Here are 50 Dublin pubs we lost – how many more will close because of the way our lives are changing?

I’m not sure how many pubs will survive Covid-19.

It’s not just the pandemic – it’s the way we’re all being forced to change our habits, our way of living, our way of socialising.

I’m not a great man for house parties. I always thought it was better to give it a lash and let someone else do the tidying up!

But as habits change, as customs change, as pubs change it’s likely that quite a few more famous drinking spots will close their doors forever. (I preferred it when they closed their doors during the holy hour or at 11.30 at night and let a few of us stay there supping our pints.)

The way the future of pubs is being described – nobody allowed at the counter, table service only, everyone sitting well apart, Perspex screens and what not – would put me right off.

Yes of course, our health and our lives are more important, but I would hate to see the great pubs we have threatened. I can’t imagine no Toners, no Kehoe’s, no Grogans, no Waterloo, no Brady’s in Terenure, no Byrne’s in Galloping Green, no Mulligans of Poolbeg Street…

Anyway, here’s a list of 50 we’ve lost over the years.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, I had a drink (!) in every one of them – with the exception of the Irish Times Club!

1. The Pearl Bar Fleet Street
2. Higgins Abbey St
3. Valance and McGrath North Wall Quay
4. Scotch House Aston Quay
5. Horse and Tram Eden Quay
6. The Princes, Princes Street
7. Larry Murphy’s Baggot Street
8. The Toby Jug South King Street
9. Scruffy Murphy’s Power’s Court
10. Conway’s Parnell Street
11. The Summerhill Inn, Summerhill
12. Coman’s Rathgar
13. The Grove Inn Rathmines
14. Brady’s Williamstown
15. The Duck Inn Finglas
16. The Tuning Fork Rathfarnham
17. The Pig and Whistle Church Street
18. The Quill Arran Quay
19. Bartley Dunne’s Stephen Street Lower
20. Rice’s Stephen’s Green
21. The Chariot Inn Ranelagh
22. Davy and Phelan’s Bachelor’s Walk
23. The Elbow Inn Mary Street
24. The Irish House Harold’s Cross
25. The Irish House Wood Quay
26. Keating’s Mary Street
27. Kirwin House Leeson Street
28. The Limelight Thomas Street
29. The Magnet Pearse Street
30. McGonagles South Anne Street
31. Mother Redcaps Back Lane Christchurch
32. Murray’s Sean McDermott Street
33. Scholars Blackpitts
34. The Silver Swan George’s Quay
35. Kiely’s Donnybrook
36. Timmins Wood Quay
37. The White Horse George’s Quay
38. The Winter Garden Palace Stephen’s Green
39. Zanzibar Ormond Quay
40. The Irish Times Club Aston Quay
41. McGowan’s Churchtown
42. The Deerpark Clonskeagh
43. The Dollymount House
44. Barley Mow Francis Street
45. McGruders Thomas Street
46. The Black and Amber Inn Islandbridge
47. Man of Achill Clanbrassil Street
48. Madigan’s Moore Street
49. Rosie O’Grady’s Harold’s Cross
50. The Queen’s Dalkey

I could tell a few stories from Scruffy’s – but not today!