THE word “donnybrook” is derived from a public fair that was held in Donnybrook, Ireland beginning in the 1200s. By the 1800s, the Donnybrook Fair had a reputation of being a drunken, wild event that was finally ended in the mid-1800s. One wonders how many donnybrooks have occurred at The Donnybrook, at Stanton and Clinton Streets. The fair was commissioned by Britain’s only King John (of Magna Carta, which the nobles pressed him to sign) in 1204. The admission charged paid for walls and defenses around the then-medieval city of Dublin. At first 8 weeks, after 500 years the fair had been extended to two weeks. After the Donnybrook Fair had devolved into a venue for drunken brawls and fights, A committee, The Committee for the Abolition of Donnybrook Fair was formed and the whole thing staggered to a close in 1855. 651 years was a good run, outdistancing most famed institutions!
In its most recent usage, “donnybrook” refers to the pitched ring battles with Sheamus and Rusev in World Wrestling Entertainment. The term has also been used Irish jig, a chain of food stores (one of which was opened on the site of the original Donnybroook Fair), and a “broadsheet ballad,” or some literal sheet music printed on one side of a roll of cheap paper.
This is a quintessential pub. Nothing more nothing less classy local neighborhood spot. Nothing like getting a nice Guinness and talking with your friends. Service is pretty good and the bar gets pretty crowded. [Yelp review]
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9/2/25