The Irish Pub & A Dirty Old Town...

The pub I visited yesterday has been part of this dirty old town for over 5 centuries. For number 14 on my tour of Dublin's best Pubs, I visited The Swan Bar on York Street.

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The Irish Pub is an institution. To this day it is very much part of Irish life. Every aspect of life's journey is celebrated here, from wetting the baby's head to waking the dead. In recent times it has been (in)famous as a place where brown paper envelopes have been exchanged but also much loved for; the lockins, the stories, the music and the great craic. A version of the Irish pub has been exported all over the world and from Mozambique to Shanghai you can visit a "Molly Malones" or "Murphys". Each incarnation will have an Irish sounding name and be distinguished by Celtic writing above the door but there is no substitute for the real thing.

Join me as I visit some of the great pubs of Dublin, discover some secret watering holes, and help me bring Steemit to the masses!

The first post in this series will fill you in on why I have started this journey, The Irish Pub & A Dirty Old Town

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The Swan

This bar is located a short walk from Stephens Green shopping center. There has been continuously a licensed premises on or close to this site since 1661.

Known as "Ye Signe of Ye White Swan" in medieval times it is now Lynches or the Swan of York Street. According to the friendly bar man Paul, in those times due to illiteracy of the people many places had symbols rather than names over the door. The White Swan was the symbol of this pub and later, during Victorian times, was carved as a mosaic into the floor.

This bar played pivotal roles in the rebellions as Ireland took up arms against British Rule. Paul told us how this pub was used as a signal point to signal the approach of British troops across the city during both 1916 Rising and 1922 war of Independence.

The Scars of the battles were visible on the facade of the pub until recent years when a renovation covered many of the bullet holes on the front of the pub.

Rugby

With 3 generations of Lynchs in the bar, going back to 1937, this pub has been in good hands and when the current owner's father Sean made his name as an international rugby star the tradition of rugby and sport became cemented in this pubs history.

Sean's exploits are commemorated with a bronze statue, Sean was part of the Touring British and Irish Lions side in '71 that beat the all blacks in New Zealand.

The pub follows the traditional layout with a Bar, a Snug and a Lounge.

The Bar

The traditional long bar area was quite comfortable with lots of high stool seating. A notable feature of the bar was the marble bar top. According to Paul this is a traditional feature which was designed to keep the beer cold, even in summer. You can also notice the rugby jerseys in the background. This is a big rugby pub which was news to me on my visit.

The Lounge

The lounge area is the part of a traditional Irish bar where there are tables and chairs. In the lounge you traditionally find areas with carpets and table service.

The lounge area in the Swan is spacious with lots of seating. I will be back to watch a rugby match here during the winter! College has just started for a lot of students, the Swan is just across the road for Aungier Street DIT, and next to the Royal College of Surgeons.

The Snug

A unique feature of old Irish Bars is the snug. In the mid 1800s women were permitted into pubs for the first time. This is when snugs were introduced where a small area was sectioned off from the pub where women could drink. It was also used by patrons who didn't want to be seen in the public bar.

There is usually a window with direct access to the bar, but this snug even had a bell where patrons could very discretely get the attention of the bar man.

On my visit the snug was being used by two patrons were finishing off a long running chess match in the quiet, before I disturbed their concentration.

Nothing like the Original

Most of the bar dates from a refurbishment in 1897. All the panelling is original and the bar taps, the casks and even the cash kiosk which is a unique features.

Paul was very proud of the pub and commented that people are beginning to appreciate the traditional pubs again. It is becoming popular again. He said there had even been three Guinness commercials shot in the pub in the last year.

The taps in the picture are original brass taps that would have pumped the beer from the casks in times past. There are also 4 casks behind the bar that are no longer used but in the past would have been filled with Sherry, Whiskey, Brandy and Porter.

The Cash Kiosk was the place where someone would have been situated to hand out change, the cash register of Victorian times.

How does the Beer taste?

Only two pubs so far have gotten a 4 for the Guinness. How will The Swan do?

Id say you can guess from the picture.....

The Verdict

I am going to give a rating to each pub in this series based on the Guinness. There is a scale of 1-4, 4 is exceptional, 3 is very good and 2 is acceptable, 1 is muck.

The Swan gets a 4.

Join me to talk about Steemit.

Each week I will be visiting a new pub in Dublin. I am inviting anyone that is in Dublin to join me. If your new to Steemit and you want to learn more about it bring your laptop and we will get you set up. If your free on a Monday evening send me a message @eroche on Steemit Chat and I will let you know where I will be.

On my journey I also am also hoping to get at least one bar in Dublin to try STEEM as payment. You never know they might develop a taste for it. :)

You are likely to meet anyone in a Dublin Pub. From John F Kennedy to Barak Obama there have been 7 American Presidents spotted in Dublin Pubs. I am unlikely to get to talk to President Trump if he visits but if I meet any other celebrities in my travels I will be sure to introduce them to Steemit and get a Selfie.

Can't wait till next Monday!

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If there is an Irish Bar near you, send me the name or a photo of the outside and I will include Irish Pubs from around the world in a monthly roundup.

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“There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.”
― Brendan Behan

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Thank you for reading this. I write on Steemit about Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Travel and lots of random topics.