No visit to Dublin would be complete without a visit to one (or ten) of its many pubs (last count says there are over 600 pubs). Drink is relatively expensive: a pint of stout costs around €4.50 and up, while lager costs around €4.90 and up. However, the government gave a tax break to microbrewed beer in the December 2004 budget, this had a slight effect on prices in brewpubs. Pubs serve drinks until 11:30PM with some drinking-up time allowed. Many bars have late licenses allowing them to serve up to 2:30 AM, although this usually means a cover charge or price increases after 11:30 PM.
Smoking has been illegal in Irish pubs (as well as all indoor workplaces) since March 2004; this has had the positive side effect of increasing al fresco facilities. Beer tends to be more expensive around the Temple Bar area, due to the increased tourist flow, and will be cheaper in more traditional styled pubs.
There are pubs in Dublin offering cheaper drinks, if you are willing to go off the beaten trail or ask other patrons for suggestions. Fibber McGees just off Parnell square, in the City, has 3 euro per drink for any drink including shorts, every Thursday night. (There is a 5 euro door fee to enter after 9 pm Thursday) please be aware Fibber McGees is a heavy metal bar, so if loud music is not your thing then best avoid. O'Reillys of Tara Street charges €3.50 for all draught beers all week. In the suburbs bars such as the Cock Tavern in Swords village north county Dublin, have special offers such as Fosters Australian beer for €3.00 per pint.
The Temple Bar that people often speak of is an area that used to be a sand bar, not an actual bar. (Originally, anyway; there is a pub called "The Temple Bar" in Temple Bar.) The Temple Bar district has a mixture of food, drink, shopping and music. It appeals to all ages, but is a hot spot for tourists. The narrow, cobble stoned streets gives it an original feeling within the heart of the city. Its central location also makes it easy to walk to from Dublin's Centre. However, late night revellers tend to make it an unpleasant place to be after dark. It can be taken over by drunken stag and boisterous hen parties, many who travel cheaply from the United Kingdom to avail of Temple Bar's delights.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Dublin
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Dublin - updated Apr 2024
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Dublin Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
