English Pub Names

Todays posting by Dublin By Pub on the Turks Head today mentioned it as a common name in England, and additionally touched on the use of Head in pub names, and the name to sign connection that is common across the water

In Ireland, the "standard" pub name is the surname of the current, or a former owner; but this is far from universal, with plenty of pubs having "names" - but how many of them could have been pulled from some English town?

The Morning Advertiser, a licenced trade publication in the UK, does occasional lists of the most common names amongst their readership - the most recent being from 2019. The 'Head' trend is mentioned there also, as it happens, but the list is jarringly unlike a list of the top Irish names - which would almost certainly just be the 24 most common surnames plus "The Village Inn"; or even a Dublin list that would be lead by Madigans and Graingers.

But which names do sneak in to Dublin?

The most common name in the UK is apparently The Red Lion, which you don't see in Dublin. The hotel which became a shop and is now becoming a hotel again on Georges Street was called this, and the name moved across the road to what is now S0066 Capitol Lounge; and it was also a former name of the recently demolished Grays of Newmarket Square - which is being replaced by a hotel of the same chain, oddly.

We can all but eliminate most of the Royal connected names straight away, at 2, 6, 9, 12, 13, and 19 - the Kings Head on South King Street in the 70s having long left us; 

However, the Royal Oak at #3 is still represented by S1509 Old Royal Oak in Kilmainham; and formerly by the fairly well known but departed boozers on Parkgate Street and the Finglas Road.

Number 4, The Plough, has also existed in Dublin in the past - but as this (N1063, closed long before the blog began) was opposite the Abbey Theatre, it was more than likely a reference to The Plough And The Stars.

At 5, we get our first direct name hit with The Swan - and a fine pub that S0127 The Swan on Aungier Street is. 7, The Bell, is represented by 1007597 The Bell in Blanchardstown

#8 could have got an entry had I written this article some years ago - 1011474 White Hart Inn in Balbriggan is never coming back, after being converted to apartments; as could 10 - S0020 The White Horse was renamed to the Dark Horse in about 2011 and has since closed anyway.

Ten down (13 with the mass exclusion of the Royalist names) and we've got three current pubs - none of which are particularly English - but there's another 15/12 in the list.

Eleven gives us the New Inn - there was one of these on New Street before road widening destroyed the area, and it was a noted gig venue. Like the Kings Head, being named after the street should be seen as a get-out!

14 - Wheatsheaf - well, we had N0120 Sheaf o' Wheat before a name change, if that counts.

Fifteen and sixteen give two innoccous enough names you'd not notice as "English" if we had them - The Ship and The Rising Sun - but we don't.

The seventeenth most popular in the UK gives us one of the more common ones in Dublin, at least until a few years ago. The Black Horse in Kimmage has been renamed (1013317 The Four Provinces); The Black Horse in Inchicore is closed and derelict; and the Blackhorse Tavern is now N0240 The Hole In The Wall. 

18 is another nearly like 14 - Fox & Hounds doesn't really cover N1352 Foxhound Inn.

Number 20, Chequers, is presumably related to the British Prime Ministerial weekend residence and is also not seen in Dublin.

21, 22 are another two total misses - Coach & Horses and Cross Keys. 

23 - White Swan - is a miss, because the colours or attributes we've given to Swans are never the obvious one. Dark, Silver, Missing - we've had those. White is a bit tautological surely?

Number 24 is where Dublin publicans may have had a bit of fun with the name. I've often seen this given as "the" most common pub name in the UK; but its 24th here and the list is not upside down; so there's plenty of possibly wrong people out there.. or the list isn't right. 

The George and Dragon.

Nobody in Ireland would use this name - referencing the mythology of England's patron saint - but when you already own a succesful gay bar called S0092 The George, and are opening another down the road... S3781 The Dragon (now Nolita) works very well! I have no idea if this was the logic used by Capital Bars, though.

#25 is The Nags Head, another total miss here.

Du