The history of the Irish pub is steeped in culture and lore. Pubs short for public houses-were places that
did not require a membership to enter, unlike private houses, so while the rich had memberships to other establishments, the working classes frequented pubs.

An Irish pub of the Middle Ages was a rough-hewn place of natural wood furniture and stonewalls. They
bore large fireplaces and hanging oil lamps over wood or cobblestone floors. In addition to ale, an Irish pub usually sold essential food and hardware items. The Irish pub was a warm, welcoming place where people socialized, sang, relaxed, told stories, and exchanged gossip and rumors.

 In the 19th century, under oppressive British rule, the Irish pub was deemed illegal. However, due to the aggressive, independent spirit of the Irish, pubs flourished during this time. Pubs became places where rebels gathered to complain of the Crown - some to release frustrations, others to coordinate underground rebellions. Irish pubs usually operated as a 'Spirit grocery’, combining the running of a pub with a grocery, hardware or other ancillary business on the same premises (in some cases, pubs also acted as undertakers, which is still common today in Ireland) Spirit groceries first appeared in the mid-18th Century, when a growing temperance movement in Ireland forced pubs to diversify their businesses to compensate for declining spirit sales. With the arrival of increased competition in the retail sector, many pubs lost the retail end of their business and concentrated solely on the licensed trade.

Many pubs in Ireland still resemble grocer's shops of the 19th Century, with the bar counter and rear shelving taking up the majority of the space in the main bar area. Ireland's pubs usually bear the name of the current or a previous owner, e.g. Murphy's or the O'Connor's. Some pubs are named after famous streets such Sober Lane in Cork, which is named after Father Matthew's Hall of Abstinence. Individual pubs are also associated with famous Irish writers and poets such as Patrick Kavanagh, Brendan -Behan and James Joyce.