This is likely to be the last of these until maybe July (if some pubs are allowed open under restaurant certs on June 29th) or more realistically September. My local has a restaurant cert, but isn't in Dublin; and it would be hard to justify going to any in Dublin. I got an acceptable number of new pubs visited before the end, but only one Dublin revisit:
N0053 Graingers - had time to kill before the train home
Monday, 11 May 2020
S1447 Black Forge
I still had three pub visits left to write up when the shutters came down - and if I don't write them up soon I'll likely forget them entirely.
This pub brands itself as "The Home of Conor McGregor", which alone is almost enough to make me decide to skip it. Grumpy old gits sitting crowded at the bar, making it difficult to actually order from an un-busy barman, also didn't add to the atmosphere.
That's about it for negatives, but its just a very generic suburban boozer beyond that. I'm sure their locals (and possibly McGregor) are waiting patiently for it to reopen in August; but I don't see why anyone else would go.
This pub brands itself as "The Home of Conor McGregor", which alone is almost enough to make me decide to skip it. Grumpy old gits sitting crowded at the bar, making it difficult to actually order from an un-busy barman, also didn't add to the atmosphere.
That's about it for negatives, but its just a very generic suburban boozer beyond that. I'm sure their locals (and possibly McGregor) are waiting patiently for it to reopen in August; but I don't see why anyone else would go.
Friday, 8 May 2020
William J Heron - an archive dive
While doing some newspaper archive digging, I came across a distinctive and easily searchable name - William J Heron, PC. Mr Heron has, so far, lead me to at least 15 additional former pubs for the map as well as data to clean up existing content in various areas - particularly the Liberties, the old Monto area and other areas that were wiped out for road widening.
Heron was an auctioneer and at one stage, deputy chair of their auctioneer and estate agents trade association. While his adverts in the Irish Independent, which run from the late 1920s to the late 1950s, include plenty of houses as well as house contents, estate sales and court ordered land sales; Heron's speciality was licenced premises - pubs, hotels and off-licences.
This isn't uncommon - indeed there are at least two fully specialised licenced premises agents currently - the former Morrisseys organisation which is now "Lisney Licensed & Leisure" (and who publish a very useful annual report on licence sales); and John P Younge, who have a uniquely awful camera - just look at some of the brochures on their site!
Heron does not seem to have been the most prolific seller of Dublin pubs during this time either, with the Archbold Corry & O'Connor appearing to have slightly more properties. I haven't yet worked through the archives for all their ads, but they often appeared directly above Heron's, so many have crossed my path already.
Both agencies have made life very easy for me by giving quite detailed descriptions of the pubs for sale - particularly in location and type of licence. Many other ads for pubs for sale would barely specify the location - "City Centre" being common - but full addresses and descriptions of other notable buildings nearby are common in these ads.
The type of licence being mentioned has been exceptionally useful, as the generic term "licenced house" turns up in other ads. Dublin has had off-licences since at least the mid 19th century in the form of "beerhouses" and "spirit groceries", which are not pubs (you were not legally allowed drink on the premises; even though this often happened!) but often appear identically to a pub in street/trade directories as "spirit merchant". I have a list of around 200 potential premises gleaned from directories and these ads have assisted hugely in cutting that down. The occasional hotel sale ad will also specify if its licenced or not - this assists with the huge list of Dublin hotels I have from the "Irish Travel" archives on the TUD website
Heron was an auctioneer and at one stage, deputy chair of their auctioneer and estate agents trade association. While his adverts in the Irish Independent, which run from the late 1920s to the late 1950s, include plenty of houses as well as house contents, estate sales and court ordered land sales; Heron's speciality was licenced premises - pubs, hotels and off-licences.
This isn't uncommon - indeed there are at least two fully specialised licenced premises agents currently - the former Morrisseys organisation which is now "Lisney Licensed & Leisure" (and who publish a very useful annual report on licence sales); and John P Younge, who have a uniquely awful camera - just look at some of the brochures on their site!
Heron does not seem to have been the most prolific seller of Dublin pubs during this time either, with the Archbold Corry & O'Connor appearing to have slightly more properties. I haven't yet worked through the archives for all their ads, but they often appeared directly above Heron's, so many have crossed my path already.
Both agencies have made life very easy for me by giving quite detailed descriptions of the pubs for sale - particularly in location and type of licence. Many other ads for pubs for sale would barely specify the location - "City Centre" being common - but full addresses and descriptions of other notable buildings nearby are common in these ads.
The type of licence being mentioned has been exceptionally useful, as the generic term "licenced house" turns up in other ads. Dublin has had off-licences since at least the mid 19th century in the form of "beerhouses" and "spirit groceries", which are not pubs (you were not legally allowed drink on the premises; even though this often happened!) but often appear identically to a pub in street/trade directories as "spirit merchant". I have a list of around 200 potential premises gleaned from directories and these ads have assisted hugely in cutting that down. The occasional hotel sale ad will also specify if its licenced or not - this assists with the huge list of Dublin hotels I have from the "Irish Travel" archives on the TUD website
Tuesday, 5 May 2020
May 2020 Licence Update
This was actually published, as life does go on for certain classes of licences.
There are no changes of interest for pubs
There are no changes of interest for pubs
Tuesday, 28 April 2020
"Open" pubs
Obviously, there is currently No Pub In Dublin, and hasn't been for over a month - most closed on the Saturday or Sunday before St Patricks Day of their own volition and eventually the state insisted on closure.
However, a conventional Publicans licence also confers the right to perform off-sales - indeed there are a few dedicated off-licences around that use a full Publicans licence to do so - and plenty of pubs have on-site off-licences that are still running.
I won't be listing those, as there's too many - while I suspect there may be less now than before due to the competition for supermarkets, a number of off-licence chains were specifically started to be adjacent to pubs, including Molloys (at their own pubs); Next Door (by the VFI publicans union) and the now mostly defunct Cheers! (by the LVA publicans union)
I also won't be listing any pubs that are open "on the knock" - as they should be reported, not supported; particularly as its generally the most vulnerable customers that would be in.
First we have the takeaway pints places - so far I am aware of two pubs with the same operators, N0230 Hanlons Corner at, erm, Hanlons Corner; and N1344 Pebble Beach in Clontarf, which are offering this option. There is a deposit/return fee on pint glasses but otherwise its fairly normal. This is only really an option for the very nearby!
On a slightly different variation of this, N0099 Big Romance is offering growler collection and delivery (and is also operating the online sales for the Whiplash brewery, which I have made multiple uses of already...). This is much more useful for those that don't live within open-topped pint walking distance.
Then there's the pubs with kitchen facilities. S1434 57 The Headline has now gone as far as branding themselves on Twitter as "an off-licence with a kitchen" and is offering a wide range of off-sales products and food for collection/delivery
Galway Bay's N0097 Paddle and Peel has now opened for pizza and cans takeout, pizza being ideal for takeout compared to most pub food.
Across the Press Up Group, many of their pub-licenced restaurants are open on the main delivery services, including 1001683 Captain America's Blanchardstown (also hosting popup kitchens for most of their other brands); and the existing off-licence in 1013229 Dollard's is still open also. They have rather too many venues for me to check them all!
However, a conventional Publicans licence also confers the right to perform off-sales - indeed there are a few dedicated off-licences around that use a full Publicans licence to do so - and plenty of pubs have on-site off-licences that are still running.
I won't be listing those, as there's too many - while I suspect there may be less now than before due to the competition for supermarkets, a number of off-licence chains were specifically started to be adjacent to pubs, including Molloys (at their own pubs); Next Door (by the VFI publicans union) and the now mostly defunct Cheers! (by the LVA publicans union)
I also won't be listing any pubs that are open "on the knock" - as they should be reported, not supported; particularly as its generally the most vulnerable customers that would be in.
First we have the takeaway pints places - so far I am aware of two pubs with the same operators, N0230 Hanlons Corner at, erm, Hanlons Corner; and N1344 Pebble Beach in Clontarf, which are offering this option. There is a deposit/return fee on pint glasses but otherwise its fairly normal. This is only really an option for the very nearby!
On a slightly different variation of this, N0099 Big Romance is offering growler collection and delivery (and is also operating the online sales for the Whiplash brewery, which I have made multiple uses of already...). This is much more useful for those that don't live within open-topped pint walking distance.
Then there's the pubs with kitchen facilities. S1434 57 The Headline has now gone as far as branding themselves on Twitter as "an off-licence with a kitchen" and is offering a wide range of off-sales products and food for collection/delivery
Galway Bay's N0097 Paddle and Peel has now opened for pizza and cans takeout, pizza being ideal for takeout compared to most pub food.
Across the Press Up Group, many of their pub-licenced restaurants are open on the main delivery services, including 1001683 Captain America's Blanchardstown (also hosting popup kitchens for most of their other brands); and the existing off-licence in 1013229 Dollard's is still open also. They have rather too many venues for me to check them all!
Friday, 3 April 2020
April 2020 licence update
A slim update this month, as is to be expected - in fact, I didn't expect an update at all!
Additions
1016206 - Brewdog, Capital Dock
1016228 - The Mayson Hotel, North Wall Quay
Removals
N1024 - Artane House - this has been closed for years and is up for eventual redevelopment. Licence could yet reappear as a paperwork exercise though
Additions
1016206 - Brewdog, Capital Dock
1016228 - The Mayson Hotel, North Wall Quay
Removals
N1024 - Artane House - this has been closed for years and is up for eventual redevelopment. Licence could yet reappear as a paperwork exercise though
Thursday, 19 March 2020
N1118 Halfway House
This prominent pub has a Northside licence number - and so does the current closed N1119 Long Mile Inn across the road. I have no idea why, as nothing else nearby does - and its far from the most out of place N series pub, that being in Tallaght. Some day I'll find the person in Revenue - or a Revenue retiree - that knows why.
On my visit here, I popped in to the bar only - the pub itself is quite large and I presume does a decent food trade given that it has a sizeable carpark, a rare occurrence this close to the city centre. The carpark itself is actually across the road, something more often seen in rural roadside pubs like the Strawberry Hall or the Blue Light than in suburbia.
My visit here was made rather more humorous by overhearing what I presume to be the local Walter Mitty, regaling tales of military nonsense to a mate; not one bit of it vaguely accurate - but it is possible there are actually Defence Forces recruits that badly informed of their own employer, of course. There appeared to be an in-pub bookie in a corner, that relatively rarely sighted thing that may now not survive the lack of things to bet upon in the next few weeks.
Surburban pubs make recommendations difficult - I won't be passing here again realistically - but I'd see no reason not to drop in here.
On my visit here, I popped in to the bar only - the pub itself is quite large and I presume does a decent food trade given that it has a sizeable carpark, a rare occurrence this close to the city centre. The carpark itself is actually across the road, something more often seen in rural roadside pubs like the Strawberry Hall or the Blue Light than in suburbia.
My visit here was made rather more humorous by overhearing what I presume to be the local Walter Mitty, regaling tales of military nonsense to a mate; not one bit of it vaguely accurate - but it is possible there are actually Defence Forces recruits that badly informed of their own employer, of course. There appeared to be an in-pub bookie in a corner, that relatively rarely sighted thing that may now not survive the lack of things to bet upon in the next few weeks.
Surburban pubs make recommendations difficult - I won't be passing here again realistically - but I'd see no reason not to drop in here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)