Madigan’s Bar: My Dublin Favorite

Wandering the streets on the Northern side of the river in Dublin, my friends and I stumbled into Madigan’s looking for a restroom. It was around 8pm and the restaurant was filled with only a few quiet conversations among locals and older couples in the cozy booths. On the edge of turning around, the bartender welcomed us in and sat us at the bar.

Her name was Jackie, and pretty soon we were all laughing and exchanging stories about where we were from. Jackie, from Germany, had moved to Dublin with her partner, but longed to visit Belfast and Edinburgh.

The other quieter bartender Jerry, rolled his eyes at the scene every now and then, but eventually joined in with a few sassy jokes. When asked if he was from Dublin, he answered “absolutely” with his fully natural British accent. We learned to not believe his crazy stories and remarks but rather answered with stories of our own.

We ordered some incredible fish and chips, and drinks of the bartenders’ recommendation.

By the time I glanced at the time, it was hours later and the bar was emptier than before. We left but said when we returned to Dublin after our travels to Galway, we would return and catch up.

We did in fact return. Jackie recognized us immediately, but Jerry was on holiday. We caught up and she told us about a similar group of Americans that traveled through Madigan’s as well. As if it were her own plans, Jackie explained their travel plans with excitement and asked questions about ours.

We took a few pictures and followed her on Instagram to keep up, then said our goodbyes. I hope Jackie gets to travel as well!