"Where to Drink" - 1949 Tourist Guide

I semi-regularly go to the Dublin City Library & Archives to do research on the older era of Dublin pubs I want to eventually cover on the map - internet resources are patchy compared to the entire wall of trade directories they have on show there. While randomly poking at the catalogue one day, it revealed a book called "Where to Drink" from 1949, available only in Dun Laoghaire's new Lexicon library. So I headed out there to take a look. One particular thing of interest was that it had an introduction by Flann O'Brien, who certainly knew where to drink - rather too often at that!

This library has a very significant reference collection all available to look at, locked away behind glass. You need to request every item and it takes quite some time - whereas in the DCLA much of the common material is on open shelving and most other requests are very quick. So I'll still be going to the DCLA unless I need something Dun Laoghaire specific in future. But they were able to get the book for me.

Edited by Tom Merry, then the publisher of the still extant Licensing World magazines, this was a tour guide targetted at those who were now able to travel around Ireland again with ease following the end of World War II - although I believe there was still petrol rationing - particularly tourists coming from the UK where rationing was still more strict. It covers the entire island of Ireland, but has an extra level of detail for Dublin.  I didn't realise Publin had already seen the book in the National Library and has put a few bits up, including tweeting one when I was on the train out to the library; but there's plenty of content to go around...

I've noted down the Dublin pubs listed at the time and will re-visit this posting to explain their current incarnations/link to any writeups over time - there were quite a lot of them!

O'Maras Aston Quay - S0065 Fitzgeralds
O'Maras Bachelors Walk - N1066 Bachelor Inn
O'Looney & Rhatigan, Aungier Street - S0067 JJ Smyth's, temporarily closed
Laurence M Murphy, Baggot Street - S0143 Larry Murphys, closed and unlikely to reopen
John Murrays Waterloo House, Baggot Street - S0172 The Waterloo
Lynn & McGriskin, Bride Street / Golden Lane - "the highest pub ceiling in Dublin"
Nearys, Chatham Street - S0077 Nearys
Thomas Cunniam, Christchurch Place
Patrick Murphy, Cork Street - long closed
Dawson Lounge, 14 Dawson Street - S0010 Dawson Lounge
Davy Byrnes, Duke Street - 1007394 Davy Byrnes
The Pearl, Fleet Street - long closed
Cumann Inn, Kimmage Road Lower  - S1831 KCR House
Hills Roadhouse, Kimmage Road West - S1476 Submarine
John Healys, Lord Edward Street - S0104 Bull & Castle
Nearys, Merrion Road - S0163 Paddy Cullens
Cawleys, Parliament Street - S4530 Turks Head
O'Tooles Patrick Street - demolished 1988
JJ Higgins, Pembroke Street Lower - S0034 Matt the Thresher
Rathgar Lounge, Rathgar Road - S0242 The 108
Monico, Exchequer Street - S0111 The Old Stand

Bergin's Eight Bells, Sir John Rogerson Quay - S0153 The Ferryman

Searsons, Portobello Bridge - S0173 Searsons

Floods, Sundrive Road - S1521 Floods

Rathgar House, Terenure Road - S0243 Comans

Floods of Terenure - S1527 Bradys

Madigans, Thomas Street - long closed

Vincent Smyths 148 Thomas Street - long closed

Lalors, 40 Wexford Street

Irish House, Wood Quay - long closed

Cooneys, 88 Lower Georges Street - 1006999 The Lighthouse

Walters, 68 Upper Georges Street - S0271 Walters, currently closed

Cozy House, 73 Upper Georges Street - S0272 McLoughlins

Punch Bowl, Booterstown - S0298 The Old Punchbowl
Goggins, 99 Monkstown Road - S0301 Goggins
Lamb Doyles, Sandyford - S0252 Lamb Doyles
Dundrum House - S0249 Dundrum House
Golden Ball, Kilternan - 101184 Golden Bowl
Kennedys Old Bawn - S1592 The Old Mill

Templeogue Inn - 1001237 The Morgue

Abbey Bar, Abbey Street - adjacent to the original Abbey Theatre, demolished

Blackhorse Tavern, Blackhorse Avenue - N0240 Hole In The Wall

Dollymount Lounge - demolished

Cat and Cage, Drumcondra Road - N0146 Cat & Cage

Tim Younge, 1 Ellis Quay - latterly The Swallow, long closed

Gaffneys (both) Fairview - N0134 Gaffneys (open) and Gaffneys Snug (closed)

Coles Fairview Bar, Fairview - N0135 Brú House

MJ Lawlor North Frederick Street - N0091 Mayes

Christopher O'Neill, Henry Street - long closed

JJ O'Dwyer, Henry Street - long closed

Egans, Howth Road - N0131 The Beachcomber

Dorans Marlborough Street - long closed
Madigans North Earl Street - N0174 Madigans
Byrnes North Wall Quay - latterly Galligans, demolished
O'Connors North Wall Quay - latter Vallence & McGrath, to reopen as the bar of The Mayson Hotel in 2020
Patrick Conway Parnell Street - N1097 Conways, long closed but extant and licenced
Eamonn Cooney, Phibsboro Road - N0208 McGowans
Davys Boro Bar, Phisboro Road - N0209 Clarkes Phibsborough House
Bushes Cross Guns, Phibsboro Road - N0233 The Bald Eagle
Hardys The Hut, Phisbsboro Road - N0234 The Hut
Doyles Corner - N0235 Doyles Corner
Hedigans Brian Boru Prospect Avenue - N0236 Hedigans Brian Boru
PT McGlynn, Stoneybatter - N0223 Tommy O'Garas
Rainbow Bar, Talbot Street - N2081 Ripley Court Hotel
O'Neills Talbot Street - N0053 Graingers
Boot Inn, "Ballymun"! - N0247 Boot Inn
Taylors Star Bar, Swords - N0302 The Star
JF Donnelly, Blanchardstown - nearby N2354 The 12th Lock Hotel
Bertie Donnelly, Mulhuddart
Manhattan, Raheny - N0171 The Manhattan
Waterside, Howth - N0162 The Waterside
Joe May, Skerries - DG0500 - Joe Mays
McGowans Gladstone, Balbriggan - DG0492 The Gladstone Inn

These three pubs only had a display ad within the book rather than a review:

Palace Bar, Fleet Street - S0086 The Palace
Big Tree Swords - N0305 The Estuary
Central Bar Swords - N0301 The Betsy