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When Leeson Street was the centre of the universe (at least, it was if you wanted an after hours drink)
I mentioned a few pubs the other day and it seems that I’m not the only one who remembers drinking dens which closed their doors many years ago. But of course, back then, when we drank in those now long gone pubs, we had to leave before midnight, unless we were lucky enough to… Read more
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How Lá Leathcheann Aibreán in the Ireland of 845 AD became April Fools’ Day all over the world
April’s Fool Day. It’s celebrated, if that’s the right word, all over the world. But there is some dispute as to its origin. There is a belief that if came from the fact that, in the Middle Ages, New Year’s day was celebrated on March 25th in many European towns with a festival which ended… Read more
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Some pubs to which we bade a sad farewell (and maybe a few we don’t actually miss that much!)
Pubs come and go. Sometimes it’s hard to believe when a good pub dies. The Pearl Bar was one such. It was an Irish Times haunt and run by the Weldon family, two of whom were in school with me. Maeve Binchy claimed she liked to visit twice a day. But many Irish Times journalists… Read more
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Pubs: Let’s hope the really great ones survive and return. I’m aching for a pint in Toner’s!
My friend and colleague Roy Curtis wrote a wonderful piece about pubs in the Sunday World at the weekend. It was quite an emotional piece. Roy, like me and many others, enjoys a good pub and not just because the pint might be magnificent, but because the company might also be magnificent. And if you… Read more
