A good Dublin game day bar earns it three ways. The screens face the seats, not the staff. The sound goes to the game the room cares about, whether that is a Six Nations Saturday, a GAA championship Sunday, or a Premier League kickoff. And the room keeps the pints and the kitchen moving.
This is the shortlist of ten that get all three right, from a bar with Europe's biggest indoor screen to a rugby room by the Aviva and a GAA pub near Croke Park. We ranked them on the match day experience, not the gastropub menu.
The big screen rooms
Dublin keeps its deepest screen counts in a few rooms built to turn a match into an event.
01
The Camden
Camden Street$$Europe's Biggest Indoor Screen
The Camden builds the room around Europe's biggest indoor 4K screen and adds more than 80 screens throughout, so every code finds a wall. It runs football, rugby and GAA with the sound on the headline match, and the place turns a major fixture into a full event.
Game day: Book the main room for a Six Nations Saturday and face the big screen.
02
Sinnott's
South King Street$$14 Large Screens
Sinnott's, just off the city center, runs 14 large screens and dozens of smaller ones on a serious audio visual system that can show several games at once. It covers rugby, the Premier League, American football and GAA, and the sound goes to the room's biggest match.
Game day: Grab a booth under a large screen for a Premier League Saturday.
03
The Woolshed
Parnell Street$$Every Game, Book Ahead
The Woolshed is the Australian themed room on Parnell Street that promises every game on a screen, as long as you book ahead so they can line up the channel. Numerous screens cover world sport, the sound tracks the marquee match, and the AFL crowd gives it a global feel.
Game day: Call ahead to lock in your match, then claim a table before kickoff.
Dublin sports bars: the complete guideEvery match beyond the Six Nations, ranked across the city.
See Dublin sports bars
Rugby and GAA by the stadiums
On a match day, the rooms near the Aviva and Croke Park fill weeks in advance.
04
The Bridge 1859
Ballsbridge$$Rugby, By the Aviva
The Bridge 1859, co owned by Irish rugby internationals, sits a short walk from the Aviva Stadium and is the match day room for a Test. Screens cover the bar, the sound is on the rugby, and it fills weeks ahead for a Six Nations or autumn international.
Game day: Book well ahead for an Ireland Test and arrive early for the build up.
05
McGowan's of Phibsborough
Phibsborough$$16 Screens, Near Croke Park
McGowan's sits within a short radius of Croke Park and pairs 16 screens with pub grub and late night DJs, a match day party for a GAA championship Sunday. The sound goes to the headline game and the room rolls from the throw in into the night.
Game day: Come before a Croke Park final for a table, then stay for the DJ set.
06
Searsons
Baggot Street$$Rugby Match Day
Searsons on Baggot Street is a long running rugby room on the walk to the Aviva, filling weeks in advance for a marquee Test. Screens cover the bar, the sound is on the international, and the crowd is partisan and loud for an Ireland match day.
Game day: Reserve ahead for a Six Nations Saturday and join the pre match crowd.
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Temple Bar and the all sports rooms
For Temple Bar and a room that shows every code, these four close out the list.
07
Buskers on the Ball
Temple Bar$$24 Screens
Buskers on the Ball, in the heart of Temple Bar, runs 24 screens broadcasting several games at once, a central room for a visitor who wants any match on a wall. It covers football, rugby and GAA, with the sound on the biggest game in the room.
Game day: Drop in for a multi game Saturday and find a screen for your match.
08
The Back Page
Phibsborough$$Screens, Darts Room
The Back Page in Phibsborough is a sports room with screens throughout, an interactive darts room for halftime, a craft beer list and pizzas from the kitchen. It runs everything from football to GAA, with the sound on the headline match.
Game day: Split a pizza and book the darts room between games.
09
The Bleeding Horse
Camden Street$GAA, Rugby, F1
The Bleeding Horse near Camden Street shows a host of sport across a historic multi room pub, from GAA and rugby to the Premier League, Formula One, golf and darts. The sound goes to the marquee game and the old rooms give a big match a proper roar.
Game day: Find a snug with a screen for a Sunday GAA championship game.
10
The Living Room
Cathal Brugha Street$$Big Sports Bar
The Living Room, near O'Connell Street, is a large city center sports bar with screens across a sprawling room and a long bar, a dependable spot for a marquee match in the heart of town. It runs football, rugby and GAA with the sound on the headline game.
Game day: Take a table near the main wall for a Premier League or Six Nations kickoff.
Watching the Six Nations, city by cityOur guide to the best Six Nations rugby rooms across Britain and Ireland.
Read the Six Nations guide
How we picked these Dublin bars
We ranked these on the things that decide a match day: screen count and sightlines, whether the room turns the sound on for the games that matter, and a bar and kitchen that hold up through every code. We cross checked each pick against its own current listing and independent Dublin guides before publishing. For the full year of viewing, start with our Dublin sports bars guide, the sports bars category, or the sports bars near me hub. The method behind this series lives in our watching the game pillar, and sport specific picks live in our Six Nations, rugby, and Premier League guides.
Common questions
Which Dublin bar has the biggest screen for watching the game?
The Camden on Camden Street is built around Europe's biggest indoor 4K screen and adds more than 80 screens throughout, so every code finds a wall. Sinnott's off South King Street runs 14 large screens and can show several games at once.
Where is best to watch the rugby in Dublin on a Test day?
The Bridge 1859 in Ballsbridge and Searsons on Baggot Street sit on the walk to the Aviva Stadium and fill weeks ahead for an Ireland Test. The Bridge is co owned by Irish rugby internationals and runs the sound on the international.
Where can I watch GAA in Dublin near Croke Park?
McGowan's of Phibsborough sits within a short radius of Croke Park and runs 16 screens with the sound on the championship game, then keeps the night going with DJs. The Back Page and The Bleeding Horse are reliable GAA rooms too.
Do I need a reservation on game day in Dublin?
For a Six Nations Saturday or a Croke Park final, book ahead at The Camden, The Bridge 1859, or McGowan's, which fill weeks in advance. Temple Bar rooms like Buskers on the Ball take walk ins if you arrive before kickoff.
