J + M Cleary's
Formally known as the Signal House, this is another of those Dublin pubs that I've passed by a thousand times but never ventured into, thinking that my type of country mightn't be welcome there. Maybe it's because the place is located under a rail bridge that I though it'd be full of drunken trolls falling about the place, watching the horses. I was right about the horses, but wrong about everything else. It has been in the same family since the mid 1800's, and being staunch Republicans themselves the bar was a hangout for famous Irish Republicans such as Michael Collins - images of him adorn many of the walls inside. In fact some scenes of the film on Collins' life were shot in here for that very reason. Like many other famous Dublin institutions the bar is also mentioned in Joyce's Ulysses.
The interior is argueably the most handsome period bar you will find in Dublin city...I know that I can't think of any other place in the city center, save perhaps the Long Hall, that has retained so much of it's original charms.
Des the barman was a pro and a gent, filling me in with some of the history of the place, he even dropped up a complimentary bowl of lovely oxtail soup for myself and my buddy - he said they were the last bowls in the pot. The family have always provided free soup for the locals, a tradition that you'll go a long way to find anywhere else. Do yourself a favour and check it out...it's a classic.
Part of the Boozin' set. See the Slideshow
Or check out the Bar Guide
J + M Cleary's
Formally known as the Signal House, this is another of those Dublin pubs that I've passed by a thousand times but never ventured into, thinking that my type of country mightn't be welcome there. Maybe it's because the place is located under a rail bridge that I though it'd be full of drunken trolls falling about the place, watching the horses. I was right about the horses, but wrong about everything else. It has been in the same family since the mid 1800's, and being staunch Republicans themselves the bar was a hangout for famous Irish Republicans such as Michael Collins - images of him adorn many of the walls inside. In fact some scenes of the film on Collins' life were shot in here for that very reason. Like many other famous Dublin institutions the bar is also mentioned in Joyce's Ulysses.
The interior is argueably the most handsome period bar you will find in Dublin city...I know that I can't think of any other place in the city center, save perhaps the Long Hall, that has retained so much of it's original charms.
Des the barman was a pro and a gent, filling me in with some of the history of the place, he even dropped up a complimentary bowl of lovely oxtail soup for myself and my buddy - he said they were the last bowls in the pot. The family have always provided free soup for the locals, a tradition that you'll go a long way to find anywhere else. Do yourself a favour and check it out...it's a classic.
Part of the Boozin' set. See the Slideshow
Or check out the Bar Guide