A Pub is an abbreviation for a public house, a place that is licensed to sell alcohol, cigarettes and pipe tobacco. The owner would live upstairs, running the establishment with the family or maybe employing a bar man or two. The name over the door may be the family name, a street name or named after some character or event of the area. For example, "The Hole in the Wall" is a pub in Dublin dating back to 1651. Affectionately known by locals as "The Holer". The pub nestles against Phoenix Park wall. Soldiers were forbidden to leave the Phoenix Park, but here, they were able to get a beer through an opening or hole found in the wall. Another interesting pub is the 
"Gravedigger", a nickname for the pub that has been built into the walls of the Glasnevin Cemetery. The "Brazen Head", one of Ireland's oldest pubs is where Robert Emmet used the pub for planning the Rising of 1803. His rebellion failed and Emmet was hanged and beheaded in the nearby Thomas Street. Ironically the Hangman used to also drink in the Brazen Head.

Some pubs would have been grocery and hardware stores as well in days gone by, as are some to this present day. Another business may be that of an undertaker or auctioneer, not to mention a politician. Did you know, pubs were once allowed to store dead bodies! The Coroners Act of 1846 decreed a dead body had to be brought to the nearest public house for storage until further arrangements were made. The cool temperatures of the beer cellars slowed the decomposition of the bodies. This legislation was not removed until 1962, however the dual role of a publican and undertaker is still common in Ireland today.

Did you know that not all people in Ireland drink alcohol? In the early 1800's there was a very serious problem with the consumption of alcohol and drunkenness. The Temperance Movement began in 1838 by a priest named Father Mathew. His aim was to help people to abstain from drinking alcohol except for medical reasons. Even though he was a Catholic, the movement also involved the Protestant community. The success of The Temperance movement was brought to America and Canada, leading to Prohibition from 1920 to 1933. It had great success but it also brought with it illegality of the sale of alcohol and the crimes and criminals that are associated with these years. The Pioneer Total Abstinence Association was founded in 1998 by the Catholic Church. When a boy or girl in Ireland, reach the age of 12 or 13 years, they receive their Confirmation, at this ceremony they would be invited by the Bishop to take the Pledge as it's called, promising to abstain from all alcoholic drink until they were 18 years of age. It is not compulsory today and the Pledge also promises to abstain from taking drugs. The number of adult members of the association is approximately 350,000. Some people have continued to abstain throughout their life.

The pub is much more than just a premise to buy a drink or have a meal. The public house is a cultural and social hub of economic importance. Long ago, the public house was the only place, apart from churches, where working class men and pensioners would unwind and socialize, and a place where networks would be created. Prior to the 1960's Ireland's drinking establishments were for men only. It wasn't the law but few if any women would frequent a pub, or for that matter some pubs would not serve women. In pubs going back through the years there was an area called a "Snug", a cosy, quiet, comfortable place where a person might have a private drink. The Snug was a small room, close to the bar, yet less conspicuous for women to partake of a drink. A hatch or opening allowed the bar man to pass a drink to the patron. The local priest was also a user of the snug. Hence today these rooms are called "the confessional box". Today it is perfectly acceptable for men and women to visit the pub any day of the week.

Guinness is the hallmark of an Irish pub. People working in the pubs are experts in filling pints. Not only that, but they will regale you with jokes and gossip, give you the inside tips on horse racing; such and such is a sure thing for the 2:30 at Naas or the Gold Cup at Ascot. We have often heard people tell the barman, "I have drank Guinness at home and it never tasted as good as this". How many times have you heard that? Guinness is considered a bad traveller. You can have beer, lager, whiskey or other spirits; don't go over the top looking for Cocktails or Craft beers. 

Traditional Irish music pubs are what brought about the revival of people young and old playing musical instruments for our entertainment. O'Donoghue's pub in Dublin has the proud boast of seeing many a novice starting a career that gave us all so much to remember. People like Luke Kelly and the Dubliners, Paddy Reilly, Jim McCann and song writers like Brendan Behan, Patrick Kavanagh and James Joyce to mention a few. Play writers, actors, film stars, sports men and women have all got some memorabilia on the walls of pubs. It's symbolic of the pubs in Ireland, particularly Dublin, to have the customers influence on some writer, none other than James Joyce in his book Ulysses, Sean O'Casey the "Plough and the Stars" and "Strumpet City" by James Plunkett. There are pubs that we refer to today as being the birth of "The Session", where musicians will congregate of an evening to play music, sing and maybe a solo dance, such as the twig or broom dance. No one is booked, no wages are paid, but for the love of music and to chat with friends, it just happens. Musical pubs are here in abundance, Taylors, The Merry Ploughboys, Toners, Tig Coile and Matt Molloy's. The Irish pub is an institution, a magnet for persons to converse on day to day issues, sport, politics, farming, house prices and so on. There are no strangers in the pub, only friends that have never met.

The cities and towns have a plethora of pubs. Favourite pubs in Ireland may differ among people. Clientele, the atmosphere, the bar person serving, all make up this unique establishment known as your local. When entering a pub, remove your hat and make your way to the bar. Don't start waving notes about with your arm in the air, once at the bar; the bartender will notice you as if he hasn't seen this stranger already. If you called a Guinness wait for it to be handed to you, it takes time to pour. Sip your drink, no chugging it down. Seating is scarce so unless that leg is in a cast or you're old enough to need a seat wait till someone offers you one. If the pub has a tradition of music, an area will be held for the musicians. When a rendition of a song is being given, lower the tone of the conversation a little. The pub doesn't stay open till the small hours as there are government regulations and rules regarding opening and closing times in addition to what age younger people can be on a licensed premise.

Did you know, until 1973 the only place alcohol was sold on St. Patrick's Day was at the Royal Dublin Dog Show? High attendance figures were guaranteed! Due to St. Patrick's Day falling as it does in the middle of Lent, a period of abstinence. The law was changed in 1973. In 1995 the Government introduced the St. Patrick's Day Festival. According to Diageo, St. Patrick's Day now sees over 13 million pints of Guinness being sold around the world - nearly four times the amount sold on an average day.