Dublin Pub Crawl Logo Dublin Pub Crawl
All Routes Live Map App 🗺️
Curated Route Verified 2026 Itinerary

Literary Dublin Pub Crawl

In the Footsteps of Joyce, Behan, Flann O'Brien & Kavanagh

Trace the footsteps of Ireland's Nobel laureates and bohemian wordsmiths. From Leopold Bloom's gorgonzola sandwich at Davy Byrnes to the journalistic debating rooms of The Palace Bar, this is Dublin's literary soul in pint form.

Stops 5 Heritage Pubs
Total Walk 2.6 km
Walk Time ~32 mins
Est. Duration ~4.0 hrs
🍺 Open Route in Live Map App 📍 1-Click Google Maps Walking Tour ↗
💡
Local Pacing Advice: Order a glass of red wine or whiskey alongside your stout at Davy Byrnes in honor of James Joyce's Ulysses, and ask the barkeep at The Palace Bar to show you the literary portraits in the back snug.

Route Itinerary & Venues

5 Verified Stops
Stop 1 Est. 1798

Davy Byrnes

21 Duke St, D02 X677

★ 9.4
Stout Score

Immortalized in Chapter 8 of Joyce's Ulysses where Leopold Bloom eats gorgonzola sandwich with burgundy wine.

James JoyceGorgonzola & BurgundyArt Deco
Signature Pour: Gorgonzola Sandwich & Glass of Burgundy / Stout
View On Maps ↗
Next Walk: Head to Neary's · ~3-5 mins walking ↓
Stop 2 Est. 1887

Neary's

1 Chatham St, D02 P628

★ 9.3
Stout Score

Rare brass exterior gas lanterns. Famous pink marble bar & Gaiety actors' haunt.

Gas LampsPink Marble BarOld World
Signature Pour: Irish Coffee & Creamy Stout
View On Maps ↗
Next Walk: Head to The Palace Bar · ~3-5 mins walking ↓
Stop 3 Est. 1823

The Palace Bar

21 Fleet St, Temple Bar, D02 H950

★ 9.6
Stout Score

Historic haunt of Dublin satirists and poets (Flann O'Brien, Patrick Kavanagh).

Irish Times HangoutWhiskey PalaceStained Glass
Signature Pour: Palace Single Cask Whiskey & Stout
View On Maps ↗
Next Walk: Head to Toner's · ~3-5 mins walking ↓
Stop 4 Est. 1818

Toner's

139 Baggot Street Lower, D02 N822

★ 9.7
Stout Score

The only pub poet W.B. Yeats drank in. Incredible antique snug & massive beer garden.

WB YeatsMassive Beer GardenHistoric Snug
Signature Pour: Pint of Stout & Craft Cider
View On Maps ↗
Next Walk: Head to John Kavanagh The Gravediggers · ~3-5 mins walking ↓
Stop 5 Est. 1833

John Kavanagh The Gravediggers

1 Prospect Square, Glasnevin, D09 V6R6

★ 9.9
Stout Score

Right by Glasnevin Cemetery. Built in 1833, unchanged wooden bar serving Dublin's legendary pint.

Best Pint in DublinNo Music / No TVCoddle & Tap
Signature Pour: Dublin benchmark pint & traditional Coddle
View On Maps ↗

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which pub on this route is featured in Ulysses? ▼

Davy Byrnes on Duke Street is famously featured in Chapter 8 (Lestrygonians) of James Joyce's Ulysses, where Leopold Bloom stops for a gorgonzola sandwich and a glass of burgundy.

2. Did James Joyce drink at The Palace Bar? ▼

While Joyce left Dublin in 1904, The Palace Bar became the primary salon for Dublin's mid-century literary renaissance under editor R.M. Smyllie, frequented by Flann O'Brien and Patrick Kavanagh.

3. Why is John Kavanagh's called 'The Gravediggers'? ▼

Built directly against the wall of Glasnevin Cemetery in 1833, gravediggers used to tap on the pub's exterior wall to order pints through an opening while working night shifts.

4. Is Toners connected to any famous writers? ▼

W.B. Yeats notoriously despised pubs, but agreed to visit Toners on Baggot Street with Oliver St. John Gogarty. After finishing his sherry, Yeats famously remarked, 'Now I have seen a pub.'

Explore More Curated Dublin Crawls

The Classic Heritage Crawl 1.8 km · 5 Stops
→
Traditional Irish Music Trail 2.4 km · 5 Stops
→
Victorian Snug Trail 2.2 km · 5 Stops
→
Historic Liberties Pub Trail 1.5 km · 5 Stops
→
The Walk to Guinness (Storehouse Route) 1.6 km · 5 Stops
→