A History of Dublin Through Its Pubs

In Ireland, the pub isn’t just a place to grab a pint — it’s where revolutions were whispered into motion, where writers tested lines before they hit the page, and where tradition is kept alive through conversation and song. Step into the right pub in Dublin, and you’re stepping into a story.

This is not a pub crawl. This is a journey through Irish history — told across five pubs, each tied to a key moment, figure, or movement. Come thirsty for context.

1. The Brazen Head – The Rebel’s Refuge (Est. 1198)

Best for: Revolutionary history, folklore, and living legend status

Claiming to be Ireland’s oldest pub, The Brazen Head has earned its mythical reputation. With ivy-covered walls and a warren of low-ceilinged rooms, it feels unchanged by time — and for good reason. Records show that there’s been a tavern on this site since the 12th century.

But it was in the 18th and 19th centuries that The Brazen Head gained real historical weight. It became a favorite haunt of United Irishmen like Robert Emmet and Wolfe Tone, whose whispered plans for independence unfolded in its darkened corners. Today, you can still sit in the courtyard under fairy lights and feel history humming beneath your feet.

Come for the pint; stay for the sense of revolutionary spirit still lingering in the air.

2. Kehoe’s – The Literary Snug

Best for: Joyce fans, book lovers, and seekers of quiet beauty

Tucked away just off Grafton Street, Kehoe’s is a masterclass in Victorian pub design. Mahogany partitions, etched glass, creaking floorboards — and those all-important snugs, private booths where patrons once enjoyed a pint away from prying eyes (and where women, not yet welcome in the main bar, could still take part in the public life of the city).

Kehoe’s is sacred ground for lovers of literature. It appears on many James Joyce walking routes, and its air still feels thick with the words of Dublin’s writers and thinkers. It’s a place for hushed debates, dog-eared paperbacks, and solo reflection over a perfectly poured pint.

3. The Palace Bar – The Journalist’s Local

Best for: Print culture, portrait-lined walls, and poetic nostalgia

On the edge of Temple Bar, The Palace Bar doesn’t shout for attention — but it has long drawn in some of Dublin’s sharpest minds. Since the early 20th century, it’s been the preferred watering hole of Irish Times journalists, poets, and playwrights. Brendan Behan drank here. Flann O’Brien might be eavesdropping still.

The upstairs snug is a shrine to literary Dublin, and the pub continues to champion Irish writing today. If you’re lucky, you’ll overhear the kind of rapid-fire banter that could easily be a newspaper column by morning.

Order a Powers whiskey, pick a corner table, and let the portraits of Irish cultural icons watch over you.

4. Mulligan’s – The Pint and the Paradox

Best for: Timelessness, ghost stories, and unbeatable Guinness

They say you don’t just drink Guinness at Mulligan’s... You experience it. This Fleet Street pub has been perfecting its pour since 1854, and locals argue it serves the best pint in the city. There’s something about the worn wood, the surly charm, and the quiet reverence of regulars that makes time stretch and bend here.

It’s also the kind of place where literary ghosts linger. Brendan Behan drank here, and was banned more than once. JFK reportedly visited. And more than one staff member will tell you it’s haunted.

The secret to Mulligan’s magic? It hasn’t changed. And that’s exactly why you’ll want to stay awhile.

5. The Cobblestone – The Sound of Ireland

Best for: Traditional music, community roots, and storytelling through song

In Smithfield, just north of the Liffey, you’ll find The Cobblestone. It's part pub, part cultural institution and one of the few spots left in Dublin where traditional music is passed down by ear, played by heart, and shared without pretense.

Owned by a family of musicians, The Cobblestone hosts nightly sessions that feel more like family gatherings than gigs. Fiddles, pipes, bodhráns and the occasional sean-nós singing spill out from the back room, inviting anyone with enough curiosity (or courage) to join in.

The Final Toast

In a country where stories have long been currency, the pub is where they circulate best. These five don’t just serve drinks — they serve history, heritage, and the kind of human connection that travelers often seek but rarely find.

So go ahead. Pull up a stool. Order a pint. And listen closely.

The pub will do the talking.