MCDAID'S, HARRY STREET
 Pub Column regular Big Frank may not have been with us, but we raised our glasses to him in McDaid's (which is, again, off Grafton Street). This classic Dublin alehouse (wooden floor and bar, high ceiling and stained-glass windows) is the place where, according to at least one pompous guide book, writer Brendan Behan "drowned his talent" in Guinness. Well, if you're going to drown your talent in anything, it may as well be Guinness. Lager would be such a waste. Guinness rating: 9/10. Mmm, nice. DOHENY AND NESBITT'S, BAGGOT STREET LOWER All things considered, this is quite probably our very favourite Dublin boozer. We think. There are many great pubs in Dublin, but there's something about this place. Something about its atmosphere.
 It's a dimly-lit dream of a drinking den. A pub for people who enjoy talking almost as much as they enjoy drinking. If you're lucky, you'll be able to sneak into the snug at the very front of the pub, the snug at the back of the main bar - and, now, the snug at the side of the back bar. A major revamp since our last visit (don't panic, it's OK) has provided a bigger second bar and more space at the rear, although the owners have done their best to match up the new/old dark wooden fittings to the old wooden fittings in the older part of the pub (got that?) There's also a decent-sized upstairs bar. Guinness rating: 9/10. We didn't want to come home. Pubs in Dublin are more than just pubs. They are meeting places. Community centres. City life revolves around them. They are, quite simply, the best places on earth. | 
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