1 "When money's tight and hard to get
And your horse has also ran,
When all you have is a heap of debt
A pint of plain is your only man"
Dublin pubs can go through many transformations during a day. No bigger transformation occurs than in the evening (after about 9:30pm) when it seems everyone and their aunt come out to drink, socialize and enjoy the craic. This is Dublin at its noisiest, most boisterous, and rambunctious. A completely different atmosphere is found in the slow hours of the afternoon; the people are different, the talk is different and you have time to contemplate the marvelous beauty of the pub interiors.
The following is my list of pubs with the emphasis on good afternoon haunts. The frequencies of visits are dated from 1990.
A Classic Dublin Pub Interior but you may be interested in some other sites also:
my favorite drink when fresh and poured right
Anglesea, 6 Anglesea St.
Hotel bar. No.
Auld Dubliner, 17 Anglesea St.
Used to be a great place but they botched the various
renovations. Not intimate but OK if you have a group of people
--- can be very noisy. The old style bar is OK.
The Baggot Inn, Lower Baggot St., Dublin 2
Nothing special.
The Bachelor Inn, 31 Bachelor's Walk, Dublin 1
Changed owners recently. Surprisingly long bar with simple decor.
Corner bar but windows are unspectacular. [Bass]
Barge, 42 Charlemont St.
Sometimes you can sit outside and watch the canal!?
Beggar's Bush, Haddington Road, Dublin 4.
OK.
Bellamy's Lounge, 13 Ballsbridge Terrace.
OK
Bleeding Horse, 24 Upper Camden St.
An odd pub --- the renovation was supposed to restore it but I
don't know. OK.
Black Lion, Inchicore.
OK, if you are up that way.
The lounge area went through a
serious renovation in 1997.
1
Bowes, Fleet St.
A great old style pub, high embossed ceiling, mahogany panels,
the way it used to be. The copper table tops is a nice touch and
the lighting and mirrors are just right. A must-see pub, but
unfortunately, lately it is catering to a younger set that
extends down into the afternoon. Sometimes the TV is too loud,
but it does have a clock that goes backward.
In 1998 seems something has changed about the bar but not
sure what. In '99 there is no clock.
Visually appealling but more and more disappointing,
lights are too
bright.[92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99]
Brazen Head, Church St ?
Dublin's oldest pub ca. late 12th century.
Dingy with lots of little spaces.
The tourists just wandering in and out (and not
stopping for a pint !) is very annoying.
Sometimes gives a bad pint.
Brogan's, Dame St.
Without doubt, the theme is Guinness,
and on every wall ! Otherwise easy enough.
Has a variety of knuckle type glasses.
Bruxelle's, Harry St.,
[off Grafton St].
Well designed but on a sunny day has taken it to a limit with
more outside than in.
Busker's, Temple Bar.
No.
Davy Byrne's, Duke St.
Light and airy, comfortable easy place. Behind the bar is boring
--- it must have been gutted years ago. Hand painted wooden
ceiling. [Beamish, Caffrey's, sandwiches]
Danny Byrne's's, William St. S.
[across from Peter's Pub]
Small, comfortable easy place.
Cassidy's, Camden St.
[across from the Bleeding Horse] Quite place, nice inside --- the
place where Clinton had a pint (?half).
Still retains some of its old charming feel,
very comfortable in the afternoon.
Castle Inn, Lord Edward St.
[across from the Lord Edward and Burdock's chipper]. Quiet place,
nice inside, the sausages and chips are good to snack on.
Castle Lounge, Grogan's, Castle Market.
[across from Powerscourt center]. Place
for artists and writers (at least wannabees).
Physically somewhat dingy but samples of art for sale
on the walls.
Certainly a place for conversation.
The Chancery Inn
[Corner of Inns Quay and Charles St. West]:
Quite place, nice inside. Has what is best described as tudor
style inside. [Beamish]
The Clock, Thomas St.
Not a bad place if you've rambling around Thomas street and the
area. Decor a bit bright.
Patrick Conway, Parnell St.
[across from the Rotunda]
Corner pub with big windows with stained panels, Mahogany horse
shoe bar, lots of wood, catch the old clock. Established about
1745 so is probably one of the city's oldest. Excellent Colm
Meany drinking scene from The Snapper shot here. [Beamish,
evening meals] 
The Crane, Crane Lane, Dublin 2.
OK.
Copper Still, 152 Church St.
OK.
The Croppy Acre,
[near Queen St]. New pub done in old style. Comfortable wooden
floor. Tasteful -- considering it is new.
Dame Tavern, Dame Court.
[across from Stag's Head]
Nice little corner pub.
The Davenport Hotel, Merrion Sq.
Comfy couches, very small bar, slightly upscale but good if you
have to meet someone posh. Lots of good pictures of
(bad?) politicians on the walls. But not a pub so can be
skipped.
Dawson Lounge, 25 Dawson St.
Too small and dingy (actually its claim to fame) for the
afternoon.
Delaney, ?? Talagh.
An old pub done in a tasteful style. OK if you are out that way. 
1
Doyle's, 9 College St.
OK if you are waiting on the bus.
Dohenny And Nesbitt's, Lower Baggot St., Dublin 2
A great pub with decent sandwiches. Old, seems like it has never
been renovated. Wooden ceiling, old wood counter with partitions.
Lots of Knickknacks. Can get full very fast. [Watneys, Beamish,
Bass]
Lord Edward, Werburg St.
[across from Christchurch].
Old victorian pub, has hints of what it used to be,
but it seems to be missing lots;
was it gutted ?
Don't be confused by the outside it is actually open.
[99]
Flannerys, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Not really.
Fitsimmons's, Temple Bar.
No. Generally very load even in the afternoon. TV on but cannot
hear it. Physically OK. They ruin any possibility of a good
afternoon drink with banging of glasses and the usual
useless fine stuff. They have afternoon tea but skip it.
The Fleet, 1 Fleet St.
After a period as a lounge with dirty carpets, it has reverted
back to its old form. It now has wooden floors, partitioned wall
benches and bar counter. The present renovation is pretty good.
[Closed in 1998].
Open again early '99 as Doyle's Next Door.
Benches are gone,
seems still in transition and lacking somrthing central.
Foggy Dew, Fowne's St.
So so.
Front Lounge/ Back Lounge, Parliment St.
Modern lifeless pub, more appropriate to austere gallery white
walls !! Maybe should be a resturant.
Out on the Liffey nee Four Courts Inn, Ormond Quay Upr.
Nice relaxing atmosphere inside. Good wood work. Comfortable,
cushioned benches. Old knick knacks --- check out the books in
the case. Surprisingly spacious with lots of private places.
Four Seasons Inn, 199 King St. North.
[Near Bolton Street DIT (Dublin Institute of Technology)]. Long
side pub with very small bar. Has potential but currently is
painted gaudy blue, yellow and green, with some black thrown in!!
Ginger Man, 39 Fenien St.
[across from davenport hotel]. Smallish old pub, got some character.
See the half clock. [99]
The Hairy Lemon, Sth. William St., Dublin 2
No.
G.F. Handel, Lower Capel St.,
Brilliant high ornate ceilings, great wood work around the
fireplace. Has lots of knick knacks including a copper
and brass gramophone, and a very unique snug
(alas not in '98). The tables are old dining room
tables. Changed to Jack Nealon in '99,
changes are slight but results are great.
[96,97,98,99]
Goldsmith's, Dame St.
Hotel bar, lovely stair cases, bar upstairs, excellent woodwork,
feels classy.
[98].
Hanlons, Hanlon's Corner, N. Circular Rd.
Good.
The Harp Bar, O'Connell Bridge, Dublin 2
OK in a pinch especially if you have to meet someone.
In '99 under serious reconstruction,
same co. as Messrs McGuire, so connected at least underground.
This is not going to ber the harp of old.
[84,88,92,94,97,98,99]
Halfpenny Inn, Aston Quay, Dublin 2
[across from Halfpenny Bridge]
Old corner pub with high ceilings but little windows. Bar is
ordinary. Traffic is very noisy outside.
Hole in the Wall, Phoenix Park ??
A very curious place, it is like a very long cottage that has
been added onto many times. It is worth dropping by.
The International, Andrew Lane?
[across from the The Old Stand]. A small pub with excellent
woodwork bar -- perhaps the best in Dublin -- high ceiling.
Woodwork is very complex with various figures as part of the
elaboration.
Old bartenders are a bit odd. 
Isolde's Tower, Essex Gate.
[off Parliament St.].
Made to look old.
Long, good for a hotel bar.
[98]
John Gleeson & Son, 31 Wexford St.
OK.
Keating's, 1 Mary St.
[corner of Jervis St. and Mary St.]. A lovely little pub, great
if you have been walking around the northside shopping.
Kennedy's, 32 Westland Row.
I liked it much better when it was Kenney's, but OK. Decor is
very unimaginative but has a nice panoramic print of Dublin circa
1830, alas seems to be gone in '99.
Many people from Trinity and the dental hospital drink
here. In '99 became Fitsimmons].
[Beamish, Bass, sandwiches] [92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99]
Keogh's, St. Annes St.
[off Grafton St.].
Old woodwork,
great wooden bar,
still has old snug.
One of the few remaining bars that has genuine
old stuff.
Check out the cash register.
[92,94,96,98,99]
King's Inn, Bolton St.
[bottom of Henrietta St]. Small comfy pub with wooden floors.
Lots of wood but it is stained pine. [Soup, sanwiches]
The Lincoln, Lincoln Place
Tudor style outside and sort of inside. No to the decor but it is
possible to have a quite drink in early afternoon. Frequented by
Trinity people.
Long Hall, 51 South George St.
One of the all-time great Dublin pubs, it is a must see. The high
windows, knick knacks, muskets, big chandeliers and mirrors make
this a pub for any time. The copper kegs are a reminder of when
it bottled its own. The old gas lamps and clock at the end of the
bar are great. [sandwiches]
[92,...,99]
Long Stone, Hawkin's St.
A very strange pub indeed, the front is old shop style but the
back has big rocks in sort of druid ? style. The wrought iron is
good but the overstained pine looks cheap. One of those new pubs
that has the decor right but the bartenders and waitresses are at
odds with it. 3 bars, lovely copper sinks. Skip it unless you
are on your way somewhere.
[95,99]
Mahaffy's, 44 Pearse St.
OK.
Major Tom's, Stephen's Green Shopping Center.
No.
McDaids, 3 Harry St. (off Grafton St.)
[across from Bruxelle's]. Expensive but airy.
Millennium, Parkgate St.
[across from Houston Station]
No.
1 Mont Clare Hotel, Merrion Sq.
[across from the Davenport]. I hate to admit it, but this is
actually a nice hotel bar. Tasteful decor, wooden ceilings,
stained glass entrance, lots of nooks and crannies including a
library room. But alas not since 1999.
New furniture makes it just like a hotel lobby.
Could be skipped. [92,96,99]
Mooney's, Earl St. ?
This place seems to have been purposely designed for the afternoon, its OK.
Mulligans Poolbeg St., Dublin 2
This is one of those pubs that is great on a slow afternoon, you
can sit reading the newspaper and daydream and float back to how
it was many years ago -- dark and dingy.
The bartenders are very boorish (unless you are a very regular) but the
place still seems to survive.
Murphy's Sarsfield Rd., Inchicore
[around corner from Blacklion, still referred to as Cleary's].
This has been a local for generation but its recent renovation
destroyed the genuine wood bar replacing everything with lightly
stained pine. It's a shame; it had a neat snug that should have
been utilized. The bigger shame is the total destruction of the
stone `stables' out back to make way for a carpark that is never
open.
1999 has new owners,
we'll see what happens.
[always]
The Norseman, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
[across from the Auld Dub]. Another great one with the old wooden
floors and remnants of gas lamps. The stained glass window gives
a nice feel. Alas in '96 this is succumbing to a remodelling effort.
Neary's, Chatham St.(off Grafton St.), Dublin 2
Pleasant enough, has that sort of dowdy hotel feel about it.
Catch the great lamps at the entrance.
The Oak, Dame St., Dublin 2
A stool by the window can be interesting, just watching all the
people coming and going on Dame street. It is attached to Thomas
Reads. Great ceiling and woodwork. Lovely mosaic tile floor. This
is a must see pub.
Odeon, Harcourt St.
[the old railway station].
New in '98, a must see pub.
Perhaps the longest bar in all Dublin.
Just brilliant, lovely high ceilings, very stylish,
expensive,
wooden ceilings, green marble bar counter.
A very understated approach but reeks of class.
In 1999 they removed the bar stools --- a pub without bar stools.
Something is very wrong. [98,99]
O'Donoghue's, 15 Merrion Row.
Flag stones and sawdust, a bit too dark for the afternoon.
In '99 someone needs to dust off the bottles --- seems things are
slipping.
The Old Stand, St. Andrew's Lane.
[across from the International].
A very pleasant place to have an afternoon drink. The food fare is
also good. A lovely black dresser acts
as the bar.
Oliver St. John Gogarty Fleet St., Dublin 2
A bit too touristy, but the open windows are nice on a warm day.
O'Neills, Pearse St., Dublin 2
Yes, this place has a great classical victorian feel to it with
high ceilings and high big windows. The renovation a few years
back was very tasteful. Excellent oil painting at end of bar
complements the woodwork behind the bar. Nooks and crannies with
different memorabilia --- a great look and
feel.[92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99] 
O'Neill, 2 Suffolk St.
This spacious pub is OK but parts of it are too dark. Currently
under renovation.
New part is brilliant,
high ceiling, tall bar (is it new or not ?),
real skylights,
large chandelier ---
It is very different from the rest of the pub.
New part is much brighter,
it is so tall that it has a loft area.
Old Pine Tree, Ruby Finnegans, The Ranch, Lower Ballyfermot.
[back to its old name, was recently Larry O'Shea]
This pub has potential but a series of mismanagements has driven
it into the ground.
Complete remodel, interesting knickknacks,
tree trunks as pillars in the lounge. Foot rest is scrapper.
[pub grub][92.....99]
1 Oval, 78 Abbey St.
Old place, still has lots of character.
Excellent woodwork behinf bar.
On three split levels,
lovely front windows, interesting statues
of black jazz musicians,
the tallest i've seen and includes a female singer.
[98,99]
O'Sheas Merchant, Across from Brazen Head.
OK, regularly has iridh music.
O'brien's, Dame St.
New pub made to look like old. Has too much paneling -- floor walls
ceilings! Very loud because of wood.
Papa Joe's, [O'Looney's], High Street.
[beside St. Audeon's church]
A new pub done in old style (sort of), on three levels, and calls
itself a piano bar. Nice parlor area on first entering, it is
comfortable enough. Has old newspapers acting as a wall paper
(some with crossword puzzles!) and lots and lots of pictures of
all type. This is possibly overdone.
Portobello, Portobello Bridge.
OK.
The Palace, Fleet St., Dublin 2.
[just off Westmoreland St.]. A classic must-see pub, long and tall with
old wood. Perfect front twin door entrance, excellent mahogany
behind the bar, good collection of stoneware bottles.
If you are lucky to get into the snug,
there is an excellent set of photos, see them.
[guest beers]
1 Peter's Pub, South William St., Dublin 2
[across from old Mercers hospital and Break for the Border].
A fairly nondescript quiet pub except that one of the Power's
drawings on the wall is of the bar and of Enda behind it.
Interesting
collection of glasses above the bar. [coffee and sandwiches]
Piseog's, Cambden Court Hotel.
[around from the Bleedin Horse].
Celtic kitch ?
The theme is celtic mythology fone in a circular fashion.
The copper bar is neat,
look down and it is a cauldron !
There is the `green' room that is like being in the woods.
The slate pillars are real, the big earthenware jug is good,
but i don't know ...
different rooms
have different myth themes, the murals are actually quite
good.
Porterhouse, Parliment St.
Dublins first brewpub. Multi-levelled with an excellent
collection of bottles on the walls.
Good stouts and OK ales, lately serving guest beers but
never Guinness.
Great collection of import bottled beers.
Some times great guest beers: 99 Siera Nevada Pale Ale is
delicious.
[food][96,97,98,99]
Pravda, Liffey St.
New pub in '98.
Has Russian communist/proletariat theme.
After narrow entrance, the bar opens
into multi-levels
a the bow of the battleship ptempkin.
Not a place to get a good pint.
Old boiler room feel to it.
A bit too hip-hop for the afternoon --- too noisy.
Quay's Bar, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
A new pub but grabbed some nifty old stuff from god knows where.
The panelling is brilliant, it makes the place seem like
its been here for ever.
A great example of making a pub seem old from day one.
Thomas Read's Dame St./Parliament St., Dublin 2
A new pub on the corner done in the `tall' style. It is nice and
airy,
a cross between a bar and a resturant.
Perhaps a bit too steely.
The Regal Inn [Chaplins], 2 Hawkins St.
OK. Interesting old bus schedules. This pub has odd angles and
its literal centerpiece are the toilets. Gets crowded very
quickly.
A rarity in Dublin a pretty good 'country' pub,
a meeting place for irish not from Dublin.
People come to talk and drink,
obviously cliquish but ....
[note to self, no need to come again].
They serve only cold flow Guinness.
Rumpoles, 18 Parliament St.
Small but not very interesting. [Not there anymore].
Ryan's, Wexford St.
The remodeling makes this very comfortable inside.
Ryan's, Parkgate St.
A classic victorian pub with high ceilings, horse-shoe bar, lots
of mahogany wood, and those small mirrored counter partitions.
Brass rail foot rest. Superb wood behind the bar --- a must-see
pub. and it has a real snug ! [92,95,96,97,98,99]
Regans, Tara St., Dublin 2.
OK.
Frank Ryans, Queen St., Dublin.
OK.
Quill, 1 Arran Quay.
Quite, OK.
Sackville Lounge, Sackville Place.
[off O'Connell St.]
OK.
Slattery's, Capel St.
[near Mary St.].
Could be a great pub because it has all the genuine
characteristics. Unfortunately, it has the penchant for playing
blaring music which is difficult to stomach in the afternoon. But
if you get past that, the decor is pretty good --- the ratty wall
benches add to the ambiance. Parenthetically, upstairs is the
place for traditional music.
Slatterys, Grand Canal St., Dublin 4
Nice pub.
The Stag's Head Dame Lane, Dublin 2
[off George's St.]
Brilliant must-see pub, excellent woodwork, high ceilings, complete wood
panelling on walls and ceilings. Patterned windows.
Excellent exterior also.
Appeared in 'A Man of No Importance',
and the Guinness add about twins.
[pub grub until evening, guest beers]
Sackville Lounge, Sackville Place (off O'Connell St.)
OK.
Toners Lower Baggot St., Dublin 2
This pub gives you lots of knick knacks and stuff to look at. A
Beautiful preserved interior contributes much to the lively
atmosphere of this watering hole. This is a must-see pub.
Turk's Head Essex Gate, Parliment St., Dublin 2
[across from Porterhouse]
Weird swirling mosaic stuff coming from ceiling with faces
sticking out.
New style of long side windows. Good paintings.
If you get past the curvy columns it has a certain appeal, but
it may get boring very quickly.
This place has take mosaics to its ugly limit.
[food]
Vicar St., Thomas St.
Modern, very high ceiling, excellent tapestry.
Cold, not cosy,
staff not attentive, surly.
The fake marble counter top has fake beer stains -- a great
mistake.
hard to find on draft in
Dublin
Angler's Rest, Knockmaroon, Chapelizod.
Great on a sunny day when you can sit outside and can enjoy the
Liffey. Inside could be quite id staff learned not to throw empty
bottles into trash bucket -- such ignorance.
Blue Light, Glencullen, Dublin ?
Great view of Dublin Bay from outside.
Johnny Fox's, Glencullen, Dublin ?
This pub goes overboard in being touristy, but is somewhat
interesting.
Poitin Still, Rathcoole?
Massive thatched roof cottage? with many small drinking areas.
Excellent copper still and brilliant black wood behind bar.
Last Modified: December 15, 1999 doyle@ecn.purdue.edu