S0157 The Oarsman

Popped in here, ordered a pint, and then queried their food offering - which the wonders of the internet had assured me they did do. Well, that time on that Sunday, they didn't for whatever reason. Oh well, there's three more pubs in Ringsend Village, surely one of those does? 

Well, rather than continue this thread across all the reviews, they all don't right now - one is closed; and the chipper was closed too, although it should have been open by then. A Tesco sandwich kept me going instead.

Anyway, back to the pub. A nice traditional type pub with a nautical theme - this is a bit of a common thread in Ringsend. I noticed one of the problems of a seaside property that I know all too well - a bit of a smell of damp - in the basement. Like my own seaside property, it was mixed with the smell of the fresh paint oft required to mask the visual problems it comes with!

I used to work a quick walk across the Eastlink from Ringsend, but never really thought to ever drink there - and that's not out of any misgivings about safety or anything, just forgetfulness really. The convenience of 1015426 Rubys even closer was probably a major factor too. This would probably have gone on my regulars list if I had popped over, with a nice atmosphere and reasonable prices compared to most of D4, or the IFSC end of D1.

Revisited Pubs July 2022

A new job from mid June means different revisits than before, so its goodbye to Rubys and a significant reduction in future visits to Graingers, Brew Dock, Urban Brewing, the Drunken Fish and Madigans Connolly. These were where I ended up back in in July:

N0313 Kealys - one I first visited in the lifetime of the blog, and now quite convenient for work

N0082 McGraths - one I first visited over a decade before the blog, and where my Dad drank when he lived locally. And now very convenient for delayed trains, just as Graingers used to be.

N0006 Brew Dock - well, I do still need to use Connolly sometimes

S0161 Irishtown House

The liveliest pub of the day so far, but thankfully without any of what happened before last years FAI Cup Final here - I don't think that's something you can expect here normally!

The pub was rather busy, but with a substantial space in the main room, getting a place to sit wasn't an issue. Looking at Streetview, it looks like I may have missed an entire second space to the rear.

While getting closer to the city centre, and closer to office and apartment developments that might bring "outsiders" in, its not like any of the pubs around here aren't mostly locals shops; but this one felt most like a normal working class Dublin local pub of the lot of them. These are often the most welcoming pubs of all; but when you're on a mission to tick off pubs, there isn't much time for conversation.

Facebook suggests they do food here. I didn't think to ask, when I really should have, as there are slim pickings ahead...

S0159 Vintage Inn

Shortly after sitting down with my pint, I heard two men at the bar trying to remember a specific pub. My exceptionally specific time to shine! Or not...

Heading over and pulling the map out on my phone lead to no pin for the bar they remember. I suspect it may have been a hotel bar that either has slipped through my grasp or didn't have a public licence, and have put it on my list for further research.

There's some inaccurate artwork on the walls here, but we can let that slip

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That notwithstanding, its a nice pub to while away some time in. For reading material, there was a stack of the local Newsfour freesheet, the website of which sometimes turns up an interesting history tidbit, and the book reviews in that issue gave me the obvious present for my Dublin born and raised mother (she doesn't read this, so I won't be ruining next weeks gift!)

S0160 Merry Cobbler

I should have got food here. It looked decent, but Google suggested to me that some of the other pubs further along my intended route did food. Looking deeper in to those, one of those was a menu for the Artisan Parlour, which had been run by the late Martin Thomas (extremely influential club promoter) and has been closed for some time; so this info was uselessly out of date.

Anyway - this pub has an interesting recent history. It was the original John Clarkes, until significant financial issues forced its closure (despite a spirited attempt to save it, and controversy about its liquidation). Clarkes reopened in another pub (S0158 John Clarke and Son) in Ringsend shortly after.

It then ran as a Dublin outlet of the Cork bar Sober Lane, but has now been the Merry Cobbler for some years.

Like its predecessor, the food offering is important here. They also have a varied tap list, featuring many Irish craft breweries. The interior is nice, with a sort-of snug that I appropriated to read the paper. There is a modicum of humour to the decoration at times!

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The layout is a little odd - to get to those toilets above you need to go between the back of one bar and the side of another, in an area that you'd assume is a staff corridor.

Quite an enjoyable pub, albeit I don't know when I'd have reason to be back. 

S4470 Mulligans

Staff that seemed more than a little confused that I walked in to order at the bar (there was no area to wait to be seated). An exceptionally stale pint (it was of Stiegl, which probably doesn't move much). Exceptionally expensive (7.25 for said pint). Not much to recommend here, with two superior pubs nearby.

They were playing Feeder, though, which improved my opinion of the place back to 'meh'.

S0167 O'Reillys

I almost have to do one of my older-style writeups here - that is one line and done!

Pub's fine, has a bigger tap list than its neighbour across the road. There isn't much to write home about - but, when dealing with a suburban local - isn't that what you actually want?

The pub goes back quite far, so is fairly substantial. There really wasn't a huge amount to take note of here. 

S0166 Ryans Sandymount House

An afternoons pubs, catching the Brighton game and swapping at half time, with more after was what I had planned. Irish Rail intervened to ensure I missed much of the first half, and as Pascal Groß scored his first while I was ordering my first, I decided that I may have found a Lucky Pub, and decided not to move for the rest of the match.

Brighton won 2-1, so that may have been a good judgement. And it was a good pub - nice and traditional, with cheap (4.60. In Sandymount!) pints of Beamish, and a barman that remembers your order immediately

I think, but can't be sure, there wasn't much in the way of variety on the taps; but that isn't uncommon for this type of pub. 

A relatively old pub, this used to be Michael Heelans, but as with anywhere outside of the pre-30s Dublin City boundaries, I've less info on the pubs history than would otherwise be available.

August 2022 register update

A few things of interest this month

New

1019107 Tailors Hall, Back Lane - this previously had a licence in the 1970s for banqueting; but the new operation will be a restaurant/cafe

1019146 The Complex, Smithfield - arts/events space

Reappearing

N1130 The Foxhunter, Lucan - reopened recently, original licence serial number restored

N0869 Donaghmede Inn and N4157 Parkwest Tavern - two closed pubs in Harcourt Development properties having their licences re-activated and assigned to a Harcourt Developments related firm. May just be to protect the licences.