Ballybough

[PoR]

Back in the 70s I played for a football team called St Agatha's FC (names after the parish). We were regulars in Bermingham's, a small bar/lounge between Belton's at North William Street corner and The Sunset House at Portland Row. Anyone have any memories, stories, pictures, anything relating to the pub or that little Ballybough strip in general?

Apart from Bermingham's, I'm very interested in any memories, pictures, anecdotes, characters, anything (particularly 1970s into early 80s) on area from Portland Row to Richmond Road and all side-streets, avenues, alleys, lanes, flats etc therein. Throw in Five Lamps to Fairview Park too!

Thanks so much.

[PoR]

Killed in the rush.

Nutin, zippo, zero, blank, SFA - put it any way you want, but I could be forgiven for thinking there's a lack of euphoria about my topic. Click bait obviously not up to scratch. But, hey, I'm edging towards the ton for views. My ambitions are now lower but I still have a pulse. As the man in Bermingham's Select Bar and Lounge used to say, "You can take a horse to water but a pencil must be led".

Another pint there, Sean, please.

[bojangles]

Sorry for the lack of engagement of your post Por. Was that Berminghams in Dorset Street you mentioned or is there another pub same name

[PoR]

Hi Bojangles: Thanks for reply - I'm sure it'll start a flood of biblical proportions! There were two Bermingham pubs - one, as mentioned, in Ballybough (about 50m either side of the former Sunset House and Beltons) and the other on Dorset Street. Both were owned by Jim Bermingham who was very supportive of local teams and charities. I think he was from Longford, or maybe Cavan. What the Ballybough boozer lacked in refinement it compensated for with character. Many engaging and often boisterous locals were rarely short of yarns and opinions. Some toughnuts among them - but in the few years I frequented the place, I never saw anything even approaching a row. It was that type of place, a great local Dublin pub of its time. I have very fond memories of it and the people who drank there.

[Twobob]

Hi Bojangles: Thanks for reply - I'm sure it'll start a flood of biblical proportions! There were two Bermingham pubs - one, as mentioned, in Ballybough (about 50m either side of the former Sunset House and Beltons) and the other on Dorset Street. Both were owned by Jim Bermingham who was very supportive of local teams and charities. I think he was from Longford, or maybe Cavan. What the Ballybough boozer lacked in refinement it compensated for with character. Many engaging and often boisterous locals were rarely short of yarns and opinions. Some toughnuts among them - but in the few years I frequented the place, I never saw anything even approaching a row. It was that type of place, a great local Dublin pub of its time. I have very fond memories of it and the people who drank there.

Morning PoR , know of a family that lived in Buckingham St flats [Sean Tracy House] if memory serves me , the father drank in Sunset House I think , he worked in 1 of the CIE garages , Summerhill ? , played snooker in the Cosmo …….. outside of that , zilch .

[dinny]

Hi Bojangles: Thanks for reply - I'm sure it'll start a flood of biblical proportions! There were two Bermingham pubs - one, as mentioned, in Ballybough (about 50m either side of the former Sunset House and Beltons) and the other on Dorset Street. Both were owned by Jim Bermingham who was very supportive of local teams and charities. I think he was from Longford, or maybe Cavan. What the Ballybough boozer lacked in refinement it compensated for with character. Many engaging and often boisterous locals were rarely short of yarns and opinions. Some toughnuts among them - but in the few years I frequented the place, I never saw anything even approaching a row. It was that type of place, a great local Dublin pub of its time. I have very fond memories of it and the people who drank there.

Drank in Bermingham's Dorset St....for decades after matches in Croker it was the go to place for a gang of us Dubs....we loved the place had had many's the great night there , with great sing songs after Dublin wins and losses ...got to know Jim Bermingham well ...he was a gentleman ...he was from Offaly ......

[PoR]

Hi Twobob and Dinny: Thanks to you both for answering my post. Despite Berminghams being almost next door, and passing it most days (I was an O'Connell's boy) I never crossed the doorstep of The Sunset House. Absolutely nothing against the place - in fact it looked to have lots of character. It was simply too close to Berminghams. I think the same applied for the Siunset House regulars.

After Beltons got a mid-70s makeover, it occasionally won us over on the odd Friday night (and some of them were very odd) but we inevitably gravitated towards Bermos.

Thanks Dinny for reminding me that Jim hailed from Offaly - it comes back to me now, Offaly had a great team in the early 70s but made way for the emergence in 1974 of the mighty Dubs. Jim was reminded of that very often. You're right, he was a thorough gentleman - as was his brother (possibly Tom) who occasionally appeared behind the bar. He died a little later, maybe you can recall his name too.

[bojangles]

Drank in Bermingham's Dorset St....for decades after matches in Croker it was the go to place for a gang of us Dubs....we loved the place had had many's the great night there , with great sing songs after Dublin wins and losses ...got to know Jim Bermingham well ...he was a gentleman ...he was from Offaly ......

We lived across the Road in George’s Place and one of me Ma’s treats was 2 glasses of Guinness in Berminghams with her sister in law Nelly every Sunday night. When we moved to Finglas in the early 60s she continued the ritual for years after , grabbing the last bus home at 10 o’clock
Sad to see it finally closing up there a few years ago.

[dinny]

Bo...Of all the pubs to close in Dorset St it would have to be the one we went to....think it was sold to the Mater Private.......I remember down through the years ....on Sunday evenings about 9pm elderly women coming in in two's for couple of drinks.....mostly from Harwicke St flats....and that continued right up until it closed down

[bojangles]

I think the Big Tree closed as well. It just seems to be a significant the times. I doubt that the immigrants that are living around the North inner city would be too interested in spending their time and few bob sitting in a pub.

[barefoot]

Back in the 70s I played for a football team called St Agatha's FC (names after the parish). We were regulars in Bermingham's, a small bar/lounge between Belton's at North William Street corner and The Sunset House at Portland Row. Anyone have any memories, stories, pictures, anything relating to the pub or that little Ballybough strip in general?

Apart from Bermingham's, I'm very interested in any memories, pictures, anecdotes, characters, anything (particularly 1970s into early 80s) on area from Portland Row to Richmond Road and all side-streets, avenues, alleys, lanes, flats etc therein. Throw in Five Lamps to Fairview Park too!

Thanks so much.

Did you guys ever play against the football team that hug out in the Cat and Cage in Drumcondra....can't remember the name of the team but the manager was called Arthur....

[PoR]

Hi Barefoot: The only Drumcondra team we played was All Hampton who drank in the Cat & Cage, a lovely pub. We had some ding-dong battles with them in the Dublin Amateur League, mostly ill-tempered affairs. We were both young teams, mustard keen, and doing fairly well at the time.

One of All Hampton's defenders was no other than Bertie Ahern - and let me tell you he was a hard man, or so he thought. He played left full-back and I was a right winger at the time. He clobbered me early and often and eventually a melee broke out. Indeed, had one of my more combustible colleagues not been dragged off Bertie I assure you there would have been no Celtic Tiger.

I'm not sure if this little saunter down Memory Lane answers your question, Barefoot, but it has sure given me a buzz just thinking about it.

Thanks for taking an interest in my post, I appreciate it.

[rasher]

Hi Barefoot: The only Drumcondra team we played was All Hampton who drank in the Cat & Cage, a lovely pub. We had some ding-dong battles with them in the Dublin Amateur League, mostly ill-tempered affairs. We were both young teams, mustard keen, and doing fairly well at the time.

One of All Hampton's defenders was no other than Bertie Ahern - and let me tell you he was a hard man, or so he thought. He played left full-back and I was a right winger at the time. He clobbered me early and often and eventually a melee broke out. Indeed, had one of my more combustible colleagues not been dragged off Bertie I assure you there would have been no Celtic Tiger.

I'm not sure if this little saunter down Memory Lane answers your question, Barefoot, but it has sure given me a buzz just thinking about it.

Thanks for taking an interest in my post, I appreciate it.

Are you saying you had the chance to kick the shit out of Bertie and you let the opportunity go. I thought Bertie was more of a horsie man

[PoR]

Horsie man would make more sense, Rasher, he certainly did enough kicking and dribbling. But we were Ballybough/North Strand lads and, well, were no shrinking violets. Bertie was true to his Tiger - huffed and puffed and then fell over. Ta for replying.

[red99]

there is a facebook page called Dublin craic and banter they have loads of photos and stories you might find photos of info .good site