The Long Hall

In my last post I mentioned that I took some English friends to the National Museum of Ireland. Since they were visiting Ireland, they wanted to try some pubs that they heard about and invited me to tag along with them.

The first pub we went to was called The Long Hall. It is found on South Great George Street, which makes it right in the heart of Dublin. Great place to go if you are in the city center and need a pint ;)

Back in the 18th century, The Long Hall was known as a republican pub. The person working the pub was a "member" and people could leave word with him and it was safe. The more "modern" pub was built in the late 1880's and the artifacts the decorate the ways remind people of its rich history.

During its hay day, it was a house painters union pub. Today, it stills draws workers in after a days work or tourists after a long day of exploring the city.

Like many traditional pubs in Ireland, The Long Hall doesn't have any flashy signs to get your attention. The people in the know, know where to go. Because we had not been there before, it took us some time to find it. The outside is mostly red, with white accents.

We entered the pub and it was dark. But what pub in Dublin doesn't have the lights dim low?

The pub seemed to be stuck in the past. Just like red dominated the entrance, the color red dominated the room. It made the inside seem very dramatic.

There was a strange gate, if you will, that you had to enter in order to get to the space in the back. I felt this to be a little awkward.

I ordered Smithwicks. I just stick with the basics because you really can't go wrong. You know it tastes good; it is from Ireland and the pub is sure to have it. Also, The Long Hall, with other pubs in Ireland, have a very "busy" bar. They have displays of various bottles of alcohol. This tends to be a little overwhelming to me, so I just don't pay too much attention.

We took some seats in the back and chatted for a while. The pub was not busy, because we were there on a Wednesday in the early evening. There was a particular couple that kept getting my attention. How they were dressed, it seemed that they might be of some importance and seemed out of place at the bar.

My experience at The Long Hall was good. Would I recommend it to others? Sure, why not. Nothing in particular grabbed my attention about the place. I would say that it is not my kind of pub. It seems that it is more of a guys' place. If a person is to go there, I think they would enjoy the experience. If one chooses not to go there, then they would not be missing out. If someone is interested in having a nice pint with friends after work, I believe that this would be a great place to go and relax.