The best pubs Leinster

Here is an Irish pub, a real one; as we imagine them in Dublin and as we like them! Here, the regulars mingle with the foreign visitors always in a good mood. Far from Temple Bar and its often touristy side, the atmosphere is very warm and resolutely authentic. Guinness is not expensive (€5.50 a pint) and it is possible to listen to good Irish music every night from 9.30pm . A folkloric establishment not to be missed on the north bank of the Irish capital.

This pub, dating from 1840, with its bright red and black façade, is one of the city's epinal images. People come here for a beer or an Irish coffee at any time of day. In summer, the pub is so crowded that people drink in the street. In winter, it has a heated patio. And every day, customers - mostly tourists - sway to traditional music from 12 noon onwards. For connoisseurs, the Temple Bar offers a selection of over 300 whiskeys! Others will enjoy the famous combo of oysters and Guinness, available all year round. A legend in its own right.

At the bottom of Smithfield Square (coming from the city centre), Cobblestone is a great place to listen to traditional Irish and roots folk music. Every day a concert is improvised in the pub with talented musicians from all over Ireland (from 9pm on Monday and Tuesday, 7pm from Wednesday to Saturday, and 2pm on Sunday). The very rustic setting and dark atmosphere provide an impression of intimacy that we love. A local colourful place where the most experienced tourists and regulars mingle.

Brazen Head, which can be translated by «burnt head», is officially the oldest pub in the city (1198!). Its location predestined to the political conspiracy… Today it is very busy, especially by tourists. Famous musicians played here, like the Dubliners, Van Morrison or The Hothouse Flowers, and others perpetuate tradition every night for our greatest pleasure. The place offers and is perfect for a Storytelling evening, where you will be told of the old Ireland.

This traditional pub, whose name means "the hairy lemon", is the rendezvous for the city's students who do the pub crawl, i.e. the pub crawl. But in the maze of halls, all ages cohabitate. To our great delight! It's hard to get along in this place that is constantly packed to the brim. Upstairs, the atmosphere is even more lively. The bar serves plates of nachos, nuggets, burgers and more substantial typical dishes. And the small terrace makes the pub even more pleasant. An excellent address.

Porterhouse Red (their own beer), Hersbrucker, Chiller, Brainblasta, Wrasslers, Truffle Stout, and many more await you here on Parliament Street. This bar simply has the largest selection of foreign beers in the city, that's for sure... There's even an oyster beer! And in this all-wooden setting, excellent pop rock artists perform on a tiny balcony stage visible from the ground floor to the^second floor. So there is live music every night and every day a pint is offered at 4,50 €.

This pub is easy to spot with its mural of a docker and a dog on the outside wall of the building. The place is very cosy, with the beams and woodwork so typical of local establishments, and attracts a crowd of tourists, especially at the end of the day when the music of the live bands is in full swing. There is also a large room upstairs for a little more peace and quiet. In short, a classic that remains a must in Temple Bar with its concerts every day.

On the way to Temple Square, it is hard to miss this yellow and green facade, its countless flags and its statue of James Joyce. The Oliver St. John Gogarty receives letters from admirers from all over the world, nostalgic for the so irish atmosphere within its walls. If the place mainly welcomes tourists, it offers good plates for a Temple Bar pub. And every day, there is livetraditional music from 12:30 to 2:00 in the morning.

Opposite the Theatre Royal in Dublin, this is another famous local hangout, which has had patrons like Nat King Cole and Judy Garland in the past. This traditional Victorian pub, open since... 1782, has a reputation for serving the best Guinness in the Irish capital. It's up to you to make up your own mind! In any case, there's a real atmosphere in this lively and charming place that also saw James Joyce... and J.F. Kennedy when he was still a journalist. A legendary bar.

From the outside, this pub looks quite small, but it's not. Many Dubliners gather here after their day's work to drink a quality Guinness in a typical setting. It serves competitively priced pints and attracts journalists, politicians and the working classes who mingle in a cheerful hubbub. The Nesbitt, as they call it, is a simple, rather old school place and one of the oldest pubs in the Irish capital, since it has been serving beer and whiskey since... 1867 !

Silken Thomas, a family business that is now almost fifty years old and located right in the centre of Kildare, is a complex with several different rooms and atmospheres: in Flanagan's Lounge it's rather modern, in Lils it's the Irish tradition, and finally Squires invites you to follow the sport with a pint in your hand. The staff is really friendly, we spend a very good time. Families are also welcome. A real institution in Kildare, a meeting point for the inhabitants.

The Cock Tavern is the oldest pub in Howth (the building itself dates back to the end of the th century) and is the most pleasant, according to its habitués. The pint is at about 4 €, and the place has a garden garden, billiards, a game of darts, a jukeboxes box and a fireplace in the winter. Rock concerts are given on Friday and Saturday evening and place on Sunday evening traditional Irish music. It is also the Cock Tavern that is organized by boat fishing to the island north of Howth (10 to 15 €).

This Camden Street pub has been a favourite of Dublin's youth for decades. The bar is always packed at weekends, but there's a huge room at the back and very efficient staff who will never leave you dying of thirst. The music it plays, often live with bands or DJs, makes you want to dance furiously and, as the regulars say with a smile, "you haven't really been to Dublin if you haven't set foot in Flannery's". An institution in the capital.

The black and white tiled floor and the rough wooden furniture set the tone when you enter this pub, which deserves its name as it has been established for more than 300 years. Yet it doesn't cultivate a traditional pub style, but rather a trendy gastro-pub look that can be confusing at first glance. The atmosphere is smart enough to meditate while sipping a drink in the afternoon. Offers Irish cuisine, such as beef and guiness casserole or traditional irish stew and some good seafood.

Halfway between trendy and medieval Dublin, here is a superb pub where you will not fail to admire the clock on the very long counter, as well as the dark room decorated with old engravings, or the blue ceiling surrounded by chandeliers and decorated with colourful mouldings. In this place full of character and tradition, the prices are very reasonable and you can sit down to chat quietly. You will understand why the Long Hall attracts so many regulars. And why it is a popular destination for tourists passing through Dublin. We like it!

This is Drogheda's most typical pub! This town-center building with its unique bar atmosphere dates back to the late 19th^century . Nano Reid, a brilliant local artist born in 1900, lived upstairs in this pub when it belonged to her father. A truly warm welcome, with some forty Irish and international beers in store, although, naturally, Guinness usually wins out here. Tea and coffee are also served, with a smile. Thirsty or not, Clarke's is well worth a visit!

No deafening music in this classy and traditional pub where an enormous stuffed deer head, which gave its name to the establishment, is enthroned. The Victorian tavern at Stag's Head is the perfect place for a quiet chat or to meet Dubliners who have come to relax over a Guinness (the pub has been featured in Guinness advertisements!). The clientele is rather middle age. Possibility to order a soup of the day, a burger, fish & chips and other typical dishes. The establishment also offers trays to share.