In February 2015, I published an article listing the remaining 14 or so ‘early house’ pubs in Dublin city centre along with some brief historical background about why these bars have special licenses allowing them to open at 7am.
Delaney’s, North King Street, 1976. Note the ‘Bar Open 7am’ sign. Credit – dublincity.ie
In the last four years, one pub has been demolished and two have closed down. A further three have been put on sale or sold so their futures are uncertain.
The Dark Horse Inn on George’s Quay closed its doors in July 2016 and reopened as a Starbucks coffee shop the following month. I wrote a long piece about the history of the building here.
Ned Scanlon’s on Townsend Street closed and and the pub was demolished in October 2018.
‘Before and After’. Ned Scanlon’s, Townsend Street. Credit – John Fleming on Facebook
We’ve also heard that The Capel Bar on Little Green Street, which featured in a 2016 Dublin Inquirer piece, has closed in recent months.
So as far as I can assert, these are the remaining 10 ‘early house’ pubs in Dublin as of early 2019.
Northside:
1. The Boar’s Head, Capel Street (Mon-Fri 8am; Sat 11am)
2. The Chancery Inn, Inns Quay (Mon-Fri 9am; Sat 7am). The pub (and five apartments) was on the market for €1.7 million in May 2018 so it’s unclear what the future may bring.
3. Delaney’s, North King Street (Mon-Sat 9am). This pub was up for sale in 2016 but no changes has affected it yet it seems.
4. M. Hughes, Chancery Street (Mon-Fri 8.30am; Sat 7am)
5. The Metro, Parnell Street. After sixty years in business, the current owners have retired and put up the pub for sale in October 2018. So time will tell whether the pub will continue to open early.
6. Molloy’s, Talbot Street (Mon-Sat 7am)
7. Slattery’s, Capel Street (Mon-Sat 7am)
8. Madigan’s, Connolly Station (Mon-Fri 8.30am, Sat 10.30am)
Southside:
9. The Galway Hooker, Heuston Station
10. Padraig Pearse, Pearse Street (Mon-Fri 7.30am; Sat 9am)
11. The Windjammer, Lombard Street (Mon-Sat 7am)
Outside of city:
– The Fisherman’s Bar, attached to The Waterside pub, in Howth (Mon-Sat 8am)