We love a good coincidence.
Raglan Road is one of the best-known streets in Dublin, Ireland.
It’s a beautifully leafy, elegantly quiet road lined with magnificent Georgian houses. But that’s not what made it famous.
It was a great day when in The Bailey pub in Dublin when a group of musicians and poets were playing, singing and reciting. Amongst them were one of Ireland’s greatest poets, Patrick Kavenagh and one of our finest singers, Luke Kelly.
The rest is history and we’re glad to have a small part to play in bringing the work of these two great men to the wider world.
Read more about Luke Kelly here and here.
“Someone asked him to recite a poem,” according to Luke, “which he did and then someone asked me to sing a song, which I did. And then he leaned over to me and said: “You should sing my song… Raglan Road.’ so he gave me permission. I got permission from the man himself. It was the first time we ever met and the only time we ever spoke.
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Our History
You’ve been to an Irish pub before. But have you ever been to a real Irish pub: a pub that was built in Ireland and shipped overseas before being rebuilt? Raglan Road’s owners have built pubs all over the world but this is their best yet. Here there’s a genuine, deep-down focus is on an extraordinary Irish experience complete with the attitude, the warmth, the friendliness.
You see, Raglan Road is a real Irish bar, a genuine Victorian-style Dublin pub that was conceived by an Irishman. It was built in Dublin by Irish craftspeople using Irish materials and is filled with Irish furniture, fittings, antiques and art.
It’s also filled with Irish chefs, barmen, servers, musicians, dancers, bands, food, drink, stories, banter, song, and laughter.
If you’ve ever wanted to experience a real Irish bar without flying 8 hours to Dublin, then come to Raglan Road. It’s as Irish as Irish could be.
Patrick Kavanagh
Everyone needs a hero. Patrick Kavanagh is ours.
Kavanagh was a simple man who became a famous poet who remained a simple man.
He was born to a farmer’s life on October of 1904 in the fairly bleak environs of Mucker, Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan. Patrick worked the stony grey ground, sold his wares at fairs and markets, went to Sunday Mass, wakes, funerals and weddings. He played pitch and toss at the crossroads, he cycled to dances and he learned about life.
Then he started writing about life and never stopped until he died in 1967. Patrick Kavanagh inspires us to enjoy our time here with good friends and to be happy for every moment. His poetry is incredible and we strongly recommend you take a quiet moment to read some of it.
If you’d like to know more about this incredible man, have a look here
Every logo tells a story.
Ours is pretty deep
Like just about everything to do with Ireland, our logo has a winding story behind it.
It’s based on the three interlocking spirals of the triskele, an ancient symbol first used at the entrance to Newgrange Neolithic tomb in County Meath. How old is that? Hold on to your hat – it was built in 3200 BC. Yes, over 5,000 years ago.
The triskele has been used ever since and its meaning changes depending when it was used and who you’re talking to. Some think it simply means motion as the three arms look as if they are moving outwards from the centre. In Celtic symbology, motion represents energy, action, cycles, progress, revolution and competition.
Some historians and artists believe it stands for other sets of threes: life-death-rebirth, spirit-mind-body, mother-father-child, past-present-future, power-intellect-love, creation-preservation-destruction and even the three Celtic worlds: the spiritual world, the present world and the celestial world.
We believe it represents the Celtic concept of the interrelations between the earth, water and sky. A derivative of the triskele, the Raglan Road logo represents the essence of Ireland – land, water and life.
Think about that now, while you have a pint.
PREVIOUS EXPLOITS
Nine Fine Irishmen
In Las Vegas, in the New York New York hotel and casino, you’ll find a fantastic Irish pub and restaurant called Nine Fine Irishmen. Like Raglan Road, this is an authentic Irish pub, hand built in Ireland, disassembled, shipped to Las Vegas and reassembled again. It’s the real deal. Where did that odd name come from? Well in 1848 nine Irish nationalists were captured by English soldiers and sentenced to death for rebelling. The crown saw sense however and commuted the sentence to transportation to Tasmania because they realised that killing them would make them martyrs. The guys were the Nine Fine Irishmen.
In Las Vegas, in the New York New York hotel and casino, you’ll find a fantastic Irish pub and restaurant called Nine Fine Irishmen.
Like Raglan Road, this is an authentic Irish pub, hand built in Ireland, disassembled, shipped to Las Vegas and reassembled again. It’s the real deal.
Where did that odd name come from? Well in 1848 nine Irish nationalists were captured by English soldiers and sentenced to death for rebelling. The crown saw sense however and commuted the sentence to transportation to Tasmania because they realised that killing them would make them martyrs. The guys were the Nine Fine Irishmen.
If you’re planning a trip to Las Vegas, make sure you drop into Nine Fine Irishmen. Tell them Raglan Road sent you.
Have a look at their site here.
Dublin Slang
A Aul one (elderly mother)
B Banjaxed (broken, wrecked)
C Craic (wild time)
D Delira (pleased)
E Eejit (fool)
F Fair play (well done)
G Gerrup outta dat (stop that)
H Head the ball (crazy person)
I In like Flynn (on to a sure thing)
J Jacks (restrooms)
K Kacks (underwear)
L Lee Marvin (starving, hungry)
M Muppet (fool)
N Nice one (well played)
O On the lash (having a few drinks) P Puss (face)
Q Quare one (strange person) R Rapid (great fun)
S Spanner (fool)
T Tosser (fool)
U Up the yard (get out of here)
V Vaseline (mean – know what I Vaseline?)
W Wearing the face off each other (kissing passionately)
X Xtra (an unwelcome, plain-looking person)
Y Yous (plural of you)
Z Zup (What’s up with you?)