Publiners

Why does it take five Irishmen to change a lightbulb? One changes the bulb, while the other four drink beer at the pub and reminisce about what a grand bulb the old one had been. It’s an old variation of an older joke, I know. But spend a couple of evenings in the pubs in Dublin, and you’ll find that pubs are such an intrinsic part of Irish life, that the joke may well be true. For the Irish drink when they’re happy. They drink when they’re not. They drink in company. And if they’re alone, they’ll have a pint of Guinness anyway.

The Irish practically invented the concept of the pub—the word harks back to the traditional ‘public house’ and its presiding deity, the publican: someone with a license to serve spirits to the thirsty public. Through Irish history, through their dark years of drought and famine, the pub has remained the mainstay of Irish social life. Needless to say, Irish pubs are the best places to be in for anyone interested in getting a sense of Celtic life and culture. They’re also a lot of fun for people who just want a drink.

As we drive to the hotel from the Dublin airport, I realise that one can’t throw a stone in Dublin without hitting a pub. As Leopold Bloom quipped in Ulysses: "A good puzzle would be to cross Dublin without passing a pub".

The rise of the Celtic tiger has spawned many more pubs in Dublin since Joyce’s time. When last anyone checked, the city had over a thousand pubs and counting. Most Dubliners frequent their neighbourhood pubs loyally. Even the Irish prime minister (try pronouncing his Celtic title Taoiseach after a few drinks ) who had to move into his posh address in St Stephens Green after being elected to office, goes to his local pub for a pint every now and then. Very (re)publican.

But those are for locals. For first time visitors to Dublin, no place is more happening than the Temple Bar district. Named after an obscure Jewish temple few know of, this area South of the River Liffey has quaint shops, outdoor food stalls and pubs of course. Arguably one of the oldest pubs in Temple Bar is Oliver St John Gogarty’s, which has been around since 1835. Rubbing shoulders with the more recent Hard Rock Café and about a hundred other pubs and bars, Gogarty’s is perpetually packed.

We order our pints of Guinness ("Oh, so you’re a Guinness girl!" exclaims the friendly waitress) and pore over its extensive Irish menu. Seafood chowder, corned beef and steaks arrive. The steaks are so large they look like they’ve been carved from some prehistoric mastodon. We try manfully but fail to conquer the mountains of food on the table. A floor below, a singer strikes up a tune, someone else picks up a fiddle and soon it begins to sound like everyone has joined in the fun. "U2, Enya, Sinead O’Connor and the Corrs all began their careers in Dublin’s pubs," says Patrick, my Irish friend, as the spirited crowd reaches a crescendo, "I guess its a crucial part of their training!"

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