Booze Nooze

Here at Publin HQ we’re compiling a list of deals in pubs for free and cheap drinks for the Amlin and Heineken Cup Finals. Here’s our list as it stands. Keep checking back for more deals, as we’re bound to add further to this list by the time the HC final kicks off on Saturday.

Local businesses around Thomas street have recently come together to highlight the fact  that the area is in decline due to what they call “State sponsored dereliction”, i.e. NAMA is letting buildings fall into disrepair. Link. We’ve always had a fondness for Thomas street, and specifically it’s pubs, so we’re taking it upon ourselves to let you know a bit more about the pubs and tell you why Thomas street could be another Camden street.

Thomas street is a bit of a tech and cultural quarter of the city, with the Digital Hub tucked around the corner from Arthurs, and NCAD on the main street providing a bit of custom to the local bars and cafes. There’s certainly more than just good pubs in the area, but that’s what we know and that’s what we’re going to show you.

For some, Thomas Street is just a bit too far of a walk for their night out. It’s around a ten minute walk from Dame street (if even) and we’re going to give you a few reasons why you should take a short stroll and try something different.

 The Little Green

Definitely a unique addition to the area (and technically on High street), The Little Green is not only a bar, but also a gallery. They host several displays of artwork of different kinds and are a bit of a hub for creativity. We’re constantly teased by their photos of lunchtime specials and it does very much look to be worth a visit for the food alone. There’s always events going on here, including movie nights that revolve around a theme. One of the more recent themes being Wes Anderson movies. They also did a ’12 movies of christmas’ last year. The beer selection is good and it certainly ticks a lot of boxes for trying something different, both in terms of events, but also in atmosphere and decor.

The Clock

The Clock has a good reputation for being a very friendly place. The customers are usually local, but it can attract passers-by. One thing we didn’t know about this pub until recently is that they have an aviary in the beer garden. Not something you’d expect to find in a Dublin pub and probably the only one in town (prove us wrong!). They’re obviously a conscious and community friendly bar, as they offer discounted prices to OAPs. They sell a regular selection on tap and have a few cheaper options for those on a budget.

Bakers

Bakers definitely puts in the effort when it comes to live music, food, and local spirit. Chef Dougie in the kitchen is always cooking up a storm of reasonably priced traditional meals with enough quality to keep people coming back in droves. The have weekly live music, including ballads, trad, and some standard fare. They even do a deal or no deal night if our memory serves correctly. There’s no reason why a place like this should be overlooked by passing tourists. It ticks all the boxes for them in terms of good food, good guinness, friendly staff that Irish pubs are known for, and some toe tapping tunes to keep them entertained.

Tom Kennedys

The last time we were in Kennedys a local man came in to get a bowl of water filled for his dog outside. Did the staff oblige? Of course they did! They’re a Thomas street pub and Thomas street is known for the friendliness of their bar staff. They’re big fans of karaoke in here and you can hear a few renditions of crowd favourites several nights a week. A friend of Publin commented that it’s probably one of the most underrated pints of Guinness in the city. And why not, it’s so close to the Guinness storehouse you can smell the hops. They have an excellent darts setup at the back of the bar, with a well lit raised platform. We’ve heard that for this reason it’s a favourite of some NCAD students, and of course also for their reasonably priced pints.

The Thomas House

Whenever we ask Publiners what they like about Thomas street, the answer is usually resoundingly ‘ The Thomas House! ‘. As a venue they’re very unique and it shows how good they are at booking good bands that people have no problem making the short trip from the centre of town to hang out in this extremely cool dive bar to listen to the tunes and drink some really good international and craft beer. They’re by far the most entertaining pub on twitter simply for the reason that they’re being themselves, and that openness translates to the atmosphere of the pub. Their events range from Punk  gigs to skalectrix nights, from  ska gigs to craft beer tastings. They know their audience and they’re not afraid to try new things. They even have a barber in on Saturdays so you can get a hair cut and have a beer. We’re big fans of the Thomas House and what they’re doing. Long may they reign.

Arthurs

Arthurs is probably the pub closest to the Guinness Storehouse, and as such they have a good relationship with the brewery. The Guinness here is smashing. So much so that a lot of the Guinness staff drink here. The bar is quite large and has a huge open fireplace and also an area for live musicians to set up and get the crowd going. Upstairs in Arthurs they have been getting more into events, with a monthly comedy club ‘ Taking Liberties ‘,  and  a new play called ‘ The Robert Emmet Experience ‘ . The crowd here is a mixture of locals, people working in the area, and tourists who have heard of it or just couldn’t resist popping their heads in on the way back from the storehouse. Like all of the pubs on Thomas Street the staff are fantastic and are born with a sense of hospitality and friendliness.

The Hill Top

 The Hill Top is, from what we know of it, a real locals bar that shares the community spirit of other pubs on the street. They do food, including their much touted Irish stew, and cater with sandwiches for their popular darts and bingo nights. If truth be told, we don’t know too much about the Hill Top and that’s something we’d like to change. Any time we have dropped by to tell them about Publin and ask for their prices they’ve always been obliging and interested in what we do.

We asked Publiners what they thought about the street and here’s what they had to say.

@publinie It’s a mixed atmosphere of eclectic and local. Did 12 pubs along the street one year, great craic in The Clock!

— Dreamer (@eimearsmack) May 8, 2013

@publinie The Ferocious Mingle Market, Mama’s Revenge and Thomas House <3 — Marla Singer (@RayneScar) May 8, 2013

@publinie @arthurspub gets a nice crowd, or the thomas house for music… Fallon’s nearby is still my favorite – cosy, friendly

— Aoife Ní Chionnaith (@kodomonster) May 8, 2013

@publinie grew up in the area in the 80′s, was home at Xmas and did a pubcrawl of Thomas st and Meath st, friendlier people u will not meet. — Darren (@valerdar) May 8, 2013

@publinie I once saw a fella having a fight with his bag on Thomas St. Also saw a fella putting on a life jacket to have a pint.

— Ian Cassidy (@ian_cassidy) May 8, 2013

 

We’ve noticed some pubs and bars around the city are trying to branch out from the traditional glass to serve their drinks in something a bit more unique and distinctive. We thought we’d take you through a few of the more stand-out receptacles on offer in Dublin.

Sahara Bar and Venue

In Sahara they’ve elected to serve their cocktails in teapots.  Take, for example, Mr. Tea pot

Lost Society

Lost Society are going for a more toned down and practical approach with their jam jar cocktail glasses.

Everleigh Garden

Everleigh serve their large cocktails in a watering can with a load of straws coming out the top. It’s a garden….get it?

Moe’s Tavern

Anywhere else in town with strange ways of serving? Let us know publinie@gmail.com

Year on year we deal with the same old road block of pubs having to stop serving alcohol on Good Friday. The law may be a relic from the past, but all is not lost. There are some loopholes that mean there are certain places around the city where you can still be served.

Here is our list of ways to buy alcohol legally in a licensed premises on Good Friday and a listing of pubs and bars open selling food only.

 (Edit: We’re doing further research into finding whether numbers 3 and 7 are accurate)

1) Do as most do and have a house party, purchasing your alcohol on Thursday.

2)Take a flight or a ferry journey, as these are exempt from the intoxicating liquor act.

3)Attend a performance in a licensed theatre.  Perhaps catch a play and a shandy in the Abbey? Some theatre bars may open late for the day that’s in it. I wouldn’t just turn up at the door though, perhaps call ahead to confirm.

4)Go to a horse or greyhound race meeting. Though no doubt synonymous with drunken debauchery in the eyes of those that crafted the law, these venues are allowed to serve alcohol. That does not necessarily mean that they will, but they are allowed to. Again, call ahead.

5)Hotels are allowed to serve alcohol, so long as it is accompanied by a meal. I think it’s fair to say that hotels will usually throw out a few sandwiches to cover their behinds in that regard.

6) Join the military. Military canteens are spared the toil of looking for an open pub on good friday. Firearms and alcohol are obviously a good match.

7)Some clubs are given authorisation to sell alcohol for 6 hours on good friday. I think that’s a long enough period to have an acceptable evening. I don’t mean nightclubs, these can be GAA clubs, working mens associations, or other similar clubs.

8)Train stations. You must have a train ticket to be served. How much does a child fare cost these days? Madigans in Connolly station will be open for the day. As we said, just buy an inter city train ticket.

9) Fibber Magees. Fibber Magees will be the only pub in town with a license to open at midnight. They’ll be opening the doors at 11pm and serving alcohol from 11pm to 2.30am. Happy Days. http://publin.ie/2011/fibber-magees-2/

These are your options as they stand. As we understand, pubs and clubs will not be opening from midnight on good friday. Unfortunately, the gardaí don’t seem to be giving any license for that night.

Some pubs will be open during the day serving food. Most pubs that do a trade in food will probably remain open. These are the pubs that we are sure are opening. This list will be updated in the run up to good friday: Bull and Castle, The Church, O’Donoghue’s Suffolk Street, The Bank on College Green, The Bachelor Inn, Murrays on O’Connell street, Searsons of baggot street, The Brazen Head, Madigans North Earl Street, O’Connell street, Abbey street, Pifko.

Paddys day is one of those times that everyone who generally stays out of town, or goes to the local, flock into the city centre and swarm every pub in sight. What we’re going to try to do is to give a few suggestions for places to go that might give you a bit of breathing room, without losing the atmosphere or having to travel too far. If Arthurs day or the 12 pubs of Christmas are anything to go by, it’s worth putting in a bit of research.

I should say that Publin doesn’t think you won’t have a good time in other pubs or that they’re not up to scratch. We’re just suggesting a few places that you might be able to get in the door a bit easier.

While we can give no guarantees that these pubs won’t be rammed with people, they may prove to have a bit more leg room.

Obviously all the main thoroughfares are going to be filled with people (Baggot street, Dame street, O’Connell street, Grafton street), so it’s worth looking for a pub you haven’t tried before that might be on a side street or in areas like Thomas street, the Docklands, a bit further down the quays towards the Pheonix Park, Smithfield, and Portobello. A ten or fifteen minute walk at the start of the day/night could make for a more pleasant experience for the rest of the day.

Arthur’s on Thomas street is the closest pub to the Guinness storehouse and has a good reputation for catering to big crowds on celebratory days like these. They have plenty of standing space downstairs and will be opening their upstairs area as well.

The Thomas House is mecca for those looking for an alternative Paddys Day. They describe themselves as ‘Dublin’s best dive bar’, and they’re not wrong. Open from 3pm. You’ll be treated to some indie, ska, and punk from 7pm. They should have some drinks specials on pitchers of beer.

Darkey Kellys is a pub that, despite being in the heart of town, might escape some of the crowd’s attention due to their location on copper alley off Dame street. They’ll certainly have some live music and will cater for bigger crowds in their beer garden at the back. There’s value for money to be found here as well. Hoegaarden, Franziskaner, and Paulaner pints are only €4.50, and you can get 3 bottles of Erdinger for €10. Not quite Irish beverages, but they get the job done.

Smithfield may avoid some of the large throngs of people staying around after the parade. In this area you have The Cobblestone, Dice bar, Frank Ryans, Walshes, and Mulligans, which are all great pubs. Smithfield will likely attract a lot of tourists, given that they’re in most of the guide books, but there might be standing room outside in the smoking area. Dice bar usually allows people to stand outside so long as they’re not interfering with the Luas, so that means there’s room for overflow. Across the road there’s a pub called McGettigans, which is a more traditional pub, and they’re good value too.

On Parkgate street there’s a row of pubs, some of them quite large. Nancy Hands, Eamonn Reas, and Ryans all have a lot of space between them and this location would suit people coming from Blanchardstown or other areas on the northside.

The Docklands area has a few pubs worth consideration that might escape notice more than others in the area. Brew Dock is likely to attract the craft beer crowd, but they might have less foot traffic than their sister pubs, Against the Grain and The Black Sheep. The Harbourmaster has plenty of standing room inside and can also cater for more on their outdoor terrace by the dock. Lagoona is good value and, being in the heart of the IFSC, might be a bit off the beaten track for some.

Further south places like The Portobello, The Barge, and The Lower Deck all might prove useful. The Barge frequently allows for overflow outside where people can drink their pints along the canal, or even in their beer garden. You’ll have to go inside to get served, but at least outside will give you some fresh air and a bit more leg room. The same could be said of The Lower Deck, although straying too far with their glasses isn’t advisable.

Club Chonradh na Gaeilge is located down a staircase on Harcourt street. As you have to know where this place is and you have to buzz to get in, it might be overlooked by passers by. What better way to celebrate your Irishness than ordering as Gaeilge. Knowledge of the Irish language isn’t essential, but an attempt is appreciated.

Sister pubs Becky Morgans , and The Pimlico Tavern might also prove to be useful spots for those wary of the crowds. Becky Morgans is 5 minutes from the Aviva stadium on Grand Canal Street Lower, while the Pimlico is located close to the Guinness storehouse close to the Liberties.

That’s our pick of pubs that might avoid some of the crowds. We may be right, we may be wrong.  If you find a pub that has space on Paddys day, let us know on facebook or twitter.

Enjoy your day!

We’ve got a list of deals, meals, and events for loved up couples and expectant singletons from around the city. ‘Posh nosh’, buckfast feasts, and singles nights.

If your pub or venue have an event or deal you would like added, send them to use via Faceboook, Twitter, or publinie@gmail.com

Valentines day deals

Here are a list of the best deals available for the Ireland vs England game this Sunday. We’ll be updating the list in the run up to the game. Lots more to come. Free breakfasts, free pints, cheap drinks.

In 1969, pub historian, Roy Bulson wrote a book about some of the more famous pubs around Ireland, concentrating mainly on Dublin. Publin came upon a copy of this from a family member and found it so interesting we decided to make a map of it showing what those pubs were and what now exists on the site. Where possible we will include photos as it was and some advertisements for these pubs taken from the book.

Some pubs still exist, some have made way for office blocks, changed their names, or are difficult to find accurate details on.

The most popular drinks of the time for the most part sound familiar, others have been long forgotten about.

For each listing we have tried to include details from the author, our own footnotes, images of advertisements or sketches from the book, the drinks served, and of course, what now exists on the sites where these pubs once sat.

We hope you enjoy this snapshot back into the history of Dublin pubs.

For more details on the pubs mentioned or if you have information or images yourself, please email us at publinie@gmail.com

To view the map in full size, click this link

View Dublin pubs of character in a larger map

Not Pictured: Devitts on Camden street.

For the pub crawl route, follow this link, http://publin.ie/category/pub-crawls/lovehate/

Slattery’s

Slattery’s 2

Whelans and Ryans

Grand Central

Quays Temple Bar

Boars Head

Frank Ryans and Dice bar

There’s a new RTE show in the works that pits the night life of European cities against each other and WAKA TV productions are looking for people to participate and show just what Dublin has to offer.

The show are looking for couples and pairs to to host a night out of their choosing and possibly win a €1,000 break to a European destination of their choice, based on the votes of other participants.

Just send your name, location, and contact details to info@wakatv.ie

Full details:

DO YOU & YOUR BETTER HALF/ FRIEND/ FLATMATE/ SIBLING etc.
HAVE A FANTASTIC SOCIAL LIFE?
How About Showing The Rest Of Ireland How It’s Done?
With the chance to win a European Party Break worth €1,000!
RTE Two’s hit Reality Show, Six In The City is back in March,
and we’d love YOU and your chosen one to be the stars.
We’re looking for party-loving couples of all variations from all across Ireland
to compete in an exciting City vs. City Challenge.
You’ll host YOUR perfect Night Out in YOUR City,
and you’ll also enjoy a weekend party break in 2 other Irish Cities
– all expenses covered.
3 couples. 3 cities. 3 great nights out.
The couple judged to host the best night out wins the €1,000 Prize.
That could be YOU!
REQUIREMENTS
YOU’RE AGED OVER 21 – NO UPPER AGE LIMIT.
YOU LIVE IN – DUBLIN, CORK, LIMERICK, GALWAY, WATERFORD,
KILKENNY, DERRY, NEWRY, ARMAGH, BELFAST, LISBURN etc.
YOU’RE INTERESTED IN –
POSSIBLY MUSIC/ FOOD / DANCING / CINEMA /COMEDY/ FINE DINING /
AND EVERY SHADE OF PARTY PURSUIT IN BETWEEN.

YOU LOVE GOING OUT IN YOUR CITY & YOU’RE DYING TO SHOW THE
WORLD WHAT MAKES IT GREAT.
To be considered please send you name, location and contact details to
INFO@WAKATV.IE

Publin will be collecting some of the drink specials running specifically for Arthur’s day. We’ll be adding more and more as the countdown continues.

Publin got a great mention in the Sunday Business Post in their article ‘20 websites that will save you money’.

What it does: Locates cheapest pint in Dublin.

What it says: “Publin is Dublin’s only pub price comparison and deal-listing website.”

How you save:  before you head out for a tipple, check out Publin’s price guide to see where you can enjoy a night out without breaking the bank.

Here’s all the free pints and best deals we could round up for the Ireland v Spain game.

This will be updated during the course of the day

Here’s a little list that we’ve put together of places with the best one off specials and free beer promotions for the Ireland v Croatia game. We’ll be updating through the day from our twitter and facebook.

1. Dublin has exactly 666 licensed pubs. Seems extra sinful now.

2. Quentin Tarrantino was once refused a pint from the Stag’s Head. He tried to pull the ‘Do you know who I am?’ card, but was rebuffed by the staff because it was after hours and one rule applies to all.

3. The Commitments used several Dublin pubs as filming locations. Including The Hairy Lemon, and their final gig was in Whelan’s.

4. “Good puzzle would be cross Dublin without passing a pub,”. Said by Leopold Bloom, a character in James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’. Well, turns out it is possible. Rory McCann, a software developer developed an algorithm to plot a route from one canal to another without hitting a pub.


5. The Brazen Head boasts that it is Ireland’s oldest pub, dating all the way back to a coach house on the site in 1198. We think it’s far more likely the site of sailors and scholars getting pissed up with a few cans beside the river, a tradition that lives on to this day.

6. Downey’s pub in Dun Laoighaire has the privilege of being party to a strike by staff that lasted 14 years. A barman was sacked by the owner, and so, the unionised staff went on strike and were promptly sacked. They picketed the pub in shifts daily. The strike attracted international notoriety to the point that when an Irish fishing vessel, helmed by a Dun Laoghaire man, came upon a German U-boat during WW2, the chief officer of the submarine enquired as to whether “the strike was still on in Downey’s”. Unfortunately the pub no longer exists and has been replaced by the Dun Laoghaire shopping centre and cinema. Feel free to carry on the picket.

7. Kavanagh’s pub in Glasnevin (also known as the Gravediggers) has been run by the same family since 1833. The pub gains its knickname from its proximity to the famous Glasnevin graveyard, where the gravediggers used to knock on the back wall of the pub to ask for a pint. They’d then be served through the railings linking the pub and the graveyard.

8. Darky Kelly’s pub isn’t, like many Dublin pubs, named after a founder or owner. It’s named after a woman who was burned at the stake in 1746 for witchcraft. She owned a brothel named the maiden tower, was impregnated by Simon Luttrell, the sheriff of Dublin. The sherriff then did what any honorable man would have done and accused Darky Kelly of witchcraft to escape from his parental duties and the shame of fathering a bastard with a lady of ill repute. That’s how the story goes anyway. She was in actual fact, Dublin’s first serial killer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IOCOYEPCdIM

9. While not a pub, Coppers is a bit of an institution. In 2011 Copperface Jack’s nightclub made €214,000 from the coat check alone. Possibly why most of the patrons now wear as few items of clothing as possible.

10. Although pubs are not allowed to sell alcohol on good friday, there are certain licenses that allow some establishments to sell alcohol. Here are a few ways to buy a drink on good friday- 1) Take a flight or a ferry, 2) Go to a greyhound or horse race meeting. 3) Go to the theatre. Bars with a theatre license are allowed to sell booze on this day. 4) Go to a hotel. So long as they serve you food, they can sell you booze. They might just throw some mouldy sandwiches at you to get away with it. 5) Join the military. Barracks are allowed to sell alcohol. 6) Go to a rugby match. What could be more thrilling than seeing Gustonians C team vs Old Horse C Team battle it out with some legally sold liquor. 7) Buy an intercity train ticket. Pubs in train stations can sell alcohol. Think of your one way ticket to Drogheda as the entrance fee.

11. The Asterix the Gaul appreciation society meet in The Long Hall on George’s street. You can always find a few copies behind the bar. Wild Boar sold separately.

12. Although the Dawson Lounge on Dawson street is considered the smallest pub in Dublin, it does have a semantic rival. Lotts Cafe bar has a snug that they consider “The smallest ‘bar’ in Dublin”. Who gets in the guide books then?

13. The best snug in Ireland? 110 snugs battled it out, but Toner’s on Baggot street are the reigning champions.

14. The most potent beer we’ve been able to find on sale in the city is Samichlaus (14%), an Austrian beer served in Against the Grain, Brew Dock, and The Black Sheep. Find something with a higher alcohol content? Prove us wrong.

EDIT: Boy were we wrong on that! The Black Sheep stocks Brew Dog’s ‘Sink the Bismark‘, which stands at 41% and costs €80 for a 330cl bottle.

15. Gin fan? The Gin Palace on Abbey street has the biggest selection of gin in Dublin. They have 59 different types of gin in stock at all times……and some tonic too.

16. Dublin has one pub for every 1906 people (was 700 in 1924), most of whom cram in on Paddy’s day. Republicans usually round that number up by 10 though for national pride symmetry.

17. In October 1922, very soon after national independence, the Dáil (Irish parliament) set about to tackle the defining issue of the time…..the price of the pint in Dublin. After the christmas recess of 1923, the very first question of the very first session was about the price of a pint. Back then the price was 100 times less than it is now.

Source: The Story of the Irish Pub: An Intoxicating History of the Licensed Trade in Ireland by Cian Molloy.

18. A scene from Sergio Leone’s ‘A Fistful of Dynamite was filmed in Toner’s. There’s a photo of him on the wall holding a rifle in the pub.

19. As of 2006, Dublin’s longest serving barman was Joe Casey, who worked/works at the Windjammer on Townsend street and has worked there since 1954. We called to see if Joe was still tending bar, but nobody picked up.

20. Who has the largest selection of whiskey in Dublin? For our money it has to be The Temple Bar. Honorable mentions to the Palace and Bowes Lounge.

21. It’s probably a four way split for the pub with the most beers on tap, and guess what? They’re all craft beer pubs. Against the Grain, Brew Dock, and The Black Sheep all have 23 craft beers on tap, making it difficult to sample every brew in the house. They also boast 100 bottled beers from around the world. The same can all be said of L.Mulligan Grocer in Stoneybatter.

22. The cheapest pint of Guinness in the city is in Dicey Reilly’s Garden on Tuesday nights at €2.00. You’d do well to find better than that.

23. The Hole in the Wall on Blackhorse Avenue is generally regarded as the longest pub in Dublin. It’s not a freak of architecture or anything, it’s just the longest one we’ve got.

24. Johnny Foxes in the Dublin mountains is generally regarded as the highest pub in Ireland, but they’ve had some competition. Pubs in Kerry, Roundwood, and Derry have all laid claim to the title. The pub in Derry is struck off because it it not in the ‘state of Ireland’. The pub in Kerry haven’t pursued the claim as much as Johnny Foxes and aren’t open all day, every day. So they might be higher, but just aren’t bothered advertising it. The pub in roundwood make their claim as the highest pub in the ‘highest village’. Now, that’s a bit pedantic. We’re not convinced that Johnny’s is definitely the highest, but they certainly have a strong claim. Let the battle rage on.

25. 114 hours and 20 minutes. That’s how long it took Dave Browne to break the Guinness world record for longest continuous guitar playing session in The Temple Bar pub. He played 1,372 songs in total, and if he’s anything like other Dublin cover musicians, at least 200 of those were ‘Galway Girl‘.

The 26th unofficial fact is that Publin lists over 200 pubs and over 500 drinks specials. Enjoy and tell your friends!

*If you’ve something more accurate than these ‘facts’, let us know via Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/publinie  or facebook- https://www.facebook.com/Publinie

It’s pretty obvious that pubs are making more of an effort to get people through the doors in more inventive and cost effective ways. One such method that seems to have become popular in recent times is giving patrons a membership card that entitles them to cheaper drinks and entry to events. Other bars have initiated a stamp system that gives you a free beer after 6 or 10.

Here’s a few of the pubs offering membership and discount cards for regulars and irregulars alike.

The George Bernard Shaw/Twisted Pepper

With a bodytonic members card you can get a range of drinks, event,  food, and even barber discounts in these two venues.

The card itself is free and entitles you to

-reduced admission Thursday to Saturday

-Any sandwich and a coffee/tea for €7

-€8 for a mens dry cut in the boxcutter barbershop

-10% off all purchases in Elastic Witch

-10% off secret school of sound courses in The Suit

-€3 pints during all sporting events shown in the Shaw

-Free garlic bread with every pizza on the big blue bus

http://www.bodytonicmusic.com/members/

The Bachelor Inn

The bachelor Inn membership card is €20, but seems well worth it. You get a free meal every week and most pint prices are cut to €3.00 Sunday to Thursday and €4.00 on Friday and Saturday.

You can get the membership card at the bar.

http://www.thebachelorinn.com/members.htm

Louis Fitzgerald Group Benefitz card

The benfitz card currently only works in the group’s off licenses, hotels, and clubs. They will be rolling out a system for their pubs (Stag’s Head being one) soon. It works on a points system, where every time you buy something in a participating premises you eanr points off your next purchase. We’re looking forward to the roll out in pubs.

Galway Bay Brewery loyalty card

This card can be used in Against the Grain, The Black Sheep, and The Brew Dock. Get your card stamped every time you buy one of 4 Galway Bay brewery beers and, once you fill up the card, you’ll get a free pint. Some fine craft beer in great locations. Makes perfect sense!

Hop House/The shakespeare Loyalty Card

This is probably the best value card at the moment. If you purchase 6 drinks you get a 7th free, or spring rolls, or chicken mandu. It’s very handy if you’re in a group for the night. It shouldn’t take too long to fill up….of course you should still drink responsibly.

Pifko Loyalty Card

This one is great if you happen to work in the area. Buy 7 lunches and get 1 free.

Temple Bar loyalty card

This entitles you to between 10% and 25% off  meals in some temple bar pubs and bars. Participating bars include The Octagon in the Clarence Hotel, Buskers bar, The Morgan, and The Auld Dubliner. Click on the link above for a full list.

Bodkin’s Loyalty Card

Pick up a card at the bar and get your 8th pint free after collecting your stamps.

Porterhouse Bars Loyalty Card

With three bars in Dublin and one in Bray, there’s plenty of places to fill up on a few pints from this excellent micro brewer. Pick up a card in any of the 4 pubs and get your tenth beer free.

 Hopefully these will, over time, save you a few pennies and get a few more bums on seats in participating pubs. Fill your wallet/bag with cards and don’t get caught short when there’s value to be had.

Enjoy, and we’ll add more as we find them.