Oh times! Oh customs! How long will Chaplin’s reign supreme in the hearts and stomachs of pub dwellers far and wide, how long will Doyle’s continue abusing our patience? A select Wednesday night early into term revealed all that needed to be learned about public opinion on the two neighbouring pubs, from the Trinity student political body to the more lowkey Ciceronian (a beer appreciator). The Trinity politicians were certainly most vocal about their opinions on alcohol, Capitalism and the Chaplin’s/Doyle’s question, drowning out the trad music session that was supposedly taking place upstairs. But all conversations were important in showing what matters most to those willing to spend their money on an increasingly expensive pastime. If we are to preserve the pub, we need to understand what makes it worthwhile.
According to Sam Coll and Andy Stephens of “The Dublin Publopedia”, Chaplin’s has always been a student spot, with its prime location, lenient bartenders, and an upstairs area well suited for public readings. Almost a century on, it still retains its charm. The Wednesday night in question was lively and warm. People were ready to talk, and the general ambiance was one of jollity. According to Ciara and Eric, who are friends of fifteen years, the pints here are good, and more importantly cheaper than at Doyle’s round the corner. Eric did concede that he hadn’t been to Doyle’s for a while but found the €6.50 Guinness at Chaplin’s a reasonable gig. Ciara was new to the pub, but they both agreed that Doyle’s was more student-y. Eric also added that really “company is all that matters, except in England”. He also made the apt point in answer to my question of whether he was more a pint half-full or -empty kind of man that clearly a pint is half-empty once you start drinking. His was just one of many acute answers.
Perhaps the most vocal members of the student pubgoers that night were the Trinity left-wing politicians, gathered in Chaplin’s to mix and confer. Their attitude to the rising price of beer was firm: it was a Capitalist problem, and according to Boyd Stephens and Patrick Keegan, Sinn Féin and Labour would make amends. How they would do so was not developed upon, with something about Trotskyists paying the tax muttered under their breath. The two were sat at the same table and agreed that Doyle’s is more touristy (Patrick hates tourists) but that “if things get bad enough, we head to Doyle’s”. Downstairs, more left-wing students made themselves heard, choosing to stand outside and smoke rather than sit upstairs nursing a pint. One member, Bryn Butler, claimed that she had “tried blood that tastes better than beer”, hiding her finished pint of cider behind her back. It seemed that smoking and spirits were a better choice: “the people need to start moonshining”, in her view. Next to her elbow, an apolitical friend, also a teetotaller, quipped that he just came to people-watch at Chaplin’s. However, Martina Perrone, another Trinity student, said that Doyle’s is better for this activity, boasting more booths and quiet spots.
Most frequenters of the pub that night — granted that the interviews were conducted in Chaplin’s — found their chosen spot everything that Doyle’s wasn’t. One trad musician — Declan, a master’s student — also enjoying a Guinness, said that he doesn’t even consider Doyle’s as an option. Another Trinity couple — Amy and Rory — came for the trad music, but there were not enough seats. If they could change anything about pubs, they said, it would have to be more seating. This does seem to be a Dublin problem, with tourists often stealing the space, even beyond Temple Bar. Doyle’s has good music upstairs, according to László Molnárfi, former Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU/AMLCT) President, but he prefers the George. Moreover, it is a well-established fact, as corroborated by the Communists, that 18-year-olds make out on the Doyle’s dance floor.
Perhaps it would only be fair to head to Doyle’s next to ascertain the preferences of those who have chosen the less popular option. But the more touristy crowd might be less acquainted with the ins and outs of both pubs and just have headed to the nearer and more obvious location. It seems that with its weekly trad music sessions, upstairs space and good pints, Chaplin’s has the upper hand. But seating and rising pint prices are still a problem, for students and the public alike. Whether the left-wing drinkers will save us or merely continue perseverance and faith in our favourite pubs, only time will tell. I raise a glass to Chaplin’s, and as Alex Chambers — a less militant politician among the riffraff that night — said matter-of-factly, “Prague is great”. We will always have Prague, even if we have already lost Doyle’s.
Additional reporting by James Ryan
