Two pubs for the price of one – the Oak is older (the window seat commands an excellent view of Dame Street's passersby – perhaps its only commendation), and is reputed to have been Dublin's first gay bar, circa the fifties; Thomas Read's is younger, swankier and with gastritis inclinations. A downstairs area was once the scene of Open Readings and Speakeasy's in bygone college days of yore. 

Update as of December 2019: the two pubs, which are connected via an aperture at the back covered by curtains, are now both called The Oak (previously called: ‘The Ivy’ and ‘Thomas Read’s’). The ‘Thomas Read’ connection is with their next-door neighbour directly adjacent on Parliament Street - the once famous cutlers Thomas Read’s. Here one may find a link to Guinness. The original James Read had a sister Elizabeth Read who married Richard Guinness and gave birth to Arthur Guinness of the iconic stout fame. So it has been said that ‘The Oak pub sits next-door to the spiritual home of Guinness.’

Update as of November 2021: Another piece of shit for a ‘pub’ has been put in place - this time in place of the Oak’s larger lounge - by the insufferable Galway Bay Brewery (Paddle and Peel, The Brew Dock, The Black Sheep, The Beer Market, Against The Grain, Gasworks and The 108 - all glorified fast food shops with NO Guinness and NO Beamish available, just exorbitant craft beer). Thankfully, so far at least, the smaller bar to the right has been left unchanged as ‘The Oak.’ Let’s hope is stays that way.

FOOTNOTE

[1] Established in 1670 originally as ‘James Read’s & Co.’ (then inherited by Thomas Read in 1776) it was the oldest shop in Ireland and the oldest cutler shop in Europe. It sold swords and knives, and later famously owned the world’s largest penknife (576 blades) and the world’s smallest scissors (measuring 1/4 of an inch). This remarkable shop which lay practically unchanged since 1670 was still trading well into the late 1990’s. After it finally closed, the façade had been left to rot until recently when it was purchased and renovated. Despite now being a private restaurant the shop’s old sign has been retained and can be seen to this day hanging on high. For more, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXcURq56beg

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