It has welcomed the late Princess Grace and Prince Rainier of Monaco, the late Ted Kennedy and cinematic stars such as John Wayne, Katherine Hepburn, Robert Redford and Pierce Brosnan through its doors, while its stage has hosted The Dubliners, The Chieftains and Christy Moore.

After four generations of being owned and operated by the Tobin family, the landmark Abbey Tavern in the seaside village of Howth, Co Dublin, is being offered to the market at a guide price of €1.75 million by agent John Ryan of licensed property specialists Bagnall Doyle MacMahon. The sale of the property, which traces its origins as a tavern to the 16th century, is expected to attract interest from Ireland and overseas.

The tavern, on Abbey Street, nestles against the ruins of Howth Abbey and is famed for its cut-stone walls, flagstone floors and turf fires. The subject property is part two-storey/part three-storey interconnecting traditional stone-clad buildings, extends to a total area of 778 sq m (8,374 sq ft), and comprises a traditional bar, restaurant and entertainment venue.

Commenting on the sale, John Ryan says: “This is a unique opportunity to acquire a world-renowned licensed premises steeped in history and Irish heritage. The Abbey Tavern has an excellent reputation for the quality of its food, drink and service and enjoys a high volume of annual food and drink turnover. It won the Best Dublin Food Pub in the 2018 Irish Pub Awards and its world-famous traditional Irish show features the very best of Irish entertainment and music and has a capacity of 220 people theatre style.”