The first suburban outpost of the Cassidys/PMacs group, Blackbird opened in 2014 in the former Rathmines Inn (and its many other names past names). I believe there had been a relatively quick turnover of tenants here before, but Blackbird is there for a fairly long time now.
If you've been to any of their other pubs, you know what you're going to get - a dark interior, drippy red candles on every table as the decor; their house beer - Trouble Vietnow on tap, and Refresher bars on the bar. I didn't see any Monster Munch, but it may have been a little early in the day for that, but the pizza ovens that most of their pubs have are present should you want to buy something more substantial.
There's TVs and a small set of Diageo taps, which both seem a little out of place in an otherwise craft beer bar, but are probably a concession to the suburban location more than anything else. The original PMacs on Stephen Street also has the Diageo products, but it is the bar of a hotel where there may be tourists fully expecting to be able to drink Guinness.
It's quite a big pub, with a few different areas within and a large smoking area to the side. Its a nice pub to enjoy a few pints (from the large menu) in and has convenient bus stops for your trip back, should you not be rich enough to live in Rathmines.
Thursday 28 February 2019
Wednesday 27 February 2019
S0240 Martin B Slattery's
There's a seen-as-definitive list of "Dublin's Victorian Pubs" that circulates the internet, having been produced by Kevin C Kearns in his 1996 book Dublin Pub Life and Lore. That is of course the book probably now best known for The Pintman, rather than its extensive oral history, researched in person by the author over many years.
Its not available in print currently, only on Kindle - and is worth buying for the historical content, but there are no photos in the Kindle edition so if you were just intending on reading it for the Pintman, go to a library instead.
I'm not sure whether Slatterys in Rathmines is excluded from this list by age, for any issues with authenticity, or a simple oversight. It doesn't seem to be built by the 1892 Thoms Directory, the adjacent Belfast Bank building is dated to 1901 but the entire area appears to be built up by then so it may be age.
However, it doesn't seem to fall down on authenticity. Solid wood and glass interior fittings include a proper snug, with access to the bar. There is a TV (muted), and there is background music (low) but even the Long Hall has a TV for occasional use so these alone don't exclude a pub from Victorian-ness.
There was a smaller crowd in here than Grace's, yet the more traditional atmosphere made it a generally nicer place to have a pint.
Its not available in print currently, only on Kindle - and is worth buying for the historical content, but there are no photos in the Kindle edition so if you were just intending on reading it for the Pintman, go to a library instead.
I'm not sure whether Slatterys in Rathmines is excluded from this list by age, for any issues with authenticity, or a simple oversight. It doesn't seem to be built by the 1892 Thoms Directory, the adjacent Belfast Bank building is dated to 1901 but the entire area appears to be built up by then so it may be age.
However, it doesn't seem to fall down on authenticity. Solid wood and glass interior fittings include a proper snug, with access to the bar. There is a TV (muted), and there is background music (low) but even the Long Hall has a TV for occasional use so these alone don't exclude a pub from Victorian-ness.
There was a smaller crowd in here than Grace's, yet the more traditional atmosphere made it a generally nicer place to have a pint.
Monday 25 February 2019
S0241 Graces
A large and traditional pub in the original village of Rathmines, Graces hit the headlines last year in a defamation case over a disputed authenticity banknote but was more generally known for its live music.
Oddly quiet - in the sonic sense, there were plenty of customers - the pub is slightly like stepping in to the past. Nowhere near as much as, say, S0024 Hartigans but there's a certain feel of it being 1993 still. One part of this is that they had the once common poster of 60 or so Dublin pub fronts on the wall, which I need to get a better copy of to do a piece on at some point.
The outside of the pub could do with a full re-paint, as could their wooden sandwich boards which were in the lobby - although one of them still has mention of the New Years Eve entertainment so may not be in heavy use!
Oddly quiet - in the sonic sense, there were plenty of customers - the pub is slightly like stepping in to the past. Nowhere near as much as, say, S0024 Hartigans but there's a certain feel of it being 1993 still. One part of this is that they had the once common poster of 60 or so Dublin pub fronts on the wall, which I need to get a better copy of to do a piece on at some point.
The outside of the pub could do with a full re-paint, as could their wooden sandwich boards which were in the lobby - although one of them still has mention of the New Years Eve entertainment so may not be in heavy use!
N0076 The Berkeley
A surprisingly large inner-suburban pub just slightly out of the way on the corner of Wellington and Mountjoy Streets.
We were heading towards a game in Dalymount and stood outside eating a greasy meal from Midnight Express on Dorset Street before heading in. We possibly didn't need to eat it outside, as it turned out that there was an entire table of people inside eating food likely from the same chipper!
The pub seems nice enough, although the handwritten warning sign in the toilets about dire consequences for drug consumption may give the wrong impression to some. It's possibly - just possibly - far enough off Dorset Street to be viable on a Croke Park match day also.
We were heading towards a game in Dalymount and stood outside eating a greasy meal from Midnight Express on Dorset Street before heading in. We possibly didn't need to eat it outside, as it turned out that there was an entire table of people inside eating food likely from the same chipper!
The pub seems nice enough, although the handwritten warning sign in the toilets about dire consequences for drug consumption may give the wrong impression to some. It's possibly - just possibly - far enough off Dorset Street to be viable on a Croke Park match day also.
N0099 The Big Romance
Having changed names more times than most in recent years, The Big Romance has been operating as a vinyl-only music driven craft beer bar for a few months now. Larger than you'd expect from the front - it is quite long and L-shaped - it is quite similar to many other craft bars in Dublin until you come to the sound system.
A single turntable drives the audio at the bar up front, with frequent gaps in the music as records have to be flipped or changed. Down the back, huge speakers are either side of a twin-deck setup for DJs, without a CD player in sight.
Its a decent pub, but the history of the premises interests me more here. The tenants and operation of this pub have changed with the times and trade on Parnell Street in a manner not really seen anywhere else.
Like other city centre pubs, this was originally a traditional Dub pub; run for a long time by the hurler Mick Bermingham. By the late 1990s, it had become Murky Blues, known for its live music sessions - something Parnell Street is still known for down the road at N0906 Fibber McGees
Moving in to the mid 2000s, with the expansion of the European Union to 25 members in 2004, Ireland received significant amounts of Polish migrants, leading to Zagloba operating from the premises. The Irish Times visited during a Poland game in the 2006 World Cup. Parnell Street also had a Nigerian bar - Forum, now an off-licence - across the road during this era, and still retains a Korean bar - N0107 Hophouse - to this day. Of course, the street is being proposed as Dublin's Chinatown and there was then also a Chinese bar - Ice Bar - in what was the Blue Lion a few doors down; but I digress...
From the end of the Tiger era until a few years ago, it was back to being a locals pub, emphasising GAA connections as the Dublin Supporters Bar; with a late rebrand to The Dubliner.
The most recent previous incarnation served a newer migration trend - that of Brazilians. The Luggage Room - what else do you need to find first when arriving in a new city? - is described as hosting student nights in the Come Here To Me! piece on the building; a staple of bars near DIT Cathal Brugha Street for years but which may come to an end when the now TUD faculties move to Grangegorman next year.
A single turntable drives the audio at the bar up front, with frequent gaps in the music as records have to be flipped or changed. Down the back, huge speakers are either side of a twin-deck setup for DJs, without a CD player in sight.
Its a decent pub, but the history of the premises interests me more here. The tenants and operation of this pub have changed with the times and trade on Parnell Street in a manner not really seen anywhere else.
Like other city centre pubs, this was originally a traditional Dub pub; run for a long time by the hurler Mick Bermingham. By the late 1990s, it had become Murky Blues, known for its live music sessions - something Parnell Street is still known for down the road at N0906 Fibber McGees
Moving in to the mid 2000s, with the expansion of the European Union to 25 members in 2004, Ireland received significant amounts of Polish migrants, leading to Zagloba operating from the premises. The Irish Times visited during a Poland game in the 2006 World Cup. Parnell Street also had a Nigerian bar - Forum, now an off-licence - across the road during this era, and still retains a Korean bar - N0107 Hophouse - to this day. Of course, the street is being proposed as Dublin's Chinatown and there was then also a Chinese bar - Ice Bar - in what was the Blue Lion a few doors down; but I digress...
From the end of the Tiger era until a few years ago, it was back to being a locals pub, emphasising GAA connections as the Dublin Supporters Bar; with a late rebrand to The Dubliner.
The most recent previous incarnation served a newer migration trend - that of Brazilians. The Luggage Room - what else do you need to find first when arriving in a new city? - is described as hosting student nights in the Come Here To Me! piece on the building; a staple of bars near DIT Cathal Brugha Street for years but which may come to an end when the now TUD faculties move to Grangegorman next year.
Friday 8 February 2019
February 2019 licence update
Very little change this month, just two additions - from the same overall group at that
1014989 Isabelles - new restaurant-pub directly opposite 1004917 Lemon & Duke on Royal Hibernian Way
1015031 Union Cafe, Beacon Shopping Centre - another addition to this chain
1014989 Isabelles - new restaurant-pub directly opposite 1004917 Lemon & Duke on Royal Hibernian Way
1015031 Union Cafe, Beacon Shopping Centre - another addition to this chain
Monday 4 February 2019
N1984 The Lord Lucan
The last of my driver-assisted pubs, this was a swapout for the Wrens Nest which I had vaguely hoped might have opened for the rugby. It didn't - I shall return on some Sunday either with another wangled driver or for a single whiskey under my own steam. So we went here, which is not a particularly easy bus journey to organise from where I live and with nothing else around it to justiy the trip.
Situated some distance south of Lucan village, in the shopping centre for Finnstown, this is an absolutely vast single story warehouse of a pub. Its like most generic suburban pubs, but about four times larger.
It also has square toilets - well, cubic.
If you live in the area, there's little else around but also nothing wrong with the pub. If you don't live in the area there's really no reason to go here. There's a DHL collection locker in the Spar a few doors up which is more of a draw!
Situated some distance south of Lucan village, in the shopping centre for Finnstown, this is an absolutely vast single story warehouse of a pub. Its like most generic suburban pubs, but about four times larger.
It also has square toilets - well, cubic.
If you live in the area, there's little else around but also nothing wrong with the pub. If you don't live in the area there's really no reason to go here. There's a DHL collection locker in the Spar a few doors up which is more of a draw!
N0244 Strawberry Hall
Significantly further along the Strawberry Beds, and just beyond the Westlink bridges, we find the Strawberry Hall. Streetview doesn't give justice to just how much the M50 looms overhead, nor can it express the rumble from traffic, but it at least gives some impression. Coincidentally, the interior of the pub at Christmas is also on Streetview.
Despite the hulking reminder that you aren't that from from urbanity, the pub itself is about as rural as you're going to get this near the city. Traditional, and almost certainly genuinely old interior decor, stained glass windows and a old-world drinks lineup - including Beamish and Macardles add to this.
Like the previous pub, there's a sizeable carpark here, however the crowd inside could not all fit in the vehicles outside - it is clear that the locals in this area come here in decent numbers. At half time in the lamentably bad Ireland - England rugby fixture, trays of sandwiches were brought around to all customers, in a sign of customer service that is also reflected in their bus service
Isolated pubs have been severely hit by drink driving regulations - but these were of course needed. The Strawberry Hall does a pick up and drop off service, by advance appointment, to the surrounding areas, reaching from Lucan to Ashtown to Blanchardstown. Going from their Facebook page, this seems to bring in new drinkers who would not otherwise have been likely to pay for a taxi to visit - and requires them to give a warning of their lack of a card reader at the bar!
I was driven here by an obliging non drinker (well, for that afternoon at least) as has been the case with other drivers for some other distant pubs, but the bus times would have made it possible to get a 66 to and from Lucan to connect had I wanted to. In what may be another concession to designated drivers, we noted that soft drinks are sold in 500ml plastic bottles, not 200ml glass pub bottles - and for effectively the same price as elsewhere.
Despite the hulking reminder that you aren't that from from urbanity, the pub itself is about as rural as you're going to get this near the city. Traditional, and almost certainly genuinely old interior decor, stained glass windows and a old-world drinks lineup - including Beamish and Macardles add to this.
Like the previous pub, there's a sizeable carpark here, however the crowd inside could not all fit in the vehicles outside - it is clear that the locals in this area come here in decent numbers. At half time in the lamentably bad Ireland - England rugby fixture, trays of sandwiches were brought around to all customers, in a sign of customer service that is also reflected in their bus service
Isolated pubs have been severely hit by drink driving regulations - but these were of course needed. The Strawberry Hall does a pick up and drop off service, by advance appointment, to the surrounding areas, reaching from Lucan to Ashtown to Blanchardstown. Going from their Facebook page, this seems to bring in new drinkers who would not otherwise have been likely to pay for a taxi to visit - and requires them to give a warning of their lack of a card reader at the bar!
I was driven here by an obliging non drinker (well, for that afternoon at least) as has been the case with other drivers for some other distant pubs, but the bus times would have made it possible to get a 66 to and from Lucan to connect had I wanted to. In what may be another concession to designated drivers, we noted that soft drinks are sold in 500ml plastic bottles, not 200ml glass pub bottles - and for effectively the same price as elsewhere.
N0243 Anglers Rest
I had a driver for a few out-of-the-way pubs on Saturday so decided to do the Strawberry Beds run. There are three pubs along the rural part of the route (the two in Chapelizod itself have already been visited; but one - the Wrens Nest - operates extremely limited opening hours which do not extend to winter Saturday afternoons.
Stop 1 was here at the Anglers Rest. A pub that is now nearly entirely driven by food sales - drink driving legislation having seen to other custom - and weddings, this is a quaint old building with a gigantic carpark. On nice days in summer you will see this carpark full and the south-facing outdoor seating/smoking area rammed. On the day of the visit, this area was not busy - despite the turf and wood fired heater to defrost the willing few - but the small area inside the pub not dedicated to food in the afternoon was. There were plenty of seats in the designated restaurant areas that I assume get opened up for drink-only customers at other times, though.
The trip wasn't without its charm, but I suspect its best experienced either with food or on a nicer day.
Stop 1 was here at the Anglers Rest. A pub that is now nearly entirely driven by food sales - drink driving legislation having seen to other custom - and weddings, this is a quaint old building with a gigantic carpark. On nice days in summer you will see this carpark full and the south-facing outdoor seating/smoking area rammed. On the day of the visit, this area was not busy - despite the turf and wood fired heater to defrost the willing few - but the small area inside the pub not dedicated to food in the afternoon was. There were plenty of seats in the designated restaurant areas that I assume get opened up for drink-only customers at other times, though.
The trip wasn't without its charm, but I suspect its best experienced either with food or on a nicer day.
1001683 Captain Americas (Blanchardstown)
Sited in an extension building to Retail Park 2 of the Blanchardstown Centre, this is a fragment of what it once was - as far as I can tell.
Captain Americas outlets are all licenced as pubs, and I believe always were. But the original on Grafton Street and the long-closed Tallaght branch were basically just restaurants with a small bar. This is a sizeable restaurant (without bar seating), with a live music venue (Captains Live) and a rooftop bar (Suas) sitting - as far as I can tell - unused above it. Part of the upper floor is a branch of Wagamama, franchise owned by the same operators and not connected to the pub internally, or at least not for the public.
They have Sky Sports and I suspect that if they aren't busy they aren't going to turn away a drink-only customer. It wasn't busy on the night I attended, but as this was the day before the likely first-pay-since-Christmas day for much of the country - and a Thursday - this isn't unexpected.
Its not decorated with quite the same value of memorabilia as Grafton Street, instead having rows of vinyl records on the walls as their main bits of music history. There is some sporting memorabilia in the main lobby which may have been more for the rooftop bar than anything else.
The burger menu is not the same as Grafton Street, meaning I had to slum it with processed cheese on my burger. It was still fine. Possibly a little dear, particularly when weighed up against the poorer but much cheaper food in Wetherspoons the opposite side of the centre.
Captain Americas outlets are all licenced as pubs, and I believe always were. But the original on Grafton Street and the long-closed Tallaght branch were basically just restaurants with a small bar. This is a sizeable restaurant (without bar seating), with a live music venue (Captains Live) and a rooftop bar (Suas) sitting - as far as I can tell - unused above it. Part of the upper floor is a branch of Wagamama, franchise owned by the same operators and not connected to the pub internally, or at least not for the public.
They have Sky Sports and I suspect that if they aren't busy they aren't going to turn away a drink-only customer. It wasn't busy on the night I attended, but as this was the day before the likely first-pay-since-Christmas day for much of the country - and a Thursday - this isn't unexpected.
Its not decorated with quite the same value of memorabilia as Grafton Street, instead having rows of vinyl records on the walls as their main bits of music history. There is some sporting memorabilia in the main lobby which may have been more for the rooftop bar than anything else.
The burger menu is not the same as Grafton Street, meaning I had to slum it with processed cheese on my burger. It was still fine. Possibly a little dear, particularly when weighed up against the poorer but much cheaper food in Wetherspoons the opposite side of the centre.
1011716 Idlewild
Pre-launched as Tod Hunter Pyms, this bar had a hasty rename before opening due to 1007830 JT Pims opening around the corner - referring to the same family who had ran a noted department store where the hideous building that holds most of The George is now.
A relatively small premises, this is - unfortunately - named after something from New York, far too common a trope in Dublin pub and restaurant names of late. In this case, it is the former name of JFK Airport, a connection revealed only on the cocktail menus as far as I could see.
Nestled alongside the Market Bar, but quite different from it, this is a decent addition to the bars in the area although it's not massively different from the rest of them - except the Market Bar itself of course, which is notable for having no background music.
A relatively small premises, this is - unfortunately - named after something from New York, far too common a trope in Dublin pub and restaurant names of late. In this case, it is the former name of JFK Airport, a connection revealed only on the cocktail menus as far as I could see.
Nestled alongside the Market Bar, but quite different from it, this is a decent addition to the bars in the area although it's not massively different from the rest of them - except the Market Bar itself of course, which is notable for having no background music.
Friday 1 February 2019
S0138 The Globe / RiRa
Once much more famous/important in Dublin nightlife, this pub and club is still busy - but not as critical to Dublin culture as it was in the past, when the late Martin Thomas ran infamous club nights in RiRa, and Dublin was almost definitely a more interesting place, with probably less late night venues still managing to offer a better variety. Regardless, the club is apparently recently renovated and the overall premises open late.
On the night I visited, it appeared to be living up to the name of the pub quite strongly, with a very mixed, almost entirely non-Irish customer base. Something about the clientele and the atmosphere in the place reminded me extensively of Hell Hunt in Tallinn, however fleeting - or non-existent - the physical resemblance.
A perfectly servicable south city centre pub, it is as good as, or maybe a better option than the newer or recently rebranded pubs it shares its stretch of Georges Street with. Strangely I have no previous names recorded for here; but its old-fashioned, and low, licence number suggests it is at least 50 years old and possibly a lot longer. I paid less attention to recording former names in the past; I may need to revisit some of my past research.
On the night I visited, it appeared to be living up to the name of the pub quite strongly, with a very mixed, almost entirely non-Irish customer base. Something about the clientele and the atmosphere in the place reminded me extensively of Hell Hunt in Tallinn, however fleeting - or non-existent - the physical resemblance.
A perfectly servicable south city centre pub, it is as good as, or maybe a better option than the newer or recently rebranded pubs it shares its stretch of Georges Street with. Strangely I have no previous names recorded for here; but its old-fashioned, and low, licence number suggests it is at least 50 years old and possibly a lot longer. I paid less attention to recording former names in the past; I may need to revisit some of my past research.
S4187 Ukiyo
This is one of the more interesting uses of the Publicans (ordinary) Theatre licence and among the reasons I don't exclude from the concept of "pubs". That and a few places that absolutely everyone considers to be pubs would have to go (1011153 The Wild Duck and Crow Bar at 1013315 Button Factory for instance - never to be reviewed here as I mispent much of my youth there as Sin and the Temple Bar Music Centre) as well as most of the cities remaining standalone nightclubs.
A Japanese restaurant by day, and by street-level appearances, the main room doesn't even have any taps - and from the street that's all you see. The most recent Google Streetview actually makes the premises look completely closed, as there is currently limited external signage and heavy blinds - but it is definitely trading. Food is pretty decent.
The basement, however, is another story. A themed lounge and set of Karaoke booths are what comprise the performance element required to use a theatre licence. There are few people on earth who deserve to hear my 'singing' voice, and I had another engagement to attend to (more of which later) so I didn't drop down to either.
A Japanese restaurant by day, and by street-level appearances, the main room doesn't even have any taps - and from the street that's all you see. The most recent Google Streetview actually makes the premises look completely closed, as there is currently limited external signage and heavy blinds - but it is definitely trading. Food is pretty decent.
The basement, however, is another story. A themed lounge and set of Karaoke booths are what comprise the performance element required to use a theatre licence. There are few people on earth who deserve to hear my 'singing' voice, and I had another engagement to attend to (more of which later) so I didn't drop down to either.
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