N0022 Hill 16

A bouncer on the door at 5:30 on a weekday, and a completely wrong order. Usually these would be quite bad signs for a pub, but I'm willing to think here that both may just be down to the pub being only open for a short period of time, and needing to settle in.

I had assumed that Hill 16's non-reopening after the pandemic wasn't a sign that it was closing - but then the entire building was put up for sale, with the pub as vacant possession. Even then, there had been a previous closure after which the same operators returned. However, this didn't happen and a new Instagram account appeared in the Spring for a new pub here... and nothing happened, for quite some time.

Eventually, it reopened in time for one of the semi-finals in Croker, a typical day when this pub would be out the door. It would seem that the new operators are Brazilian, and are promoting the pub as both a Brazilian bar and as a normal local Dubs pub - their social media accounts have covered bingo nights as well as Brazilian events. 

Dublin has had one or two Brazilian bars at a time for quite a while now - I visited 1006793 3 Spirits (now closed) and 1013727 Wasabi (still open) previously. They can be good fun when busy, and have always been very approachable for a non-Brazilian, even when not explicitly looking to keep the local regulars as Hill 16 is. And based on the customers there when I visited, this is definitely working

Like Wasabi, this pub is heavily promoting that its food is available on Deliveroo - but it was abit early to see if this was as busy as it is in Wasabi.

Now - on to the wonky order. I asked for two pints of Lagunitas, but the keg was empty and needed changing. What was then connected to the taps was not Lagunitas, and what was delivered was two palatable pints of a not very bitter, quite dark ale. Probably Cute Hoor, actually drinkable unlike the only previous time I'd ever had it (and the only time I actually ordered it); but I really couldn't be bothered with arguing. 

The pubs interior is in good nick, albeit with some odd choices - lots and lots of TVs showing the menu, hotel stacking chairs (the type you've sat on at every wedding) at the tables. 

There should be a market for this as a Brazilian bar, and the big match weekends should keep the tills ringing also. Hopefully it succeeds.

N0140 The Goose Tavern

An interesting example of something that is almost an estate pub, but isn't, because its basically too old to be one. And as before, estate pub is not a bad term in Dublin.

This pub sits at the core of a late 1940s housing development; to the side of (and under) an early private apartment block.

The Goose opened as the Green Goose; but was later renamed to The Pilot - and the pubs golf society still retains this name. This name referenced its relative closeness to Dublin Airport, and also that it was - at that time - a sister pub to N0172 The Comet and N0141 The Viscount, named after 1950s aircraft.

The greebling within the pub has plenty of 40s, 50s and 60s elements, including this reminder of when Smithwicks tried a daring rebrand.

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Overall, this is a very traditional suburban pub - but one with more history and older artefacts than many. The drink offering is acceptably varied, and the food offering here is currently from a hatch in to the Brass Onion Bistro next door

For suburban pubs, my test of quality is whether I'd be happy with it as my local - and here, I would.

N2576 Carlton Hotel

There are three drinking options here: Kittyhawks bar - named after a restaurant that was on this site before (unless my memory has gone really bad - and I was at a particularly disastrous birthday party in the old restaurant), as well as an aviation reference; the Mayfly restaurant and the Runway 28 rooftop bar. 

Runway 28 had reopened for the summer season on the day I visited, but was booked out for two weeks. Kittyhawks was not busy at ~5:30 when I arrived (but was when we left), so this is where we drank; and ate.

After coming back from a very expensive trip to the Netherlands, it was quite a relief to find that the prices in Kittyhawks are on the cheaper side for Dublin - not cheap, by any means, but with €6 pints and €20 burgers now quite normal in Dublin, its still cheaper than many. 

Service was good, the quality control at the bar (the first pint of O'Hara's poured for me was thrown down the sink by a barman due to poor head development) top-notch and the food met expectations. However, it is still a hotel bar surrounded by light industrial sites and as a result you are unlikely to just randomly walk in here.

Clearly the rooftop bar attracts its own custom, some of whom may come down here before or after - and will likely find it quite acceptable.

July 2022 Register Update

Not the biggest licence file at all this month - two returns to the register, both on the same street!

Returns

N0189 - H Mathews. This had reappeared with a liquidator/receiver as their licence holder a while ago, it now has a persons name on it - not one I recognise

N0215 - Dice Bar. This is now licenced to a property firm owned by the owners of Bargaintown.

The Black & White Pub Awards, 1977-2004

Mass market blended Scotch is not the drink of choice for many in Ireland, as it stands. I'm neither that young nor that old to be able to state that it never was; or able to remember a time when it was; but for whatever reason, Black & White is the brand that D.E. Williams Ltd chose to use when launching a pub awards in 1977. Possibly the first national pub awards of any note, these lasted until 2004

Harry Byrne's 1994 Dublin City winning plaque, image courtesy by DublinByPub

Black & White was a brand they distributed in Ireland; itself owned by Distillers Ltd which Guinness had yet to buy; but as D. E. Williams had sold Tullamore Dew a decade earlier and were soon to exit the supermarket business (Five Star, sold to the Quinnsworth operators in 1979); and their remaining assets probably matched even less with a pub awards - Irish Mist, regional Coca Cola bottling and barley malting - it must have been the best fit.

The awards significantly outlasted D. E. Williams Limited. By 1988, it was being awarded by B Daly (Ireland) Limited; a spirits distributor later bought by Edward Dillon & Co Limited, and in which D. E. Williams had a shareholding

Edward Dillon are still extant, and are a sponsor of the current Irish Pub Awards, and continued to distribute Black & White until a share deal with Diageo in 2004. This is, clearly not coincidentally, the last year of these awards. Edward Dillon did (and do) have a huge range of brands that would be perfect replacement sponsors - Hennessy, Jack Daniels, etc - but may have had their own reason for finishing up.

Categories and Ceremony 

There were a variety of categories, varying year on year - pub, superpub (>250 capacity, in 1983; >350 by 1997), hotel bar, newcomer (to the competition, not new builds) and heritage pub all turning up. 

There was a county winner and a national winner in each category awarded; but in many year a provincial winner too - Dublin acting as a fifth province; and not being included in Leinster. In some years, Dublin appears to have had separate City and County winners; with one of these two being the overall Dublin City & County winner. 

These boundaries are extremely blurry - the 1989 and 1994 Dublin City winners were in Dublin County geographically and politically, for instance. In some years, the county winners were announced significantly in advance of the main awards, as a shortlist - this format still exists with the current Irish Pub Awards regional winners.

Awards ceremonies were substantial affairs, held in hotels, the National Concert Hall, racecourse pavilions and so on, and were usually reported by the media. The physical award plaques would often feature in pubs for some time after - there are still extant examples around. Entries were limited to the Island of Ireland, which may explain why the (3 county) Ulster awards were frequently won by one specific pub - having the least competition of any category.

Judging was performed by a panel of celebrity judges - Hugh Leonard being one of the original judges, who quit as he claimed he was too identifiable and caused any pub he entered to assume he was judging.

Winners

As I only write about non-Dublin pubs when I'm travelling, I'm just going to list Dublin winners here - but note that as these are scavenged from archives and the occasional pub website, it is possible that a claimed "Pub of the Year" without specification may only have been in a category (possibly not even the main Pub category) and not the overall winner! As often newspapers only report the national winners, this list is unfortunately quite incomplete:

1979

The Club, Dalkey - Dublin Pub of the Year

1980

The Club, Dalkey - Dublin Pub of the Year,

1983

O'Dwyers, Mount Street - Dublin Pub of the Year

1984

Joxer Dalys, Dorset Street - Dublin Pub of the Year

O'Dwyers, Mount Street - Dublin Superpub of the Year

1985

Joxer Dalys, Dorset Street - Dublin Pub of the Year, National Pub of the Year

Dropping Well, Milltown - Dublin Superpub of the Year

1986

The Deerpark, Clonskeagh - Dublin Pub of the Year

1987

Harcourt Hotel, Harcourt Street - Dublin Pub of the Year

The Dubliner, Jurys Hotel - Dublin Hotel Bar of the Year

(yes, it is odd that a hotel won both categories! This may be a misreporting)

1988

Jack O'Rourkes, Blackrock - Dublin County Pub of the Year

O'Dwyers, Mount Street - Dublin City Pub of the Year

1989

Duffys, Malahide - Dublin County Pub of the Year

Penny Black, Tymon - Dublin City Pub of the Year, National Newcomer of the Year

The Dubliner, Jurys Hotel - Dublin Hotel Bar of the Year, National Hotel Bar of the Year

1990

Ryans, Parkgate Street - Dublin City Pub of the Year

Duffys, Malahde - Dublin County Pub of the Year (reported as City & County winner at the final ceremony)

The Dubliner, Jurys Hotel - Dublin Hotel Bar of the Year, National Hotel Bar of the Year

1991

Queens, Dalkey - Dublin Pub of the Year, National Pub of the Year

Mount Merrion House, Dublin Newcomer of the Year

The Penny Black, Tymon - Dublin Superpub of the Year

1992

Queens, Dalkey - Dublin Pub of the Year

Burlington Hotel - Dublin Hotel Bar of the Year

1993

Poitin Stil, Rathcoole - Dublin Superpub of the Year, National Superpub of the Year, National Pub of the Year

Golden Ball, Kilternan - Dublin Pub of the Year 

1994

The Glenside, Churchtown - Dublin Superpub of the Year, National Superpub of the Year, National Pub of the Year

The Lord Mayors, Swords - Dublin County Pub of the Year, Dublin Pub of the Year

Harry Byrnes, Clontarf - Dublin City Pub of the Year

1995

Golden Ball, Kilternan - Dublin City Pub of the Year

Dropping Well, Milltown - Dublin County Pub of the Year, Dublin Pub of the Year

McSorleys, Ranelagh - Dublin City Newcomer of the Year

Step Inn, Stepaside - Dublin County Newcomer of the Year

The Playwright, Blackrock - Dublin Superpub of the Year

1996

Golden Ball, Kilternan - Dublin Pub of the Year, National Pub of the Year

1997

The Barge, Charlemont Street - Dublin City Pub of the Year, Dublin Pub of the Year

Leopardstown Inn - Dublin County Pub of the Year

The Playwright, Blackrock - Dublin Superpub of the Year

McGowans, Phibsboro - Dublin Newcomer of the Year, National Newcomer of the Year

Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links - Dublin Hotel Bar of the Year

1998

McSorleys, Ranelagh - Dublin Pub of the Year

Berkeley Court Hotel - Dublin Hotel Bar of the Year, National Hotel Bar of the Year

The Playwright, Blackrock - Dublin Superpub of the Year

1999

Bakers Corner - Dublin Pub of the Year

The Dubliner, Jurys Hotel - Dublin Hotel Bar of the Year, National Hotel Bar of the Year

The Playwright - Dublin Superpub of the Year, National Superpub of the Year

2000

McSorleys, Ranelagh - Dublin Pub of the Year

The Dubliner, Jurys Hotel - Dublin Hotel Bar of the Year

An Poitin Stil - Dublin Superpub of the Year

2001

Bradys, Shankill - Dublin Pub of the Year

Dollymount House - Dublin Superpub of the Year

Berkeley Court Hotel - Dublin Hotel Bar of the Year

2002

Fillies Cafe Bar, Leopardstown - Dublin Pub of the Year

Dollymount House - Dublin Superpub of the Year

Terenure Inn, Terenure - Dublin Newcomer of the Year, National Newcomer of the Year

Radisson SAS St Helens - Dublin Hotel Bar of the Year

2003

S0172 The Waterloo - Dublin Pub of the Year

N0246 Penny Hill, Lucan - Dublin Superpub of the Year

Stillorgan Park Hotel - Dublin Hotel Bar of the Year

2004

Wrights, Swords - Dublin Superpub of the Year, National Superpub of the Year

Other Awards:

There have been a few other pub awards, either operating at the same time or since:

Soon to overtake the Black & White Awards in longevity are those awarded by the Georgina Campbell Guide, which cover the Island of Ireland and have a single national winner announced. These have been running since 1999 and continued throughout the pandemic.

There have only been two Dublin winners

1999 - The Porterhouse, Parliament Street

2003 - Cafe En Seine, Dawson Street

The belated replacement for the Black & White awards, in some ways, are the current Irish Pub Awards, awarded 2017-2019, and with 2022 scheduled. These awards are open to LVA or VFI members and have a number of sub-categories, each with regional winners and a national winner. 

There was also the Irish Pubs of Distinction awards from 1998 to 2003, which appears to have mainly existed to provide content for a tourist publication of this name. As these are available in the National Library, there is future article fodder for me in them hopefully.