Tom Kennedy’s Bar: "It’s still the core idea: good drink, good music, good atmosphere. I still want to hold on to what we are..."

The name Tom Kennedy has been hung above the door of 65 Thomas Street for two decades now – but in an area as rich in heritage and culture as The Liberties, it shouldn’t come as any major surprise that the building’s history stretches back much further than that.

“We were given information from a historian in UCD that says the pub goes back to the early 1700s, as an inn,” Tom Kennedy’s owner, Clinton Kennedy, tells me. “Ships would come up the Liffey and dock at the bottom of Winetavern Street. The area was famous for inns, with sailors looking for food, drinks and board.”

The building went on to be closely associated with rebellion and revolutionaries, with some believing that Wolfe Tone was waked there following his death in 1798. It operated under various names over the centuries that followed, before Clinton took it over in 2006, and renamed it in honour of his grandfather.

Having worked in pubs since he was 15, Clinton was no stranger to the trade, or the area – with his entire family, on both sides, having all been born and bred in The Liberties.

“When I was about 20, I worked in the Silken Thomas on Francis Street, around the corner,” he recalls. “I ended up in management there. But I used to drop in here on my breaks – I always liked the pub.”

Clinton has seen firsthand how “dramatically” the area around the pub has changed since those days.

“At that time, the stalls were still on the street, with the dealers selling anything from fish, to fruit and veg, to clothes,” he says. “There was a great buzz about the place. And people from all over the country would come in busloads to Thomas Street for Frawley’s, the department store.

“But Frawley’s closed not long after I took over here, and all the dealers were moved off the street,” he continues. “That changed the community, and it also affected trade. You didn’t have the day trade anymore – people dropping in after doing their shopping on Meath Street and Thomas Street.”

Without losing the heart of the pub, Clinton knew he had to change with the times. While he hosted popular live music nights from the start, he also knew the importance of appealing to the increasing tourist presence in the area.

“With the area changing and new hotels popping up, a lot more tourists were passing our doors – so we needed to cater to their needs, and that meant introducing a decent food menu,” he explains. “I also started putting music on five nights a week, where it used to be three. And now it’s better than ever.”

With those adjustments, and the ongoing changes in the surrounding area, Tom Kennedy’s Bar is now home to a brilliantly eclectic mix of clientele – with many returning for “the good pints, good food, good service, and a welcoming atmosphere.”

“The place is very busy, with everyone from NCAD students, pre-Vicar Street patrons, tourists and locals,” he says. “Everybody’s up singing and dancing, and enjoying the atmosphere together. It’s great to see your customers going out the door happy after having a great night.”

You never know who you’ll bump into in the pub, either – particularly with Vicar Street located just a few doors down the road.

“When I first opened, and mid-week trade was slower, I really noticed the importance of the Vicar Street patrons,” he remarks. “Over the years, you wouldn’t know who would walk into the bar. We’ve had people like Sinéad O’Connor, Dara Ó Briain, Roddy Doyle, Brendan Gleeson, Johnny Logan and Bronagh Gallagher, who have all popped in for pints.”

But through it all, Clinton understands how crucial it is to avoid “changing the pub too much.”

“In general, it’s still the core idea: good drink, good music, good atmosphere,” he says. “I still want to hold on to what we are – which is a good ol’ traditional Dublin pub. There’s a lot of pubs that are opening in this area now, that could be regarded as hip or cool. But who doesn’t love to walk into an old traditional Dublin pub?

“There is still a sense of community in this area,” he adds. “And there’s a bit of pride there – being from this area, knowing who’s who, and being able to run a successful business here. I always say this is ‘my baby’, and it’s the truth. It’s not just a business.”

Tom Kennedy’s Bar
65 Thomas St, The Liberties, Dublin 8
Tel: (01) 454 6366
tomkennedysbar.ie