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Looking for ideas for what to do in Dublin ?  Consider a trip to Johnnie Fox’s Pub for its famous Hooley Night.

What is a Hooley night, you might be wondering?  At Johnnie Fox’s, Hooley night means a showcase of the best of Irish culture, including great local food, toe tapping Irish music and Irish dancing from some really talented traditional Irish dancers.  It all added up to an amazing night of fun.

Johnnie Fox’s Pub fit my vision of the quintessential Irish pub that I had been searching for for our entire trip. It was unpretentious and welcoming feeling. It felt like a place that I could tuck in for a pint or two and not feel like an outsider.

The evening started out with a sumptuous dinner which I will describe as simplicity perfected. The dishes were fresh and well seasoned. The ingredients were fresh and all of the seafood and other meats on their extensive menu was fresh and much of it local. There were 5-6 choices for the appetizer and main courses and three dessert courses, as well as home made brown bread.

While we were slightly worried about portions (food portions in restaurants in many parts of Europe have not been large enough for my two hungry male travel companions) it turns out that our worries were completely unfounded as the food was filling and hearty and we were stuffed by the end. I haven’t even mentioned the whiskey chocolate cake that they make onsite from a 130 year old recipe. AMAZING. You have to try it!

The table side service was flawless. Our waiter worked very hard all night to make sure we were well cared for. He even remembered that I wasn’t fond of the soup choices available when I ordered and came out a little later to tell me that the chef had made a new pot of potato leek soup which was much more to my taste.

After dinner, the show started with traditional Irish music and the band was spectacular! I had my feet stamping and my hands clapping the entire time. All of the musicians and dancers made extra effort to get everyone involved in singing and/or dancing and it made the show much more fun.

I love that Ireland has kept such strong ties to its cultural heritage by way of its musicians and dancers. First off, the dancing was amazing. I could not figure out why these talented dancers were playing at a local pub in Glencullen, Ireland when they could have been dancing in Las Vegas or in some other higher end venue (but I am glad that they weren’t!). It was like having our own personal performance of Riverdance for us and 100 friends.  Think Las Vegas show meets quaint, Irish pub and you will get an idea of the quality of the talent of the performers at Johnnie Fox’s.

Everyone in the team at Johnny Fox’s works hard to make this an unforgettable experience and they take a lot of pride in their work. This hard work and pride are paying off and come together to form one of the most unique cultural experiences that we have ever had.  It was an amazing evening.

Getting there: Johnnie Fox’s is located about 30 minutes south of Dublin, easily accessible off of the ring road by car.  if you are staying in Dublin and don’t have a car, they offer bus service to and from the pub for 10 Euros round trip.
Cost: 48 Euros per person for a huge dinner and a show that will be the highlight of your trip!
Time: The dinner and show start at about 7:30 and continue until close to midnight.
For more information or to make your booking, visit the  Johnnie Fox’s Pub Website