A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change and the Fate of the Irish Pub

By Bill Barich

After meeting and marrying an Irish woman and moving to Dublin, celebrated New Yorker writer Bill Barich found himself looking for a traditional Irish pub to become his local. Pubs have always been at the heart of Irish life and culture, proliferating in cities and towns alike, so Barich had no shortage of choices. But to his surprise, he could not find what he considered a classic pub; each had developed fatal flaws, be they flat screen televisions, touristy souvenirs, kitschy décor, or other accommodations to modernity. Even the pubs that looked authentic and old were often not what they appeared. All of which signalled to one of our sharpest chroniclers of culture that something deeper was at play--an erosion of the essence of Ireland, perhaps without the Irish even being aware.
A Pint of Plain became a quest to chronicle the state of the Irish pub today, and by extension to examine Irish culture at a time of extraordinary change across the country. From the famed watering holes of Dublin to the pubs and shebeens (small bars within houses) in the country, Barich introduces a colorful array of personalities--from publicans to customers--whose observations are as tasty as the pints they serve and drink. He blends the history of Guinness into his story, and also explores the impact of the IPC (Irish Pub Company), which, for a fee, will help anyone create an "authentic" pub anywhere in the world. Weaving tradition and lore, literary and film references, into his narrative, Barich has written a book that will be irresistible to anyone who is Irish or who appreciates the finer points of Irish culture.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Jul 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9780802719584

Bill Barich

Bill Barich is the author of numerous books, among them Big Dreams: Into the Heart of California and The Sporting Life. He has written extensively for The New Yorker, as well as Playboy and Sports Illustrated. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow in fiction. Barich lives in Dublin, Ireland.

Reviews for A Pint of Plain

[tony2704 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fair. Interesting and at times funny, especially when talking in the present, however the history parts of the book were a little boring

[ehickey_18 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I dreaded this initially when it was given to me, expecting it to be Oirish American nonsense, but this is a good book and much better than I had thought it would be. Barich is an American relocated to Dublin, who sets out to find the "perfect pub". In his mind are stereotypes and ideals about original furnishings, strong silent men, great conversation and craic (tm), and the usual tourist board imagery. He visits many pubs and decides that they fall into various categories - including trophies (eg Brazen Head, Doheny & Nesbitt); neighbourhood pubs (pleasant enough but boring and full of sports TV); and modern monstrosities (he's old). The best scenes are the visits to some tiny, dying country pubs - MD Hickeys in Clonaslee and OConnors in Athy - run by proprietors in their late 70s, great characters. He's also good on describing the exported "Irish pub" as it exists in the US and farming life. In the end Grogans in Dublin city centre, the Cobblestone in Smithfield and Kavanaghs in Glasnevin, as well as Hickeys, seem to "win". He touches on the reasons pubs are failing in Ireland.This book is not without its paddywhackery in places, but a great 2-day read all in all.