In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Every date below is the pub’s own claim. The Brazen Head says there has been a hostelry on its site since 1198, with the present building from 1754. Toners says it was established in 1734, Johnnie Fox’s in 1798, Kehoe’s says it was first licensed in 1803, Doheny & Nesbitt says it has stood on Baggot Street since 1828 and Neary’s says 1887. For a pint of Guinness, John Kavanagh’s The Gravediggers in Glasnevin is on all four Guinness lists read, and Mulligan’s on three. Or book a pub tour: the Dublin: Traditional Pubs Walking Tour with Local Guidead is from €27.50 for 3 hours.
What each pub claims
The table runs from the oldest date claimed. The Irish Road Trip’s list of Dublin’s oldest pubs gives Toners as 1818; the pub’s own site says 1734.
| Pub | The pub’s claim | Where |
|---|---|---|
| The Brazen Head | A hostelry on the site since 1198; the building from 1754; in documents from 1653 | Lower Bridge Street, Usher’s Quay |
| Toners | Established in 1734 | Baggot Street |
| The Stag’s Head | Est. 1770s; a tavern on the site since the 1780s; the present pub opened in May 1894 | Dame Court |
| Johnnie Fox’s | Established 1798 | Glencullen, Dublin Mountains |
| Kehoe’s | First licensed in 1803 | 9 South Anne Street |
| Doheny & Nesbitt | On Baggot Street since 1828, when John Heron opened it as a tavern | Baggot Street |
| Neary’s | Established in 1887 | Chatham Street |
The pubs
The Brazen Head
20 Lower Bridge Street, Usher’s Quay, D08 WC64 · a hostelry on the site since 1198 · brazenhead.com
The pub calls itself Ireland’s oldest. It says the present building was constructed in 1754 as a coaching inn and that the pub appears in documents from 1653. It is open every day from midday, serves food until 21:00, and has live music every night from 21:00: see traditional music pubs in Dublin.
The Brazen Head on Lower Bridge Street. Photo: Michael Dibb, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Toners
Baggot Street · established in 1734 · tonerspub.ie
The pub’s site calls it one of Dublin’s oldest and most famous pubs.
Toners on Lower Baggot Street. Photo: Adam Bruderer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The Stag’s Head
Dame Court · est. 1770s · stagshead.ie
Reached through a narrow passageway off Dame Street. The pub says a tavern has stood on the site since the 1780s, that the present building was commissioned by the merchant George Tyson from the architect J. M. McGloughlin, and that it opened in May 1894 as the first pub in Dublin with electric light. The pub calls its interior probably Dublin’s best preserved Victorian one.
The Stag’s Head on Dame Court. Photo: Adam Bruderer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Johnnie Fox’s
Glencullen, Dublin Mountains, D18 X635 · established 1798 · johnniefoxs.com
The pub calls itself the highest pub in Ireland. It is outside the city, in the hills, and runs a shuttle for its Hooley Show dinner guests: see traditional music pubs in Dublin.
Kehoe’s
9 South Anne Street, Dublin 2 · first licensed in 1803 · kehoesdublin.ie
The pub says it was first licensed in 1803, and that its interior is the product of a Victorian-style renovation. It calls it one of the last great heritage pubs of Dublin.
Doheny & Nesbitt
Baggot Street · on the street since 1828 · dohenyandnesbitts.ie
Four floors and six bars. The pub says John Heron opened it as a tavern in 1828, that it was refurbished in a Victorian style in the 1880s, and that a later owner rode out the 1916 Rising inside it. It takes its present name from Ned Doheny and Tom Nesbitt, who ran it in the 1960s.
Neary’s
Chatham Street · established in 1887 · nearys.ie
Just steps from Grafton Street, according to the pub, with an elevated lounge.
The Guinness pubs
Four Guinness lists were read: two travel guides, Ireland Before You Die and The Irish Road Trip, and two tour companies’ pages, Walks Devour and Eating Europe. The Reddit column counts different commenters naming the pub across five r/Dublin threads, not endorsements.
| Pub | Lists naming it (of 4) | Reddit commenters | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Kavanagh’s, The Gravediggers | 4 | 12 | 1 Prospect Square, Glasnevin |
| Mulligan’s | 3 | 17 | Poolbeg Street |
| Bowe’s | 2 | 8 | |
| Walsh’s | 2 | 3 | Stoneybatter |
| Tom Kennedy’s | 2 | 3 | Thomas Street |
| The Old Royal Oak | 2 | Kilmainham | |
| Doheny & Nesbitt | 2 | Baggot Street | |
| Kehoe’s | 2 | 7 | South Anne Street |
The Lord Edward (9 commenters), Grogan’s (8) and Neary’s (7) are named often on Reddit and on fewer of the Guinness lists. The Central Statistics Office put the average price of a pint of stout in Ireland at €6.08 in November 2025, according to RTÉ Brainstorm. For the Temple Bar price and the Storehouse, see Temple Bar and Guinness Storehouse tickets.
Next
Traditional music pubs in Dublin gives the session times pub by pub, and Temple Bar covers the lanes. The meals are in where to eat in Dublin, the distilleries in Dublin whiskey distillery tours, and 3 days in Dublin fits an evening into the days. Where to stay in Dublin compares the areas.
Common questions
What is the oldest pub in Dublin?
It depends on whose date you take. The Brazen Head says a hostelry has stood on its site since 1198, though the present building dates from 1754 and the pub appears in documents from 1653. Toners on Baggot Street says it was established in 1734, and Johnnie Fox's says 1798. Each date is the pub's own claim.
When was the Brazen Head built?
The pub says the present building was constructed in 1754 as a coaching inn, that there has been a hostelry on the site since 1198, and that the Brazen Head appears in documents as far back as 1653.
Which Dublin pubs have Victorian interiors?
The Stag's Head, whose present pub opened in May 1894, Kehoe's, which describes a Victorian-style renovation, and Doheny & Nesbitt, which was refurbished in a Victorian style in the 1880s. The Palace Bar describes itself as a Victorian heritage pub.
Which pub is named most often for a pint of Guinness?
John Kavanagh's, called The Gravediggers, in Glasnevin, which all four Guinness lists read name. Mulligan's on Poolbeg Street is on three of the four lists, and is the pub r/Dublin commenters name most often.
What does a pint of Guinness cost in Dublin?
The Central Statistics Office put the average price of a pint of stout in Ireland at €6.08 in November 2025. In Temple Bar on St Patrick's Day 2025, drinkers paid up to €10.45, according to RTÉ.
Is Johnnie Fox's in Dublin?
It is in Glencullen in the Dublin Mountains, outside the city. It calls itself the highest pub in Ireland and says it was established in 1798.
