Have a Drink: Our Guide to Dublin's Oldest Pubs

Have a dash of history with your pint at Dublin's oldest pubs

The Irish people are famed for their pub culture which dates back generations and unsurprisingly, there's a number of pub veterans on the scene. From centrally located hidden gems to charming retreats from the main hullaballoo, there's a number of historic bars worth unwinding in with a cold pint.

The Brazen Head

The Brazen Head claims to be the oldest pub in all of Ireland and we're inclined to believe them, as it dates all the way back to 1198. While it's changed over the years (in fact, nobody's sure how much of the original structure remains), it's remained a popular watering hole and atttracted some big names over the years like Jonathan Swift, Wolfe Tone and James Joyce. The latter even mentioned it in his epic Ulysses. Nowadays, it retains its traditional old world vibe, frosty pints and live music.

The Stag's Head

This award-winning pub is steeped in history and was originally built in 1780, but renovated during the Victorian era. As such, the pub still retains a very Victorian feel with marble columns and stained glass accents. Named for the stag's head that hangs behind the bar, it remains a buzzing night every day of the week with live music, poetry readings and other events hosted within its historic walls.

Mulligan's

Grab a pint of the black stuff at Mulligans, a pub which has been running since 1854 and is still going strong. As one of James Joyce's favourite haunts (the man really got around), it was once incredibly popular with performers and writers including Judy Garland and a young John F. Kennedy when he was still a journalist. Now however, tourist and locals lounge on its beaten up wooden bar stools and bask in the old world ambience.

Kehoe's

The rich dark wood panelling of Kehoe's immediately transports pub patrons to another time, with stained glass doors and cosy partitions casting back to Victorian design sensibilities. Licensed in 1803, the pub is located pretty centrally on South Anne Street and people flock to its bar on the weekends where a cold pint is always welcome.

John Kavanagh/The Gravediggers

While this charming pub may be a little out of the way, it's full of character and has been run by the Kavanagh family since 1833. As with many of the other pubs on the list, it's built in a traditional style and is always popular with tourists due to its close proximity to Glasnevin Cemetery. (Its nickname is a direct reference to the famed graveyard.)