27) O'Donoghue's of Merrion Row, D2

Famous traditional pub with painted black and white square windows and doors. The Dubliners [1] first started their band playing music sessions here [2]. A short, unfinished film shot in 1965 called O'Donoghue's Opera [3] features Ronnie Drew as lead along with his band who can be seen performing ‘The Wild Rover’ in O’Donoghue’s pub. The front area is still used for daily Trad sessions and is plastered with photos of Luke, Ronnie, Barney (and co.). The bar has not lost its old charm and even though it becomes packed with tourists on weekends it still retains a spit & sawdust feel. When it’s not too overcrowded at daytime the bar is a great place to stop in for a sup. It boasts Dublin’s shortest wait time for a pint of the black stuff as a lengthy row of pints is always in waiting pre-poured and settling - in need only of a second touch - such is the constant demand for the stout. Normally the Guinness is delicious, but on a few occasions throughout the years a bad pint had to be given back to which bar staff did not take kindly. One may notice a sign high up near the ceiling which reads: ‘What the hell are you looking up here for?’ Genius! Toilets are tiny and absolutely foul. The bar is at the epicenter and serves the smoking area through a door at the back and serves the side bar through a hatch in the bar door. The main room has long wooden ledges to rest one’s pint when it becomes standing room only. 

Andrew Stephens and Paul Duncan (a large lad fondly known as ‘The Dunk’) once sat at the bar and each consumed at least a dozen fresh pints in one swift sitting. The Dunk went on to have dinner with his other-half immediately after, whereas Stephens struggled to put one floppy foot in front of the other getting lost on a Luas somewhere. Old street signs such as ‘Hogan Place,’ Tara Street’ and ‘Golden Lane’ bedeck the side lane-cum-beer-garden which is well covered under canopy and is warmed by heaters with beer barrels for tables. The recently opened sister bar adjoining is unfortunately acting as a gastritis pub where one can buy oneself a big dirty greasy plate of slop which can then be inserted as soak to solidify one’s system. It’s easy to get swept up in the auld Irish drinking culture surrounded by the music and the walls and the history of O'Donoghue's pub. If one enters with the intentions of a short stay, forget it, be prepared to get locked-in and legless.

FOOTNOTES

[1] The Dubliners can be seen reciting Flann O’Brien’s A Pint of Plain in O’Donoghue’s here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYudr9FAGOA

[2] To see The Dubliners playing ‘Dicey Reilly’ live in O’Donoghue’s follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aVl_KvXWIAI#!

[3] The full film can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKOim7Mu1so

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