Photo courtesy of Bill Cannon
The Palace Hotel Bar is one of Dublin’s most well-known and long-standing pubs. I was established in 1823 and remains largely untouched by modernization, unlike some other historic haunts. The wood and brick facade, as well as the decor inside the Palace, is all original. It was sold to proprietor Bill Aherne in 1946 and has been run by his family ever since.
Photo courtesy of the Palace Bar
The Palace has always been popular with celebrities, but it was also a frequent haunt of Dublin’s best writers. It was the unofficial headquarters for Irish Times editor Robert M. Smyllie, who held literary gatherings in the Palace Bar throughout the 1930s and 40s. The Palace Bar was also a favorite of Brendan Behan, Patrick Kavanagh, Flann O’Brien, Con Houlihan, and Samuel Beckett. In fact, there are four bronze plaques on the path outside the Palace for Behan, Kavanagh, O’Brien, and Houlihan, as a nod to the famous publicans.
Bibliography
“The Palace Bar Dublin – Fleet Street Pub Ireland.” The Palace Bar Dublin – Fleet Street Pub Ireland, http://www.thepalacebardublin.com/.
Where They Wrote: Literary Haunts of Dublin 