Editorial
Dublin splits its sport between heritage pubs that keep a screen on for the big days and purpose-built rooms that carry every fixture at once. The 10 below cover both, from Mulligan's snugs to The Woolshed wall of plasmas.
Sin É on Upper Ormond Quay runs over two floors of music memorabilia, a late-night favorite for live sessions and DJs. It pours a serious pint and keeps the big football and GAA weekends on screen, so the music crowd and the match crowd overlap. Open seven days from mid-afternoon. Best for a quayside pint that rolls from the match into a late one.
Mulligan's of Poolbeg Street has poured since 1854 and counts James Joyce and JFK among its regulars. This is a heritage pub first, all dark wood and snugs, where the Guinness is the headline act. Big rugby and GAA days draw a knowing local crowd to the few screens. Best for a proper pint near the Liffey, not a wall of plasma.
Doheny & Nesbitt on Lower Baggot Street is a Victorian institution, known locally as Nesbitt's and packed with politicians and economists from the nearby government buildings. The snugs are the prize. Six Nations Saturdays fill it with a suited rugby crowd. Best for a characterful pint and the talk, with the match as backdrop rather than the main event.
The Quays Bar sits in the heart of Temple Bar, loud with daily trad music and a mix of locals and tourists. Across its floors it keeps screens running for football and rugby alongside the fiddles. The cocktail and whiskey lists are broader than the average pub. Best for a central match-and-music night when Temple Bar energy is the point.
The Woolshed Baa & Grill in the Parnell Centre is Dublin's purpose-built sports room, with three massive screens and 19 plasmas showing Sky Sports, Six Nations, NFL and football seven nights a week. The kitchen runs late and the world-beer list is deep. Best for a night when several games clash and you want them all on at once.
Flannery's on Lower Camden Street is the value pick away from Temple Bar prices, a classic Dublin boozer with a beer garden. It opens Thursday to Saturday into the early hours and keeps the weekend fixtures on. The crowd is local and the pints cost less than the tourist strip. Best for a late weekend match without the Temple Bar markup.
O'Donoghue's on Merrion Row is the spiritual home of Irish trad, where The Dubliners started out, with music from 9pm nightly. It is a pub first and a sports bar a distant second, but the big GAA and rugby days still pull a crowd to the front bar. Best for a pint and a session, with a match earlier in the day.
The Back Page in Phibsborough is a games-and-sports bar with screens, a projector and live commentary on Premier League, League of Ireland, Six Nations and F1. Beyond the football there is a games room, darts, ping pong and a pizzeria. The crowd is young and local. Best for a match paired with a few frames of pool north of the river.
MVP on Upper Clanbrassil Street is a Dublin 8 favorite known for cocktails, loaded spuds and a dog-friendly room. Rugby fans head upstairs for every Six Nations match with pizza, pints and chess in the mix. It opens from 4pm into the early hours at weekends. Best for a low-key rugby afternoon with a cocktail rather than a lager.
The Hairy Lemon on Lower Stephen Street is an out-and-out sports pub showing GAA, Premier League, golf and rugby, a short walk from Trinity and St Stephen's Green. The quirky rooms featured in The Commitments. The kitchen turns out solid pub food through the matches. Best for a central, no-fuss sports night with a plate of something hearty.
The Oliver St John Gogarty anchors a corner of Temple Bar over three floors, showing major matches in the bar while live traditional music runs daily. The kitchen serves a carvery lunch and bar food until late. Open daily.
The Barge sits on the Grand Canal at Charlemont Street, now run by McCafferty's across three bars on three floors. Live sport and live music run seven nights, and the canal bank fills when the sun is out. Open daily.
Dublin watches sport across two kinds of room. The heritage pubs like Mulligan's and O'Donoghue's keep a few screens for the big GAA and Six Nations days, while purpose-built rooms like The Woolshed and The Back Page carry everything at once.
Book ahead for Six Nations Saturdays and Dublin GAA finals. The city-center pubs fill fast once the throw-in nears.
Which Dublin bar has the most screens? The Woolshed Baa & Grill in the Parnell Centre runs three massive screens and 19 plasmas, the widest coverage in the city center.
Where do you watch the Six Nations in Dublin? The Woolshed and The Hairy Lemon carry every match, while MVP on Clanbrassil Street opens an upstairs room for the rugby with pizza and pints.
Are there sports bars north of the Liffey? The Back Page in Phibsborough is the standout, with a projector, games room and live commentary on Premier League, League of Ireland and F1.
Can you watch sport in a traditional Dublin pub? Yes. Mulligan's, Doheny & Nesbitt and O'Donoghue's are pubs first, but they keep screens on for the big rugby and GAA fixtures.