A timeless, unrivalled chronicler of Ireland’s capital city, The Palace Bar, is celebrating an incredible 200 years this October. Established in 1823, it is a living, breathing source of Dublin history and culture, and one of the country’s last original Victorian pubs.
Nestled at the top of Fleet Street in the heart of Dublin, The Palace is a treasure house of mahogany and oak, of gilded mirrors that have reflected the story of the city, of clocks that have ticked lazily across the centuries, measuring the gently passing days. The bar has held court to Ireland’s political leaders, media, cultural icons and celebrities for centuries, and has a voice in the key moments of Irish history.
Over the decades, the snug has played host to talk of conspiracy and revolution, love and separation, laughter and song, sadness and despair and was described by Patrick Kavanagh as “the most wonderful temple of art”. If the walls could talk they would share stories of cabinet ministers musing on the affairs of State, careers being made and lost, deals being struck and undone, political nominations and appointments being born and sporting performances being analysed in detail.
As trendy bars sprouted up around the city, The Palace Bar remained true to its heritage and its heart in both ambience and character. A bust of Con Houlihan sits behind the bar with his famous quote, “a bird is known by its son, a man by his conversation”. During the 1940s and 1950s The Palace became the acclaimed watering hole of Dublin’s literati – Kavanagh, Behan and Myles (Flann O’Brien). Modern day writers, artists and poets seek out the historic surroundings of The Palace as a source of inspiration where artistic license flows free.
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Willie Aherne is the third generation of the Aherne family who have been gatekeepers of the public house since 1946 when his grandfather Bill Aherne, “the mountainy man from Rearcross” in Tipperary, purchased the bar.
Commenting on the bi-centenary, Willie said: “We’re incredibly proud to celebrate 200 years and have a third-generation business, which is rare these days. Our customers open the doors and walk into another world. We’ve stayed faithful to the ethos of the traditional Victorian Pub – there is no music, no TV’s other than for the big GAA games, just good conversation, quality Irish drinks and a lot of craic. People come here to talk, to debate, to recite and for good company. From generation to generation the clientele has changed, but our ethos, the ambience, our hospitality, and the character of The Palace Bar remains constant. The Palace has been collaborating with Guinness since it was established and we’re delighted to have their support for our bicentenary celebrations. Guinness even sourced a recipe from an original recipe book dating back to 1823 held in the Guinness Archive and created a special 200-year-old porter for the occasion.”
As part of their celebrations, The Palace has unveiled a replica of a 1940s Irish Times cartoon that depicted the pub as being the heart of Dublin Culture. The new artwork features today’s customers and characters including famous Tipperary hurlers, former Dublin GAA stars, well-known journalists, artists and many faces from Dubin culture. A longtime champion of arts and culture, The Palace also commissioned well-known Kerry artist Liam O’Neill to curate an artwork of Seamus Heaney, who used to frequent the pub. Next month it will launch a book of short stories, curated by pub historian Eamonn Casey and a video series called Talking Walls that will share moments from their fascinating history.
For more see thepalacebardublin.com. Supported by Guinness
