The Stag's Head

Dublin. A drinking establishment first opened on this site in the 1770s, first as the Albion Tavern and later as John Bull's Albion Hotel and Tavern. In the early 1890s a wealthy Westmoreland merchant and tailor named George Tyson bought the building, leveled it, and commissioned architect J.M. McLaughlin to construct a lavish Victorian masterpiece. In 1894 it was heralded as Dublin's most advanced pub and famously became the first in the capital to feature electric lighting. The interior remains almost entirely intact, with rich mahogany woodwork, ornate red and black marble columns, and large decorative mirrors and stag themed stained glass. The stags head behind the bar is said to have been acquired by Tyson during his big game hunting adventures in Canada or Alaska. In the back of the pub is a rather large snug with a skylight and a stuffed fox behind glass. The pub was visited by a young James Joyce and has been featured in classic films such as Educating Rita. Downstairs is a second bar and event room where we heard a presentation on fairies and Irish story telling - quite fascinating!

Definitely worth a visit!