N0279 The Drop Inn

Rush Village is quite well stocked with pubs, and I attempted to do them in order from the train station out to the Harbour - but the first pub was, or at least seemed to be, inexplicably closed when I visited. So the second pub became the first, and the first became the last - it was definitely open later.

The second first pub ended up being The Drop Inn, a pub connected to one of my previously visited pubs, which was also first of a trip by virtue of the closer pub opening later - DG0493 The Coast Inn in Skerries. However, the Drop Inn is a smaller pub, with quite a small and cosy front bar being where I had my pint.

This was a very traditional instance of an outer suburban or provincial town bar on a weekday daytime, with a reasonable crowd of regulars watching the racing, and a fairly limited selection of drinks on offer; being quite like the pubs I've written about drinking in in Tullamore or Dungloe in that regard; and at 5.50 a pint; probably not far off what Tullamore at least would be charging these days.

RetroReview: S3759 McGrattans

I've been here a fair few times, and somehow my main memory is of managing to drop my phone in my soup when having lunch once.

No, I've no idea how I did that either

The layout here is a bit mad, if its a weekday the smoking area is a carpark for other offices, and you may run in to Anne Doyle, as she is in a long term relationship with the owner; (albeit it was not listed as her favourite pub when quizzed in 1985, years before she was dating Dan McGrattan and probably before he owned it - I just want to link to that piece I found in the archives)

1021189 Ruby Molly Hotel

This large hotel, with a huge bar, wraps around N1090 Hacienda, literally - it is its neighbour on both streets.

Go drink in the Hacienda instead. The bar here is terrible. Was bottle only when I visited, and the range was about five different bottles in total. 

Shay even takes card now, so just ignore the hotel and go to him instead.

RetroReview: S3733 Intercontinental Hotel (as the Four Seasons)

I was here once, the day of my brothers wedding; and about all I can remember from it are:

1: Alan Whicker was doing the Irish launch of his biography in another room, with people floating in to the bar with their copies of the book. I did, eventually, see him.

2: They had the heaviest single-use hand towels I'd ever seen before or since

Its changed brands since, from one five-star brand to another; and I'm very unlikely to go back here. Alan Whicker is dead for over a decade, so no chance of running in to him here, either.

1013769 9 Below

This was another place I assumed I might need to 'dress nice' to get in to.

I didn't. I still wouldn't try get in here in a pair of short bought in JD Sports, but normal clothes look to be absolutely fine.

This is quite a nice, but fairly expensive cocktail bar. The printed menu is entirely house defined cocktails, some clearly influenced by some of the classics - but I heard people ordering classics by name. 

It is sited in a basement - if the name didn't give some indication of that - specifically that of the Stephens Green Club. Many places say it is in the basement of a "former" club; but the club building that did not continue when the Hibernian and United Services Club merged in to the Stephens Green Club in 2003 is number 8, and this is definitely in the basement of number 9.

RetroReview: S3731 Farrier & Draper (as Spy)

Ah, my youth, where the feck did that go...

A premises divided across multiple rooms of a Georgian mansion, this was definitely more interesting as Spy than it is now; but its probably still worth a look. I was a regular attendee here in 2006-8; but not since.

November 2024 Register Update

This months update is delivered with thanks to Revenue's Statistics Department; who delivered me a replacement file when I noticed the original one was missing the county - which would have made it extremely hard to do an ingest and comparison on!

New licences:

1021114 Premier Inn, Newmarket Square - this means all operating Premier Inns are now on the public licence register; and I assume the few still in development will too

Reappearences:

N0029 Goya Lounge, North Strand - the former Strand House (not the current pub of that name), not currently trading 

Renumbering:

S341 Schoolhouse Hotel, Northumberland Road renumbered to 1021502

 

S0061 The Shelbourne Hotel

This was a "saving it for formal attire" premises, as I suspected I might have trouble getting served in my normal clothes. And indeed, nobody in the bar I went in to - the hotel has multiple, with the No. 27 Bars seeming to be the least formal - was dressed even vaugely like I would normally do. Chinos and a polo shirt might do it; and there were definitely people wearing runners.

However, the offering isn't stuffy - they do have an oysters menu, but they also offer burgers, toasted sandwiches and similar bar food; and a substantial tap list including multiple independent Irish offerings - Rye River are highlighted as a supplier of Irish products on their website, an element I wish more places serving tourists would do, rather than just relying on Guinness to be the Irish option on the menu.

The food isn't cheap, but also isn't obscenely priced; and the pints are actually close to reasonable - you can certainly pay a lot more in a lot less nice surroundings nearby.

RetroReview: S3723 Guinness Storehouse

This has to be the least likely "drank there with work" place, surely - but, I did.

First time was doing an outside broadcast from the Gravity Bar; where they were extremely welcoming hosts - food and drink on tap (quite literally) for myself and the presenters.

Second time was a work Christmas party in a side bar further down the structure.

I've never actually done the tourist tour of the place.

1004974 Stephens Green Hotel

EIGHT EURO EIGHTY FOR A PINT.

Didn't like the place either.

RetroReview: S3718 Peader Kearneys

A very traditional Dublin pub, named after the author of the lyrics of our National Anthem, who once lived on the site - surely this is one of Dublin's older pubs?

Nope, its one of the newer ones - indeed it was the first pub in Dublin, possibly in Ireland, to have a licence moved in from outside its local area "at par" - one licence for one new pub, rather than requiring the extinguishment of multiple licences as was the norm for standalone pubs.

I think I visited here shortly enough before starting the blog, when I vaguely thought I'd like to try every pub - but I didn't take any notes. I think I had severe trouble getting a seat, though.

Revisted Pubs: October 2024

There's a bit of a bias towards places I used to go to when I worked in the city centre here; but that was not intentional.

However, from the November writeup, it probably will be. As of the time of writing, I'm (deliberately) between jobs, starting a new one in the city centre on Monday - expect to see plenty of the old regulars come back, and some of my more recent ones (Kealys, McGraths) drop away.

N0002 Madigans Connolly - long gap before the train to Rush, writeups from their to come

N0006 Brew Dock - hiding from the rugby crowds and waiting for a train

1015426 Rubys - dinner spot one night

S0077 Nearys - regular meeting location

S0035 Mulligans - to wash away the horrors of a newly visited place beforehand (writeup to come)

1003568 The Old Spot - I was rather (>45mins) early for the place I was intending to go to open

N1130 The Foxhunter - the only bus I could get out of the city that wasn't crammed was a C1 that doesn't go anywhere near my house, so I had to change buses at the last common stop. Which happens to be outside here...

S0083 Beer Temple - food and pints in a decent spot to get a seat in before a gig in...

1001292 The Olympia Theatre - never calling it that stupid name