Pantibar

Pantibar on Capel Street is owned and run by Rory O'Neill, better known as the drag queen Panti Bliss, who became one of Ireland's most prominent LGBTQ+ activists following a 2014 appearance on the RTÉ Saturday Night Show that sparked a national debate about homophobia. O'Neill's subsequent Noble Call speech at the Abbey Theatre — delivered in character as Panti — is one of the most watched Irish speeches of the 21st century and crystallised the emotional case for marriage equality in the months before the 2015 referendum. Pantibar carries the weight of that history without being self-congratulatory about it. The bar is exuberant, welcoming and political in the way that only a venue with genuine community roots can be. Regular drag performances, quiz nights and events keep the programme fresh. The Capel Street location puts it at the centre of Dublin's emerging gay village north of the Liffey, within walking distance of several other LGBTQ+ venues. For any LGBTQ+ visitor to Dublin, Pantibar is essential.