Almost anyone visiting Dublin, especially unabashed tourists, will be looking for a good pub. Generally that means visiting the Temple Bar. Despite its name, the Temple Bar refers to one of the oldest sections of the Dublin City Centre, which includes many shopping, cultural, and entertainment attractions.

Of course, the Temple Bar in the Temple Bar district is a very popular pub. Visitors can count on it being crowded as it shares a distinction in Dublin similar to the reputation of Cheers in Boston. Luckily it is not the only drinking destination there.

City of Hundreds of Pubs

Overall, tourism officials report that there are hundreds of pubs in the greater Dublin area. This number includes all types of establishments, including sports bars (in Dublin that most likely would be hurling, Irish football, or soccer), that can be found in any American city.

Still, when traveling to Dublin, anyone wanting a “taste” of traditional Irish culture would be best served by hunting down a traditional Irish pub. These are so popular that there are many such establishment even in most good-sized American cities, but they probably cannot compare with those at the source.

Traditional Irish Pubs

Tourism websites list more than 30 of these traditional Irish pubs. These are places with names such as Fitzgeralds, Fitzsimons, O’Neills, and O’Briens. These are places where tourists will find live music, dart boards, and tons of fun-filled atmosphere, or “craic” as they say in Dublin.

Visitors who want to start at the beginning should visit The Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Dublin, and possibly Ireland and Europe, which supposedly dates back to the 12th century. Like many of the oldest and most storied pubs, The Brazen Head caters mostly to tourists these days.

Guinness Brewery and Storehouse

Perhaps the most famous place for a quaff is not technically a pub at all. It is the Guinness Brewery and Storehouse, a stop on everyone’s top 10 list of places to visit in Dublin. The brewery was established in 1759 and the Storehouse is the place to go to experience the craic of the place. The Storehouse really is several places, including the Brewery Bar Restaurant, the Source Bar, and the Gravity Bar.

The best time to visit the Guinness Storehouse is during the tourist season of July and August when it is open seven days a week. Visitors can check Guinness’s website for hours of operation the rest of the year. Price of admission to the Storehouse will run approximately $17 each for adults, depending on the current exchange rate between United States dollars and the Euro.