Hedigan’s The Brian Boru is conveniently located close to Glasnevin Cemetery, Croke Park and the Botanical Gardens on the banks of The Royal Canal and is stepped in history. Not only does it derive its name from Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, who camped at the site with his army prior to his victorious Battle of Clontarf, fought on Good Friday 1014, but world renowned writer James Joyce mentions the pub in his tour de force Ulysses.

From tapestry etchings depicting Brian Boru and the Battle of Clontarf to watercolor paintings detailing Leopold Bloom’s odyssey through Dublin in Ulysses, this pub also features wonderful artwork commemorating its historical past. Yet this is only one aspect of the traditional ambiance that has made the Pub so successful.

The Brian Boru has been a public house for over 200 years with the present building dating back to the 1850s. Renowned for its special “Powers White Label” whiskey which Patrick Hedigan bonded and blended to his own recipe, the pub is believed to be the last pub in Ireland to serve whiskey from the wood, which they did up until the end of 1973. This tradition is kept alive today, with our wide selection of Irish Whiskeys on offer, for which the pub is featured in the Irish Whiskey Trail.

In addition to our selection of spirits, the pub also offers a wide range of quality food that is made from the produce of local Irish farmers and features a menu that changes seasonally. Our menu includes Early Bird Specials, Sunday Roast Lunch and sumptuous A La Carte dishes.


The present building on the site dates from the 1850s with the facade virtually unaltered since then. Commemorating this connection, a painting of Brian Boru going into battle hangs proudly on the front of the building. Fergus O’Ryan RHA painted it over 50 years ago to replace an earlier painting.

The millennium of the Battle of the Clontarf was marked with the official opening of an exhibition of nine unique tapestry etchings depicting Brian Boru and the Battle of Clontarf. The prints were created by renowned Danish artist Susanne Thea and are on display in the upstairs gallery.

The pub has long been something of a landmark, famous as a venue for meals and refreshments following funerals in the nearby Glasnevin Cemetery. Indeed The Brian Boru is mentioned in Ulysses as Joyce’s party of mourners pass by on their way to Glasnevin Cemetery. To commemorate this connection and Joyces’ protagonist, the Pub hosts annual Bloomsday celebrations.
In further homage to the Joyce’s literally tour de force and the bicentennial of Joyce’s birth, the pub features a collection of paintings by Anthony Malin depicting notable landmarks that Leopold Bloom’s passed while on his odyssey through Dublin.

The pub is also mentioned in James Plunkett’s Strumpet City.

Over the years many famous people have been through the doors of The Brian Boru, one in particular was Martin Fay who used to meet his friends here. He enjoyed the pub so much that he went on to write a piece on Chieftains 7LP called “Hedigans Fancy” after his favourite local.

Local

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