1) The Long Hall of South Great George's Street, D2
One of Dublin's finest and most famous pubs occupying pride of place in the heart of the city centre. The current building dates from 1877, making it Victorian, though there was a pub on the spot since 1700. The name is apt – though there are plenty of pubs that far exceed it in length – and the grandeur of its interior is a joy to behold, exquisitely decorated and dominated by a large central clock, and everywhere golden beads of sunlight glittering off the numerous glassy mirrored surfaces.
If one looks to the left of the façade a door can be seen which used to open onto a ‘long hall’ that stretched behind the length of the bar. This was for the ‘shawlies’ [1] of yesteryear to take their tipple in isolation. For more than 130 years this abode has remained unchanged. The said central clock has been telling the ‘Correct Time’ since 1881 and is still accurate to this day. A smaller clock at the back of the bar is equally impressive with its open innards ever in motion. The overall tone of the pub is enhanced by saturated red, finely polished brass and facing mirrors which create an infinity effect – a topic worthy of discussion after 8 pints. An ornate archway separates the bar from the lounge and the carpet adds comfort underfoot. If you're lucky enough to grab the window seat, you'll be treated to a panoramic view of one of the town's central thoroughfares, rich in people-watching and incident.
Another seat worth warming is the famous Phil Lynott seat (main bar, third stool from the right). The singer sat here lovesick nursing a whiskey in the music video for the hit song Old Town in 1982. ‘The Boss’ Bruce Springsteen has made this his local and takes a pint here each time he’s in the city. This pub also features in the 1995 film An Awfully Big Adventure – the foppish Hugh Grant and the marvellous Alun Armstrong appear in the scene in question. More often than not, seats are at a premium and the prices are rising ever more steeply by the second. Take for example the humble Beamish which vends at a whopping €5.20 a pint. Still, very much a must-see and a valuable drinking experience.
Its grandiose appearance at the proud head of this lengthy list does not, however, indicate that we consider it the Number One Best Bar In The City (these pubs are not ordered in terms of merit – later entries tend to appear in the order visited), but is merely an attempt to right a longstanding wrong: despite its fame and prominence, and despite many visits on our part over the years, we somehow forgot to include this pub in the list at all, despite passing it by nearly every other day, and only grew wise to its glaring absence after some three years of exhaustive and painstaking list-keeping and nearly a year's worth of ostensibly comprehensive note-taking, lavishing adjectives on far lesser institutions while blatantly overlooking one of Dublin's true gems. So let it be Numero Uno then – rest assured, o lovely Long Hall, you are far from forgotten by the Publopedians [2].
Sorrowful Update as of 2023: O Long Hall! Why? Why did you let politics rule? Reader dear, The Long Hall have ripped out their Beamish tap and installed a new (more expensive, less delicious) alternative stout. Alas, for how many decades had barrels of Beamo been rolled into your shop? What two fingers you stuck up in the face of your loyal patrons. Shame on you, and to cancel Beamish at a time when all your neighbours are flying the Beamo flag. Reader, if you want a pint of creamy Beamo in this part of town you can get it across the road in Hogan’s or Grogan’s or even in the bloody Drury Buildings across the way.
FOOTNOTES
[1] For more about ‘Shawlies’ see: Slattery’s of Rathmines.
[2] We two, and other mortal souls predisposed to these scrawls and who frequent in person the various establishments we have put in print.
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