Dublin Literary Pub Crawl Review: A Night of Irish Wit and Storytelling

We began the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl with our pints mostly full and ended the night with a deeper affection for Irish writers, wit, and the pubs that shaped them. The tour moves through historic pubs and includes a stop in Trinity College’s Front Square. When we joined, our guides were Colm and John, Irish literature enthusiasts with a gift for performance rather than academics with scripts. This isn’t a night of binge-drinking. It’s street theatre, music, and history, well paired with a pint or a whiskey neat.

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Colm acted out scenes from books and plays. His excerpts from Ulysses enchanted me. I’ve never dared to open the novel, but now I want to at least attempt an audiobook version of Joyce’s masterpiece. Colm’s performance of an excerpt from Waiting for Godot reminded me why Beckett remains one of my favorites. Between Colm’s performances and talks, John played guitar and sang. He closed the night with “The Parting Glass” outside Davy Byrne’s, a fitting end to an evening filled with good company.

Why the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl Belongs on Every Book Lover’s Itinerary

I love walking through places that shaped the writers I admire. I’m always wondering how a street, a pub, or a bit of weather found its way into their work. The Dublin Literary Pub Crawl promises “an animated and entertaining journey through the sights and sounds that inspired great Irish writers,” and it delivers.

Along the way, Colm shared stories about Joyce, Beckett, George Bernard Shaw, Brendan Behan, Oscar Wilde, and W.B. Yeats. I even saw where Seamus Heaney, my favorite poet, occasionally raised a glass. It was in O’Neill’s Pub.

Chris enjoyed the tour too, though I suspect I enjoyed it more. Earlier that day, we toured Windmill Lane Recording Studios. He’s a musician; I’m not. He loved that tour more than I did. These small trade‑offs keep our trips balanced and help us appreciate what the other loves.

What Happens on the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl:

The tour begins at The Duke Pub, a Victorian pub with deep literary roots. Joyce, Behan, and Patrick Kavanagh were among its regulars. Arriving early helps. You can order a pint, settle in, and find the small room near the stairs where the tour starts (you can’t enter the room until they’re ready). A glass case beside the door to the room displays a Literary Pub Crawl t‑shirt, a book, and a newspaper clipping, a sign that you’re in the right place.

From The Duke, our group walked to Trinity College, O’Neill’s, and The Old Stand. Along the way, we paused in front of the Molly Malone statue near the Church of St. Andrew and passed by Hodges Figgis, Dublin’s oldest bookstore. As we walked by, I thought of the cool bookstore with a restaurant we dined and shopped at the day before, The Winding Stair. Read our The Winding Stair literary restaurant review.

Inside O’Neill’s, I noticed George Bernard Shaw’s portrait. At The Old Stand, I ordered a Redbreast 12 Year neat and shared a few sips with Chris. The pub has stood on Exchequer Street for more than 350 years and once counted Michael Collins among its patrons.

As the tour came to a close, we all gathered outside Davy Byrne’s, a pub made famous in Ulysses. Before John performed “The Parting Glass,” Colm quizzed us.

I didn’t plan to participate, but my competitive streak surfaced. I took second place and won a small bottle of Tullamore Dew. The winner was an English major who had taken the tour before. She beat me to “Jack and Jill,” but I redeemed myself with “Hickory Dickory Dock” and three of the four Irish Nobel Prize winners.

A Few Practical Notes

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• Weather: Be ready for anything. When we went, sideways rain soaked the city. Colm joked that he was leading a “Literary Pub Swim.” Most of the tour is indoors, but you’ll walk between pubs.
• Timing: Arrive at least fifteen minutes early. Earlier, if you want a pint before the tour begins. The tour lasts approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes.
• Food: We grabbed a quick meal at our hotel beforehand. Pizza did the job.
• Photos: Allowed. Videos are not.
• Booking: Reserve ahead.
• Further reading: Dublin Literary Pub Crawl: The Story of Dublin Pubs and the Writers They Served by Colm Quilligan

Tour Schedule and Meeting Point

Summer (April–October): Nightly at 7:15 p.m.

Winter: Thursday–Sunday at 7:15 p.m.

Meet: The Duke Pub, 9 Duke Street, Dublin 2

The Dublin Literary Pub Crawl is more than a string of pubs. It’s a night of story, humor, and history. Like Rick Steves, who also recommends it, I appreciate that the focus stays on culture rather than photo stops. If you love Irish literature, this tour belongs on your Dublin itinerary.

Here’s my review of the experience on YouTube:

If you go, I’d love to hear what surprised you most. And if you’re planning a literary-focused Ireland trip, I’m happy to help you shape it.

Planning a trip to Ireland? Get our free Ireland Insider Guide. You might like our 131-page Ireland travel guide even better. It’s the trip companion I wish we’d had on our first visit.

For more pub experiences to add to your list, check out our post The Irish Pubs a Book Put on Our Itinerary.

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