81) M. O'Brien's of Sussex Terrace, Upper Leeson Street, D4

Located right next door to the Leeson Lounge. A pleasant if cramped interior full of knickknacks. A notable regular is a red-faced man with earphones – presumably tuned into some calming app featuring birdsong or running water, anything to calm his ferocious muttering tics, for he has a distressing penchant for peppering his otherwise unremarkable discourse with expletives and insults – 'You're a cunt, fuck you', etc. If one is wise, one will not take any of this abuse personally, since it seems directed to the world at large, the crapulent effluent of a mind unhinged. This pub was also made memorable for serving us one of the worst and most undrinkable pints of Guinness in recent memory – had to leave it standing. 

Andrew Stephens returned, and didn’t risk a Guinness but took a very tasty Smithwicks instead. For that honour he was made to hand over €5.40, fuck you very much! Oddly, the lounge is noticeably darker than the bar. The best seats in the house are at the back of the bar by the emergency exit doors which are kept open during summer months. There one will find a cushioned L-shaped bench on a higher level that runs the length of two round tables and surrounded by stained-glass windows. The breeze from three different openings constantly curls around this corner which is a joy on hot days. The lounge is large but home to the smallest stage of any pub we’ve seen. A peculiarity: proudly and boldly engraved on golden plaques throughout the pub, inside and out, is: ‘M.O’Brien’s of Leeson Street.’ But it’s not on Leeson Street at all! It corners Sussex Road and Sussex Terrace. Inferiority complex or a shrewd business decision? Unlike the lounge, the bar demands strictly no radio or television which is wonderful. An agreeable place to stop in for a quick and quiet one if walking by the Grand Canal at daytime. Just be cautious, my caution, of the aforesaid foul mouthed and vaguely threatening madman!

A lost soul

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