This is an attempt to document all bars attached to social and private clubs in Dublin—those run by sports clubs, community groups, trade unions, private members’ clubs, residents’ associations, and cultural organisations. Officially referred to as Registered Clubs, these venues do not appear in any centrally held register issued by Revenue. This is a work in progress, if you have any corrections or additions please email me at matchgrams(at)gmail.com.
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Cian Duffy has done a great service for historians, researchers, and genealogists by compiling a map of all licensed premises in Dublin dating back to 1902. His map currently includes over 1,000 operating public bars, 534 pubs that closed before 2010, and 139 that closed after 2010. He is on a mission to visit every open licensed premises on the map—with about 40 to go—and you can follow his progress on his blog.
In late 2023, while home sick with Covid, I began compiling a list of all social clubs, sports clubs, and private members’ clubs with bars on their premises. These fall outside the scope of Cian’s research. Friends have continued to send me tips and updates, so I’ve decided to publish this evolving list as a work in progress.
As these are private members’ clubs with licensed bars, it’s generally required that all members and guests sign in at the door – though practices vary by venue. This list may be useful for those seeking unique venues for birthdays, retirements, or other gatherings.
I’ve divided the map pins into three categories:
1. Sports
2. Non-Sports
3. Closed
1. Sports
As you can imagine, sports clubs with bars comprise a huge number. The majority are what you expect – soccer, GAA, rugby, tennis, cricket and golf clubs. More uncommon would be bars found at hockey clubs (e.g. Three Rockers Rovers in Rathfarnham and Pembroke Wanderers in Ballsbridge), athletics clubs (Donore Harriers in Chapelizod and Clonliffe Harriers in Santry), a pigeon club (Sarsfield Pigeon Club in Ballyfermot), rowing clubs (Commercial and Neptune near Phoenix Park), a badminton club (Terenure Badminton Centre), and a bridge club (Regent Bridge Club in Ballsbridge).
2. Non-Sports
Many of these are associated with jobs, professions and industry. There are a lot of public service sectors represenented including:
Gardaí – The Dublin Metropolitan Garda Recreation Club at Westmanstown Sports & Conference Centre, Westmanstown, D15. There are also separate bars for Garda officers and other ranks (nicknamed “Wet Canteen”) at Garda Headquarters in Phoenix Park. The Garda Club on Harcourt Street closed back in 2014.
Dublin Bus/Bus Éireann workers – The Coldcut Club, Clondalkin, D22.
An Post – The Postal Club, Old Bawn, Tallaght, D24.
Teachers – The Teachers Club, Parnell Square, D1. Ran by the The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO)
Prison Officers – Millmount House, Drumcondra, D9. Ran by the Prison Officers Association.
Dublin Airport – Airport Leisure Social Athletic Association (ALSAA), Old Airport Rd, Co Dublin
RTÉ – RTÉ Sports & Social Club in Donnybrook, D4 (closed?)
Defence Forces -Three bars in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines and one (?) in McKee Barracks, Cabra.
There’s also the various bars on different university and college campuses.
Although they don’t retain a connection today, Sportslink in Santry was originally formed by staff from Telecom Éireann in 1993. The Transport Sports & Social Club in Crumlin was established by members of the ITGWU in 1974. In Inchicore, the Inchicore Sports and Social Club (formerly CIE Social Club) and Inchicore United Workman’s Club both had connections to local railway workers. The Glue Pot venue was originally the social club for workers from the now-closed Clondalkin Paper Mills.
Solicitors have a bar in the Law Society of Ireland, Blackhall Place, D7 while Barristers have the “The Sheds” bar at The Bar Council of Ireland, Distillery Building, Church Street, D7.
Private Members Clubs
Then there are the long-established clubs including the Kildare Street and University Club, the Royal Irish Automobile Club, the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) members club, the Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club and the United Arts Club. All are in St Stephen’s Green area besides the RDS in Ballsbridge.
Irish culture
You also have a number of venues associated with the Irish language and music including Club Chonradh na Gaeilge (closed for renovation) on Harcourt Street, Áras Chrónáin in Clondalkin and Cultúrlann na hÉireann in Monkstown. Note that Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann’s Clasaċ venue on the Alfie Byrne Road near Clontarf has a theatre licence.
Interestingly, a number of residents associations and community organisations run bars. On the Northside, there’s:
The Ayrfield Club, Donaghmede, Dublin 13
Grange Woodbine Club bar, Raheny, Dublin 5
River Valley Community Centre bar, Swords, North Co Dublin
Artane Beaumont Family Recreation Centre bar, Dublin 5
And in South/West Dublin, there is:
Greenhills Community Centre bar, Walkinstown, Dublin 12
Firhouse Community Centre bar, Firehouse, Dublin 24.
Kilnamanagh Family Recreation Centre bar, Tallaght, Dublin 24.
Some of the most atypical premises would include
The Hells Angles MC clubhouse in Mulhuddart.
The Italian community’s Club Italiano in the Dublin Mountains
The Dún Laoghaire Club (Elbana)
Freemason’s Hall bar, Molesworth Street
3. Closed
The final list contains a list of closed venues including interesting spots such as the British Legion, the Revenue Social Club, Irish Times Staff Club, RAF Association Club and bars associated with different political parties and groups.