The Brazen Head
The Brazen Head features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Dublin. Give it roughly ~60 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Dublin Dublin guide
About The Brazen Head
Established in 1198 and claiming to be Ireland's oldest pub, where United Irishmen planned their 1798 rebellion and Robert Emmet drank his last pints.
The Brazen Head on Bridge Street is one of Dublin's most famous and historically resonant pubs, with a claim to be Ireland's oldest, having been established on this site in 1198, just 13 years after Dublin itself was founded as a Norman settlement. The current building dates from around 1688, when the original structure was rebuilt, but the pub has been continuously trading on this spot for over 800 years.
The Brazen Head was a gathering place for United Irishmen in the late 18th century, the revolutionary society founded by Wolfe Tone that led the 1798 Rising. Meetings were held in its back rooms, and the rebel leader Robert Emmet, who led the abortive 1803 Rising, is said to have drunk here regularly in the weeks before his execution.
Today the Brazen Head is a tourist destination as much as a local pub, with traditional music sessions most evenings and walls covered with memorabilia from its long history. It sits in the oldest part of Dublin, at the crossing of the River Liffey that was used for centuries before the city grew up around it.
Did you know? The Brazen Head has been serving drinks on the same site since 1198, making it older than Magna Carta and the founding of Oxford University.
How long is a visit to The Brazen Head?
Set aside roughly ~60 min for The Brazen Head. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is The Brazen Head worth your time?
The Brazen Head is among the 42 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Dublin, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Dublin
Hear the story of The Brazen Head
Preview the Dublin tour free in the Gingerguide app.