The Brazen Head: Dublin’s Oldest Pub and Its Restless Rebel

A rebel and freedom fighter for Irish independence is said to haunt his favorite pub, The Brazen Head in Dublin, where it is said he plotted his fight against the English.

“For who was he, the uncoffined slain, /That fell in Erin’s injured isle /Because his spirit dared disdain/ To light his country’s funeral pile? remain unpolluted by fame /Till thy foes, by the world and by fortune caressed, /Shall pass like a mist from the light of thy name.”
– Percy Bysshe Shelley after searching for Robert Emmet’s grave in Dublin, believed now to be haunting The Brazen Head

Few places in Dublin carry as much history, or as many whispered ghost stories, as The Brazen Head near the river Liffey. Dating back to 1198 according to some, although some place it closer to 1754 starting as a coaching in. This ancient tavern has served rebels, poets, and outlaws for centuries.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Ireland

The old place is a popular place for live music as well as a few ghost stories. Its walls are thick with memory, its corners heavy with shadows, and its reputation as one of Ireland’s most haunted pubs is nearly as strong as its title as the city’s oldest.

A rebel and freedom fighter for Irish independence is said to haunt his favorite pub, The Brazen Head in Dublin, where it is said he plotted his fight against the English. — *Roman Kharkovski/Wikimedia*

The Haunted Brazen Head

The most chilling tale tied to The Brazen Head begins in 1803, when Irish rebel Robert Emmet plotted his doomed uprising against British rule, according to the stories, right at this pub. It was here, over tankards of ale, that Emmet and his companions dreamed of freedom and revolution.

The rebellion failed swiftly and brutally, and Emmet met his fate on nearby Thomas Street, where he was publicly hanged and then beheaded on the 20th September in 1803. Where he is buried is today unclear, but the legend says that he made his way back to the pub.

According to legend, the blood from his execution ran down the hill and seeped toward his beloved pub, staining The Brazen Head forever in the memory of Dublin’s folklore.

File:Dublin Ireland (161318329).jpeg — *Image: Addam Hardy*

Emmet’s ghost, they say, has never truly left. Patrons claim that late at night, when the chatter has faded and the candles burn low, a spectral figure can be seen lingering in a shadowy corner of the pub. Dressed as if he were still preparing for rebellion, he is said to watch the room with wary eyes, forever on guard for the enemies who condemned him. Some visitors feel the weight of his gaze as they sip their drink, while others report a sudden chill that clings to the air, as though history itself had entered the room.

Yet The Brazen Head’s ghosts are not limited to Emmet alone. With more than 800 years of revelry, rebellion, and ruin within its walls, the pub has been a gathering place for countless souls who may not have fully departed. Whispers float along the stone walls, footsteps echo where no one walks, and the past often feels closer than the present.

For those who dare, a visit to The Brazen Head is not just a chance to raise a glass in Dublin’s oldest pub. It is an invitation to share a drink with history, to sit where rebels once planned their fates, and perhaps to catch a glimpse of a restless spirit still bound to the place he loved.

Newest Posts

Connolly Station: The Soldier Who Waits for a Train That Never Comes17. October 2026
Could the Connolly Station in Dublin be haunted? Some claim that the ghosts of the victims from the Dublin Bombing in world war two could still be lingering near the tracks.
The Headless Undead in the Ruffinihaus Courtyard16. October 2026
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
The Ghost of Könizwald, Bern: The Ghost of General Robert Scipio von Lentulus15. October 2026
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
The Alter Südfriedhof Cemetery and the Ghost of the Munich Eskimo Tragedy14. October 2026
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
The Uhaml Forest Spirit of Without a Face13. October 2026
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
Gwrach y Rhibyn – The Hag of the Mist Haunting the Welsh Waters12. October 2026
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
The Hofbräuhaus and the Ghost of A Munich Man in Heaven11. October 2026
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
The Demonic Omen of Disaster at Mödling Castle Hill10. October 2026
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
The Brewer Haunting Nockherberg and the Beer Garden in Munich9. October 2026
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
The Girl in the Tower of the Munich Frauenkirche 8. October 2026
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
The Cursed Weilheim Plague Chapel7. October 2026
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
The Restless Spirit of The Utburd Child Ghost in Norway6. October 2026
Searching for its name, the utburd ghost from Norwegian folklore haunts the forests, waters and houses its parents left them to die. For the most part, they remained in folk tales, but sometimes, the stories about the dead children got real life consequences.