Dublin Family Adventure: Cherished Memories in Every Photo

Visiting the Stag’s Head is a wondrous experience whether you call when the premises is cosy, warm and glowing at night time, or in early morning when this is old repository of liquid culture is radiantly illuminated by wafts of sunlight filtering through the stained glass windows. The mahogany bar, capped with red Connemara marble, follows the classic Victorian architectural pattern, being long and punctuated by exquisite partitions that divide into private compartments or stalls.

Great pub

Chez Max Palace Street is a traditional French bistro, serving homemade French dishes with a Parisian flair. Chez Max is open all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. While Chez Max Epicerie is located on Baggot Street.

Dublin Castle was for 700 years the seat of British power in Ireland. Today you can still view the remains of the 13th century structure as part of the guided tour. The present Dublin Castle dates from the mid 1700's and today is used by the Irish Governemnt for state events such as the inauguration of the Irish President and state banquets for visiting dignatories. Amongst the highlights are the Ladies Drawing Room, the Throne Room and St. Patricks Hall.

Our story goes as far back 1599 where Sir William Temple , a renowed teacher and philosopher, entered the service of the Lord Deputy of Ireland. In 1609, Temple was made Provost of Trinity College, Dublin and Master Chancery in Ireland and moved to this country.

Sir William Temple built his house and gardens on newly reclaimed land here on the corner of Temple Lane and the street called Temple Bar.

In 1656, his son, Sir John Temple, acquired additional land which, with reclamation made possible by the building of a new sea wall, allowed the development of the area we know as Temple Bar. In the 17th century “Barr” (later shortened to Bar) usually meant a raised estuary sandbank often used for walking on.

Thus the river Liffey embankment alongside the Temple’s Barr or simply Temple Bar.

Later this evolved into the present throughfare connecting this whole area from Westmoreland Street to Fishamble Street

City Hall was built between 1769 and 1779. The build took ten years to complete. When they decided to build City Hall a competition was advertised and 62 submissions were made. The winner of this Competition was Thomas Cooley, a young architect from London. At the time, James Gandon would have been the primary architect in Dublin, but his designs came second in the competition. Thomas Cooley was also tendered to build the Four Courts, however at 44 years of age, he fell ill and died and therefore James Gandon became the primary architect in the building of the Four Courts. If you look to the ceiling you will see that there is a stained glass dome, initially this was meant to be left open, in the same vein as the Pantheon, however given that we are in Ireland and it rains so often, they decided to cover it in. The stone work was done by a German man called Simon Vierpyl, and the stuccodore responsible for the gilded work was a man called Charles Thorpe. Initially when City Hall was built, it was built as The Royal Exchange. This was where you would have come to exchange Irish Punt into English Sterling. This was where merchants and guildsmen gathered to discuss their trading affairs. If you look out the West door onto Castle Street, that was where the banks were located and if you look out the windows to the east, where the trading happened. Over by the Olympia Theatre was where debts were collected. This really was an epicentre of trade in Dublin for the later part of the 18th Century. The Wide Streets Commission used the building in the late 1780s and 1790s to meet to discuss the planning of the city. If you walk around the outer ring of the Rotunda, you will notice that there is a distinct echo, this was done intentionally. When Thomas Cooley was designing the building, he designed it so that the echo would muffle private conversations that were had when walking around the room. Upstairs, in what are now the Council Chambers, there were coffee rooms. Coffee House Culture in the Dublin in the 18th and 19th Century was quite popular. Coffee was a luxury item and therefore very expensive to buy, and this made it very fashionable in those days. In 1800 the Act of Union was introduced and this had a devastating effect on the economy in Dublin, and by 1827 the currency was amalgamated. The building fell into disuse and was then rented out. This was actually where O’Connell gave his first public address on the Act of Union and it is one of his most famous addresses. In 1852 this building was bought by Dublin City Council, and they had partitions put up for privacy. Since then, in 1998- 2000 Dublin City Council restored the building to it’s original state as part of a refurbishment plan for the millennium.

The Quays Bar is situated in the heart of Dublin’s famous Temple Bar. It has a great mixture of both locals and tourists, making it one of Dublin’s liveliest pubs.
The live Irish traditional music every day makes the pub a magnet for those of you looking for a bit of craic. The stories told from near and far mean every day is a new experience in The Quays. A full Irish Restaurant on the first floor with a superb all-round menu including a traditional Irish Stew and Dublin Coddle.
Come for the craic and stay for the warm friendly atmosphere.

LIVE TRADITIONAL MUSIC DAILY
From 1pm – till late

We are situated right beside the famous Ha'penny Bridge on Dublins southside.

Established in 2010, the Merchants Arch has been in existence since 1821.

Housed in a listed building that was once a Merchant Guild Hall, this is one of only two 19th Century Guild Halls still standing in Dublin.

Ideally located in Dublins Temple Bar, the Merchants Arch is an ideal spot to stop off for a bite to eat during a shopping or sightseeing trip.

With food served 7 days a week and with a mixture of live traditional Irish Music, contempary and classic hits to keep you entertained. We invite you to come and relax, sample some of our traditional Irish dishes and drink some of the finest beers and whiskey's from Ireland and around the world.

We show all televised big sporting events from GAA, Rugby, Golf and Soccer (just to names a few) on 7 HD big screens.

Enjoy light bites to a 3 course meal in the downstairs bar, or ascend the breath-taking stone stairway to the buildings rafters of our newly renovated restaurant which boasts spectacular views

Designed by an internationally acclaimed design house, the space recreates an elegant ambiance with indoor and outdoor areas displayed through the use of hand crafted wooden structures, juxtaposed with elaborate glass structures, free hanging lights and contemporary wooden furnishings.

The Distillery Store is a whiskey bar and off-licence with a large collection of rare and collectable whiskeys from around the world. Our staff provide whiskey tastings that are suited to both whiskey connoisseurs and beginners alike. The store also has a selection of cigars, handcrafted pipes and the best in Irish gin and Poitin.