G.F Handel’s pub on Thomas Street sat closed for a long, long time.
Above its door, the sign above which read G.F HANDEL included the man himself, undoubtedly a man who gives Dublin one of its most unusual chapters of cultural history in the form of the world premiere of the Messiah on Fishamble Street.
The pub, after sitting desolate for so long, is back in business. Now however it’s named Arthurs. This is wise, with it being the closest pub to the Guinness Brewery.
What’s happened to Handel above the door? Well, I noticed he’s still there! G.F Handel below is painted out, but the ‘eighteenth century fella’ remains. What do you think, Arthur and George? I can’t see the resemblance myself! It could be anyone next.
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
Call it what you want, but it’ll always be the Robert Emmett to me. When Paddy Ryan was the landlord it wasn’t much to look at, but it was still a community pub – my first memory is sitting up in a box room looking out the window as Pope John Paul drove past.
Still, good to see something done with that corner since the skyscraper development fell through.
Probably keeping their name options open. I heard a story some time ago, not sure how true it is, that when the previous owners had it, it was called The Hobstore, or something like that. Guinness send their legal people around and told them they could not trade under that name, copyright infringement or something along those line.
Turned out the owner had the rights to the name and Guinness could do nothing about it apart from offer to buy the pub, which they did.
I can’t help seeing a resemblance with another important figure in Irish history…
It’s a nice friendly little pub. Here’s another shot showing the pub from a bit further back.
Is it still owned by MCD’s Denis Desmond?
http://www.dublinpubs.ie/story.asp?id=37
I think so.