited and it is officially the oldest pub in Ireland dating back to 1198. It’s unclear as to how much of the original 11th century coach house is still intact but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is a very very old pub. While sitting at the bar in this pub my mind wandered, thinking about all the intrigue that must have taken place over the centuries right where I was sitting. I actually think that my Guinness tasted even better due to these provocative thoughts.
While in Dublin we visited a number of pubs but another one of our favorites was O’Donoghue’s which is near the Shelbourne Hotel where we stayed while visiting that great city. O’Donoghue’s character has a split-personality in that it’s a very pleasant pub to have a quite pint during the day and then at night it becomes a very lively crowded place with exceptional live traditional Irish music.
There are so many great pubs in Dublin but it is not my intention in this post, to talk about ALL of the ones I was fortunate enough to visit, but I must say something about the Gravity Bar. When people think about an Irish beer generally the first thing they think about is Guinness Stout and I don’t believe there is a finer place to partake in that dark brew than the Gravity Bar at the Guinness Brewery in Dublin. The bar is the top floor of a rather tall building which provides for spectacular views of the city. Susan thought that it was very nice of the brewery to give us each a pint of Guinness upon arrival at the bar. But then I had to remind her that we paid 15 pounds each to enter the Guinness complex which enabled us to reach the bar therefore these beers cost us about $22.00 each! Even so, we loved drinking Guinness with this amazing view!
These are just a few of the many great pubs in Dublin, but they were each memorable in their own way and in our opinion, shouldn't be missed!
These are just a few of the many great pubs in Dublin, but they were each memorable in their own way and in our opinion, shouldn't be missed!
If you love these pubs, be sure to check out our Temple Bar post also!