Quick answer: Drumcondra is a Northside neighbourhood in Dublin 9, best known as the home of Croke Park and of DCU’s St Patrick’s and All Hallows campuses, which give it a large student population. It has a strong run of pubs along Drumcondra Road, good brunch and coffee spots, and Griffith Park on the River Tolka. Get there by commuter train to Drumcondra station or walk from O’Connell Street in 20 to 25 minutes. On match days, plan ahead.
Most visitors only see Drumcondra on the way to a match or a concert, which is a pity. Between the students and the GAA crowd, the main road has everything from old pubs to Middle Eastern sharing plates, and the parks along the Tolka are a short walk away.
A short history
The name comes from the Irish Droim Conrach, “Conra’s ridge”. The main road follows the line of the Slighe Midluachra, one of the ancient highways out of Dublin. In 1798 rebels seized a mail coach at the Cat and Cage to signal the start of the rising to north County Dublin. Much of the housing went up in the 1920s and 1930s, including Dublin Corporation tenant-purchase schemes and the Irish Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Land Trust homes on Lambay Road.
Fagan’s has its own place in local lore: Bertie Ahern brought Bill Clinton there for a pint in 1998.
Students, Croke Park and Tolka Park
Drumcondra has a large student population, thanks to two DCU campuses. St Patrick’s Campus, on Drumcondra Road, is home to DCU’s Institute of Education and grew out of the old teacher-training college at Belvidere House. All Hallows Campus is at Drumcondra House, which dates from 1726. Both became part of DCU in 2016. See dcu.ie for campus details.
Croke Park, headquarters of the GAA, holds 82,300 people and fills the area on big match days. Tolka Park has been home to Shelbourne FC since 1989, so you can catch League of Ireland football here too.
Pubs and bars in Drumcondra
Fagan’s
146 Drumcondra Road Lower. Three bars and food, and the pub Bill Clinton visited in 1998.
Kennedy’s
132 to 134 Drumcondra Road Lower. Named after Tom Kennedy, who bought it in 1961. Sport on the screens, music sessions, rooms upstairs, and it opens for breakfast. kennedysdrumcondra.com
The Cat & Cage
74 Drumcondra Road Upper. A good craft beer range, and family-friendly. This is where rebels seized the mail coach in 1798. catandcage.ie
Quinn’s
42 Drumcondra Road Lower. The big pre-match pub, with music and comedy too.
The Ivy House
114 Drumcondra Road Upper. Beer garden, open fire, and Carthy’s snug down the lane.
Juno and Hera
58 Dorset Street Lower, at the Clonliffe end. Juno has craft taps, and Hera is its Mediterranean dining room.
The Bernard Shaw
Cross Guns Bridge, on the Glasnevin and Phibsborough edge of the area. Run by Bodytonic, with gigs, food and the outdoor Beatyard. thebernardshaw.com
McGrath’s
Drumcondra Road Lower. An off-licence with a good selection of local craft beer, if you want something to take home.
Heading into town afterwards? See our guides to the best traditional pubs in Dublin and the best pint of Guinness.
Restaurants and cafés
The Lovely Food Company
94 Drumcondra Road Lower. A brunch café that turns into a wine bar later in the week, and a natural pre-match breakfast stop. lovelyfood.ie
Bread & Butter
The Lovely Food Company’s sister coffee house, two doors along. breadandbutter.ie
Shouk
Drumcondra Road Lower. Middle Eastern sharing plates. shouk.ie
Drop Coffee
2 Drumcondra Road Lower. Coffee at the city end of Drumcondra Road.
Le Petit Breton and Holi
Le Petit Breton is a crêperie, and Holi does Indian food.
Thunders Home Bakery
16 Drumcondra Road Upper. A newer branch of the Dublin bakery.
Things to do in Drumcondra
- Croke Park stadium tour and GAA Museum. The tour takes in the GAA Museum, and the Skyline rooftop walk goes 17 storeys up. Entry is through the museum under the Cusack Stand, off Clonliffe Road. The stadium also runs seasonal specials. Book the Croke Park Stadium Tour and GAA Museum on Dublin 360, or see crokepark.ie.
- Griffith Park. 7.5 hectares along the Tolka, with riverside walks, a playground and an outdoor gym. It was re-landscaped as a floodplain after the floods of 2000 and 2002, and juvenile salmon have been recorded in the river.
- The Royal Canal. Walk the towpath and greenway.
- Drumcondra Church. The architect James Gandon is buried here.
- Tolka Park. League of Ireland football with Shelbourne.
- Nearby. The National Botanic Gardens and Glasnevin Cemetery are just upriver.
Getting there
- Train: Drumcondra station is on the Maynooth and Longford commuter line. It reopened in 1998, and Croke Park is about 10 minutes’ walk away via Clonliffe Road.
- Bus: lots of routes run along Drumcondra Road and Dorset Street, including airport coaches that stop on Drumcondra Road. Route numbers are changing under BusConnects, so check the TFI Journey Planner.
- On foot: 20 to 25 minutes from O’Connell Street.
On match and concert days, roads close and buses divert. Walk from Drumcondra or Connolly station and leave plenty of time. Check our live train times, read our getting around Dublin guide, or see how to get to and from Dublin Airport.
Where to stay
Drumcondra suits a stay for Croke Park, and airport coaches stop on Drumcondra Road. On Dublin 360 you’ll find The Croke Park Hotel on Jones’s Road, the Dublin Skylon Hotel on Upper Drumcondra Road, the Bonnington Hotel on the Swords Road and Annandale House, a B&B on Grace Park Road. On big match and concert nights, book early. See all our Dublin places to stay.
Local tips
- On match days, have your pint in Fagan’s, Kennedy’s or The Cat & Cage to stay clear of the worst of the crowds.
- Have breakfast at The Lovely Food Company before a match or a tour.
- Opening times change, so check before you go.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Metro Centric (CC BY 2.0); Darren J. Prior (CC BY 4.0); Chris Rycroft (CC BY 2.0).
Drumcondra FAQs
Where is Drumcondra in Dublin?
Drumcondra is an inner suburb on Dublin’s Northside, in Dublin 9. The River Tolka and the Royal Canal both run through it, and it is about a 20 to 25 minute walk from O’Connell Street.
How far is Drumcondra from Croke Park?
Croke Park is about a 10 minute walk from Drumcondra station, via Clonliffe Road.
How do I get to Drumcondra?
Drumcondra station is on the Maynooth and Longford commuter line. Plenty of buses use Drumcondra Road, but route numbers are changing under BusConnects, so check the TFI Journey Planner. You can also walk from O’Connell Street in 20 to 25 minutes.
Which DCU campuses are in Drumcondra?
Two: St Patrick’s Campus, home of DCU’s Institute of Education at Belvidere House, and All Hallows Campus at Drumcondra House. Both became part of DCU in 2016.
What are the best pubs in Drumcondra?
Fagan’s, Kennedy’s and The Cat & Cage are the classic Drumcondra Road pubs, and Quinn’s is the big pre-match pub. The Ivy House has a beer garden and an open fire, and The Bernard Shaw at Cross Guns Bridge is the place for gigs.
Where should I drink before a match at Croke Park?
Quinn’s on Drumcondra Road Lower is the best-known pre-match pub. Fagan’s, Kennedy’s and The Cat & Cage are far enough out to avoid the worst of the crush.
Is there a Croke Park stadium tour?
Yes. The stadium tour includes the GAA Museum, and there is also the Skyline rooftop walk, 17 storeys up. Entry is through the museum under the Cusack Stand, off Clonliffe Road.
