Entertainment in Dublin
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Gravediggers (aka Kavanagh’s)
The gravediggers from the adjacent Glasnevin Cemetery had a secret serving hatch so that they could drink on the job – hence the pub’s nickname. Founded in 1833 by one John Kavanagh and still in the family, this pub is one of the best in Ireland, virtually unchanged in 150 years. In summer time the green of the square is full of drinkers basking in the sun, while inside the hardened locals ensure that ne’er a hint of sunshine disturbs some of the best Guinness in town. An absolute classic.
reviewed
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Café en Seine
A tidy jazz band for Sunday brunch and some Big Band Swing on Monday nights fill out the musical menu at one of Dublin’s biggest and most wildly extravagant bars. The Belle Epoque décor make it easy to imagine that you’re actually at one of F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald’s decadent parties.
reviewed
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Market Bar
High ceilings, bench seating, potted plants and the din of a chatty crowd give this huge former sausage factory the atmosphere of Grand Central Station on Christmas Eve. It’s fashionable and friendly, the tapas from the open kitchen are great, and staff even bring drinks to your table. Check out the wonderful bar made from dipped-brass bank doors.
reviewed
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Gaiety Theatre
Opened in 1871, this Victorian theatre was restored to its former glory several years ago. Its repertoire is diverse, from modern plays, musicals, comedies and panto to Shakespeare. Opera Ireland has a season here. On Friday and Saturday nights the venue is taken over by salsa and soul clubs until 4am.
reviewed
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Donnybrook Rugby Ground
Leinster has had similar fortunes to the national side – good, but not quite good enough. They have performed steadily in the European Cup, the premier provincial tournament that sees sides from the Six Nations countries play each other from December to May. The 2006 season culminated in a final that their great rivals Munster won. Leinster has done better in the lesser Celtic League (played against teams from Scotland and Wales), which runs from September to January, but mostly because everyone is gearing up for the European Cup. If you want to see them play, you can do so at the Donnybrook Rugby Ground. Tickets for both competitions are available at Elvery’s ((679 4…
reviewed
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Boom Boom Room
Most people run for the hills when they hear the words ‘avant garde’ and ‘music’ in the same sentence, but we urge you to keep still, for this venue has done more to reflect the cultural diversity of the new Dublin – with its absolutely fabulous blend of folk, jazz, blues, electronica and other diverse styles – than any other. Dubliners are always bemoaning the absence of somewhere they can listen to something genuinely new and different; that just means they haven’t climbed the stairs above Patrick Conway’s to one of the coolest music venues in town.
reviewed
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Ice Bar
Not to be confused with the Dice Bar in a taxi – practise your elocution because the bars are worlds apart in every sense. Young, single 20-somethings with infinite disposable incomes come here to see and be seen, making this either the most sought-after destination in town or somewhere to avoid like a bad dose of plague. Flash your convertible-beemer car keys at the door for speedy access. The all-white chichi interior with central chrome and marble bar is softened by some lovely, specially commissioned wall hangings by Irish artists. Vodka-based cocktails are the house speciality.
reviewed
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Strawberry Hall
Strawberry Hall alone makes it worth the trek to the Strawberry Beds, a totally unspoilt bit of countryside. The Strawberry Beds run alongside the northern banks of the Liffey between the villages of Chapelizod and Lucan, roughly along the western edge of the Phoenix Parkand, and is one of the city's most beautiful getaway spots. Have drinks at the utterly wonderful Strawberry Hall, reputedly Dublin’s second-oldest pub and one of the best-kept secrets in town. This place alone makes it worth the trek.
reviewed
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Irish Rugby Football Union
The association with privilege has pretty much always been there with rugby, until the game decided to go global, kick its branding into a whole new gear and Dublin began witnessing some pretty successful local teams at both inter-provincial and international level. Irish rugby’s governing body, the Irish Rugby Football Union, has done a brilliant job of selling rugby outside its traditional domain, so much so that the game has finally generated a genuinely national interest.
reviewed
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Eno Wines
A wine bar in a financial services centre sounds like a formula for insufferable pretentiousness, but this remarkable venture is unique to the city so we thought we’d give it a try – and we weren’t disappointed. Basically, this is a wine-tasting centre where you buy a card for whatever amount you like and are then free to try any of the 60-plus wines that are available, deducting the cost of it from your card as you go along. The Shiraz is to die for, darling.
reviewed
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Searson’s
What could easily be dismissed as yet another characterless superpub, with the warmth and ambience of a train station, is actually a pretty decent bar with the option of Old Man pub at the front and trendy, modern bar at the back. Something for everyone then: lunchtimes it’s packed with office workers, weekend nights it’s packed with the same crowd in jeans and designer shirts and, when the rugby’s on, the Irish green. Two Havana Clubs and Coke, please.
reviewed
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Croke Park
It’s a magnificent stadium – if you’re impressed by them – that is Ireland’s largest and the fourth largest in Europe, but Croke Park is about much more than 82,000-plus sporting butts on plastic seats. No, Croker – as it’s lovingly known in Dublin – is the fabulous fortress that protects the sanctity and spirit of Gaelic games in Ireland, as well as the administrative HQ of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), the body that governs them.
reviewed
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Kiely’s
Fans of satirist Paul Howard’s lovable D4 monster Ross O’Carroll Kelly will instantly recognise the favourite hangout of the rugby-loving southsider, where the fortunes of Drico, Shaggy and the Darce are discussed in earnest by hardbodies wrapped in Leinster jerseys…and that’s just the girls. If you’re going to the next-door Donnybrook Rugby Ground, this is the perfect pre- and post-match place to be.
reviewed
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Morrison Bar
This is the north side’s version of the Octagon Bar, only far more difficult to get into if you don’t look the part. If you haven’t spent a fortune on your outfit (or managed to fake it), forget it. You wouldn’t have enjoyed the luxurious John Rocha–designed dark-oak and cream interior, the views over the Liffey, the suave and sophisticated clientele. Nah, you didn’t miss much.
reviewed
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Odeon
This former train station is light, airy, and jam-packed with Art Deco elegance and Red Bull–loaded punters getting ready for a gig next door at Tripod. The comfy sofas are too scarce but this is the kind of place to be parading or standing along its impossibly long bar rather than sitting down anyway. Sunday afternoons are all about indulgence and taking it nice and easy with Bloody Marys, the newspapers and comfort foods.
reviewed
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Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
Serious aficionados of traditional music should make the trip here. The name (col -tas kyohl- thory erin) means ‘Fraternity of Traditional Musicians of Ireland’. Here you’ll find the best Irish music and dancing in Dublin, with some of the country’s top players. There are nightly shows, but the ‘craic is mighty’ at Friday night’s céilidh (group Irish dance).
reviewed
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O’Brien’s
The unofficial HQ of media types and advertising execs, old-fashioned O’Brien’s is the embodiment of all the aspirations of the Celtic Tiger, a place where prosperity and forward-thinking can flourish amid the powerfully nostalgic reminders of a time gone by. Which pretty much means that O’Brien’s hasn’t changed its décor all that much, but the bathrooms are absolutely spotless.
reviewed
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Button Factory
A top-class sound system, a big main stage, a proper dance pit and a carpeted back bar are the ingredients that make this a contender for best venue in town, for both live music and DJ gigs. From punk to dancehall, from alt rock to electro, there’s something for every taste. Show up for the live gig and stay for the club. Saturday night’s Transmission (electro, dance) is especially recommended.
reviewed
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Church
We don’t normally go in for superpubs, but this one deserves a mention. Irish patriot Wolfe Tone, who was baptised here, and Arthur Guinness, brewery founder, who married here, might have conflicting views on the fate of this remarkable early 18th-century church. The glorious restoration features an enormous organ and historically important wall plaques and inscriptions. Expect a well-heeled crowd.
reviewed
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Pod
The name is still the same, but the one-time legendary dance club (in Dublin terms, anyway) has been resized and incorporated within the confines of John Reynold’s newest entertainment venue, made up of three attached but separate rooms. The much smaller Pod is still home to club nights, ranging from Wednesday’s indie faves at Antics to the always excellent dancefest that is Pogo (Saturday).
reviewed
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Abbey Theatre
It is scheduled to move to a purpose-built location in the Docklands, but for now Ireland’s national theatre – including the smaller, experimental Peacock Theatre – still resides in a large concrete box by the river. It puts on new Irish works, as well as revivals of classic Irish plays by writers such as WB Yeats, JM Synge, Sean O’Casey, Brendan Behan and Samuel Beckett.
reviewed
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Globe
Dublin’s original and best cafe-bar is a mecca for hip young locals and clued-in visitors. With its wooden floors and brick walls, it’s as much a daytime haunt for a good latte as a watering hole by night. Eclectic music, Sunday-afternoon jazz and friendly staff help the place thrive. It has recently changed hands, but the new owners will hardly try to fix what ain’t broke.
reviewed
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Temple Bar
The most photographed pub façade in Dublin, perhaps the world, the Temple Bar (aka Flannery’s) is smack bang in the middle of the tourist precinct and is usually choc-a-bloc with visitors. It’s good craic though, and presses all the right buttons, with traditional musicians, a buzzy atmosphere and even a beer garden. It’s also one of the most expensive pubs in Dublin.
reviewed
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Auld Dubliner
Predominantly patronised by tourists, ‘the Auld Foreigner’, as locals have dubbed it, has a carefully manicured ‘old-world’ charm that has been preserved – or refined – after a couple of renovations. It’s a reliable place for a singsong and a laugh, as long as you don’t mind taking 15 minutes to get to and from the jax (toilet).
reviewed
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Mulligans
Outside the northeastern boundary of Temple Bar, Mulligans has scarcely changed over the years. It featured as the local in the film My Left Foot and is also popular with journalists from the nearby newspaper offices. Mulligan’s was established in 1782 and has long been reputed to have the best Guinness in Ireland, as well as a wonderfully varied collection of regulars.
reviewed
