Dublin isn’t all cask and craft, of course, although following the helpful advice of the Beer Nut might give that impression. His helpful link to Irish craft beer is here.
We’re primarily here for the traditional music festival around Temple Bar, which is better than you might believe if you’ve ever spent a lost weekend there.
Last night we followed up the wonderful Black Sheep with an obligatory Guinness in Slattery’s, the only authentic looking place not mentioned in the Rough Guide. I forgot to ask a mate where the O’Neills were in Dublin*, so this was the next best thing.
Because we’re stingy, we shared a pint (euro 5.20) and agreed it tasted nearly as good as the stuff in widget cans*, but not a patch on the Galway Bay Porter from earlier. But it was cosy and pubby, with the indie soundtrack you expect. Much quieter than the Black Sheep though.
We’d forgotten just how attractive the views from the bridges across the Liffey were,
but somehow Temple Bar looked exactly the same after a gap of 22 years. Mrs RM felt an urgent need for the toilet trad music drifting out of Fitzsimons. This may be a venerable Dublin institution for all I know, but it reminded me of Quinns, the plastic Irish pub attached to the Cambridge Hilton. Just four times larger.
A mildly amplified duo were working through the classics; “Cockles and mussels“, “Country roads take me home” and “Whisky in the jar“. They were great.
The audience comprised English bloggers, Japanese tourists, Primark shoppers, German students and lone females on business.
“Anyone here from Ireland ?” – No answer.
“We’re from Norway !!!”
“What d’ya want to hear girls”
“AC/DC !!!”
“Correct” – and straight into “Wild Rover”
Simon would love this place if it ever got in the Beer Guide. Alas, their beer range had the following highlights;
Actually, lager lovers can choose from 2 types of Heineken, Carlsberg, Coors, Bud and some Heineken oddities attempting to look craft. The Cute Hoor Pale wasn’t bad. You can have a good time here if you tell yourself it’s still euro 1.40 to the pound.
It was worth coming to Dublin just to see the unicorn in the TK Maxx bag though**.
*Joking. Really
**Not joking.
retiredmartin 
Heh! I used to work in a Dublin pub owned by O’Neill brothers and would get English customers in asking if it was part of the O’Neill’s chain. I had no idea that chain pubs were a thing across in the less-civilised lands. Generic franchise pubs only arrived here with Mr Wetherspoon.
Cute Hoor is brewed by Heineken, btw. And 5 Lamps Lager by C&C, the Magners people.
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I could tell it was Heineken. Everything is, or will be owned by Heineken in the less developed world soon.
Dublin is relatively chain-free, except for coffee it seems. You’ll be pleased to know I don’t plan trips to Swords or Blackrock for a pint of Abbot in Spoons, though as a company I have a lot of time for them.
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Me too! If you want consistently well-kept cask beer in Dublin, JDW is the beginning and the end. Sadly the actual beers they tend to serve are lowest common denominator crappy English cask. Abbot? You’d be lucky…
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Really – what can you get there then ?
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Hobgoblin. Ghost Ship on a good day. Sightings of Jaipur have been known but I’ve never seen it there myself.
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No doubt financially beneficial in Ireland to share a pint rather than having a half each. I’d bet halves of a beer costing €5.20 would be at least €3.00 😮
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Not daft. Was reading about some huge mark-ups like that one the net this week, and of course drinking from a pint glass improves the taste.
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You’ll no doubt have seen the sight of things to come from the Mediterranean then – https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154513303727968&set=gm.10154175124817823&type=3&theater
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Malta here we come !
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The only good thing about Fitzsimons is the rooftop terrace in the summer. Did you spy it?
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I did ! Dublin likes its multi-storey pubs, doesn’t it.
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The surrender principle at work: since it’s very difficult to open a new pub, you need to expand the one you have in every direction possible.
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I really can’t think of many three-level, let alone four level pubs in England, even in big cites.
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Depends if you count the himalayan trek to the average Spoons toilets. Or does it have to be a floor with a bar on it?
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I’ll count Spoons. Actually the Tivoli (Spoons in Cam) had 3 levels, was a Firkin and nightclub previously.
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