“A good puzzle would be to cross Dublin without passing a pub,” writer James Joyce reputedly suggested. But actually it would be just as impossible a task to locate a town in Ireland and England without a pub. Recently my wife Jackie and I set out to find unique pubs in those countries. Initially the challenge we set for ourselves was to find the very oldest ones. We soon found that many pubs claimed to be the oldest. In any case, almost all pubs were old by our North American standards. “Recent” pubs dated back to the 1800’s. Older pubs claimed histories back to the 1700’s and “ancient” ones had fireplaces, walls or courtyards that were dated back to the 1500’s. So we modified our original criterion and looked for pubs with unique stories or histories. Our search began in Galway, in western Ireland. There we found what could best be described as pub-lined lanes.

The most popular is The Quays (11 Quay Street, Galway, Ireland). This pub is “only” about 200 years old but has artifacts and furnishings that are much older. There are six bars, each with a distinct décor and furniture. We sat on ancient theater seats in a small alcove listening to music and watching the lively, young crowd drink their ales. The story that attracted us to this quaint place was that of the original owners, two sisters, Mary and Delia Lydon. Delia was said to have been an ultra-large woman whose bloomers when hung out to dry would be mistaken for sails by fisherman in Galway Bay.

Moving on we next sought out the very popular Bunratty Castle, a Norman fortress in Ireland’s County Clare. It boasts four towers, dungeons and spiral staircases. Right beside the medieval castle in Bunratty Village we found the famous “Durty Nelly’s.” (It is located on the main Galway-Limerick route in Bunratty Village, Ireland.)

Touring pubs is a fun and affordable way to learn the history of a specific region, as well as their taste in ales.

Bunratty Castle sits on the mouth of the Shannon River. A modern bridge now spans the river but centuries ago a wooden toll bridge was there. Nelly was the toll keeper. One night she was robbed and that night in her restless sleep she dreamed up the recipe for poitín (pronounced put-CHEEN), the Irish version of white lightening (illegally distilled whiskey). The drink was a hit with travelers and Nelly opened a pub.

The current 17th century ramshackle cottage houses many rooms and still serves travelers. Durty Nelly’s is said to be the oldest pub in Ireland. A claim we couldn’t verify. Here we learned that all castles had pubs to provide rest and recreation for the soldiers. And there were pubs at almost all river crossings, as well. The pubs then and now provided many services. They were places to sleep, conduct trade, eat, store goods, gather, gossip and be entertained.

Pubs across Ireland and England have a familiar comfort. Low-beamed, smoke-darkened, smelling of centuries of peat or wood fires with walls covered with ancient graffiti, the traveler quickly feels at home. Local history is preserved on “Durty Nelly’s” walls. Pictures of heroes, even the firemen of Irish decent who perished at the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City are enshrined for posterity’s sake. Yet each pub is individual in its placement, name and character. Names such as the “Pickled Pilot”, “Rat and Parrot”, “The Brain’s Surgery” “Frog and Nightgown” and “The Tippling Philosopher” are surprisingly common. Pubs are located in old mills, ancient manors, barns, stables, old jails and even suicide sites. Wherever life happened, there was a pub to toast to it.

Powered by Trip.com

As we made our way to the Republic of Ireland’s capital Dublin, we found that there was at least agreement on the oldest city pub here. “The Brazen Head“ (20 Lower Bridge Street, Dublin, Ireland) is acknowledged as having been in the present location since 1688. Records show that the site dates back to the 11th century. Located not far from the landing site of the Norman invasion led by William the Conqueror in the 12th century and near the Dublin Castle, the claim seemed believable to us. The pub has been a witness to history, as the chiefs of the Irish rebellion of 1798 met there. Even Winston Churchill was a patron once.