Established
Built between c.1760 and c.1900.
J. GROGANS CASTLE LOUNGE
15 WILLIAM STREET SOUTH
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Our shared benchmark: Guinness Draught, one standard pint (568 ml). Dated observations from menus, receipts and the people who were there.
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Recorded pub details
- Listed address
- 15 WILLIAM STREET SOUTH
Preserved directory details. Recorded information can change.
From the record · Deep research
What the archives say
Independent reporting and heritage records on this pub, drawn from a curated list of Irish news outlets, Revenue Commissioners, NIAH, and the Dictionary of Irish Architects. Every claim links to its primary source.
Listing historyCultural mentionsNotable events
Revenue's renewed-liquor-licence register lists licence ref S0123 as a Publican's Licence (7-Day Ordinary) for J. GROGANS CASTLE LOUNGE at 15 William Street South in Dublin city, with KENNEDY SMITH AND COMPANY LIMITED as licensee.[1]
The Irish Times described Grogan's, also known as the Castle Lounge on South William Street, as a haven for artists since Cavan publican Tommy Smith and Paddy Kennedy took it over in 1972.[2]
The same Irish Times report said Grogan's quickly became known as the successor to McDaid's as Dublin's leading bohemian pub.[2]
The same article identified Grogan's as an unofficial art gallery where artists displayed work on the walls for sale.[2]
In March 2020 The Irish Times reported that Grogan's was among several pubs announcing a two-week closure because of coronavirus restrictions.[2]
That 2020 report said joint owner Donal Smith decided to close because the pub was too small to meet Department of Health two-metre distancing guidance.[2]
The same report said Tommy Smith had died the previous month at age 78 and had been recognised in Irish Times tributes as one of Dublin's notable publicans.[2]
In 2025 The Irish Times again identified Grogan's Castle Lounge as a historical haunt for Dublin artists.[3]
The 2025 report said Daniel Smith was a third-generation barman and grandson of Tommy Smith, who had taken over Grogan's with Paddy Kennedy in the early 1970s.[3]
The same report said Daniel Smith described the changing artwork on the inside walls as the pub's defining feature.[3]
Reviewed pub lore
Local notes
Architecture
An end-of terrace house, converted to commercial use and given a pubfront c. 1880, and extended to the rear c. 1899. Shaw's Directory (1850) records a victuallers at this premises. Despite changes, the building retains its original Georgian proportions, and the Victorian pub has some good interior and good detail tom its frontage .
House rules
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