J. Curran's Shop Bar

J. Curran's Shop Bar

J. Curran's Shop Bar
4.5
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Duration: 2-3 hours
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles60 reviews
Excellent
46
Very good
10
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
1

1776SJA
23 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
I decided to visit J. Curran's Shop & Bar after seeing "The Irish Pub," a 2013 documentary on Netflix. This is one of the few remaining traditional pubs of Ireland and its a place to go to see locals gather, rather than to be entertained. It has small enclosed spaces in the front and back of the pub that are for patrons to conduct business (and apparently arrange marriages in the old days).

This place is not for you if you're looking for something flashy or if you want to be pampered. This is a place to get a glimpse of the past in a way.

The interior is dated and the patrons consisted of older men, a couple of younger women and a toddler. It was neat to just see people sit back, have a pint or two of Guinness and chat with others - sometimes the person next to them and other times across the bar.

The female bartender chimed in with the rest of them and the pub had a comfortable, friendly feel. Having said that, the staff at the traditional pubs aren't likely to come chat you up and ask you for your order. Instead, they carry on with whatever they are doing until they catch your eye. They do not come to you (unless you're sitting directly at the bar), you go to them to order and to pay.
Written 26 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kayley N
Toronto, Canada32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2017 • Friends
I had seen this pub in the documentary "The Irish Pub" so my best friend and I decided to give it a go. It's definitely a legit pub/main street shop. Bottles and trinkets line the cigarette smoke saturated walls, and on the one side he sells Hunter wellies and bags of potatoes. It even has an old-timey snug in the front of the bar.
We walked in and were given the once over by the owner and the locals, but after we sat for a few minutes with our pints we ended up having a lovely chat with James, who has lived above the bar his entire life. Honestly one of my favourite experiences in Ireland. Stick it out and you'll have a delightful experience.
Written 7 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

VRew22
Council Bluffs, IA11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2015 • Friends
Almost feel bad even writing a review on J. Curran's because it's a perfectly hidden gem right under everyone's nose. And now more folks will know about it.

If you're in Dingle to mingle for the day... If you love meeting fellow travelers and swapping stories... If you enjoy the raucous yet somehow predictable Tourist Pub Hubs (i.e. - Dick Mack's down the hill)... then you'll probably keep right on walking by J. Curran's.

To no one's fault, it's really not for everyone. A touch vintage and unpolished compared to its tourist-driven neighbors, this place still had more character(s) than any other establishment we stumbled out of. And these 4 middle-aged guys from Iowa had plenty of comparison.

J. Curran's is more focused on being itself than what anyone else thinks it should be. That's probably why we loved it. Lost (well, felt a lot more like winning) a good chunk of a day and night hanging with the people who watch us tourists breeze in and out of their town day to day, year to year. Great perspectives from the nicest, funniest people you'll meet anywhere in the world.

Why does Guiness taste better some places than others? Because of who you're drinking it with. Don't overlook hidden gems like J. Curran's. The best memories are often made at places just like it.
Written 24 November 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anne L
San Blas, Mexico12 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Friends
I was so looking forward to going to this pub because of the Irish pub documentary that o watched. It was filled with very unfriendly local, no one spoke to us or ask if we wanted a drink. They simply starred at us like we were going invading their space. If this establishment did not want tourist why do a documentary.
Written 26 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DEire
Dubai, United Arab Emirates91 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Couples
We spent 2 nights in Dingle and had a few drinks in this wonderful pub both nights. It's got great character and the hot ports I ordered were very much needed as the temps outside in mid decemenber were a little shocking to us having arrived from the middle east. The chats we had with the barkeep Ronan really made our evening. Great fun, banter and laughs. It's a real locals pub and we really enjoyed our visit and found everyone very friendly. Can't wait to go back.
Written 18 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael S
Melbourne, Australia21 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
Quick review.
I love a pint of the dark stuff! Every time I visit Ireland I'm always searching for the perfect pint. On recent trip I tried about 20 pubs in Dingle and this was the place that came on top. Also it a cool as can be real deal Irish pub.
Written 3 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Von1287
Albany, NY762 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Couples
We came here because we watched the Irish Pub documentary that featured this pub. We learned that the pub culture in Ireland is very different and we wanted to experience it ourselves. This was a "locals" type of place and we remembered the owner right when we saw him. We loved looking at all of the knickknacks on his shelves and hearing the conversations.
Written 22 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marcixo
Tuckerton, NJ85 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2017 • Couples
Stumbled upon this pub by accident. Walked in to 4 older local gentlemen having a conversation which completely stopped as soon as my boyfriend and I stepped in. Like a record player scratching to an abrupt end. No welcome. Just awkward stares. We decided to order pints and carry on a conversation amongst ourselves. Tried to have a side conversation with a local who wanted nothing to do with us. I get it, tourists are annoying but you could still show a little warmth. At least the pint was good.
Written 16 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pauline O'Gorman
Waterford, Ireland9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2017 • Friends
When we first went in we both thought, did we really want to stay for a drink so we did. This pub also has a hardware in the same part as the bar, for me this was so nostalgic as I used to go with my Grandad year's ago to a bar like this and you really don't see them anymore. James the owner was so chatty and the stories, thought we'd fall off the stools. And the character's!! Have a date with a 92 year old if I return😂. Great pint of Guinness!!
Written 29 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

pearl430
Palmer, MA75 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2016 • Couples
This pub was our first introduction to an Irish pub! It was just what I imagined. It is not very big but very interesting. When we walked in on the left there were boots and hats for sale though I am not sure they sold much of that. On the other side was the bar which all stools were filled with local people. There were very old bottles lining some of the shelves and other interesting items hanging about. We found a couple stools and were immediately warmly welcomed by two local men. The conversation flowed.
Written 22 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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J. CURRAN'S SHOP BAR: All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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