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.