It's been a year to the day since I last posted an entry. However needs must and I have to put pen to paper. This is an important week for this ghostly establishment, Wednesday in particular, because on Wednesday the banking knights of our glorious country decide if they keep open or close down this beacon of drugs, den of rampant sex and house of rock and roll. Never mind the dirty drink, the manna, the crack and most important the friendships made within her galley and bunkhouse.
Over the years many friends have come and gone, and some still manage to drop in occasionally to say hello, other stay away, thank de God's!
A visit to daOak will nearly always be a good experience and will leave you with a good memory, however it's an acquired taste, that requires blocked nostrils, reasonably waxes up ears. In essence you really only have to go to daOak once and every visit after is a Ground hog daOak day experience. They say that if a day doesn't leave you with a good memory, then it was a day wasted.God bless all who sailed in her!
For those interested I include below the history of the Oak bar:
Mick Humphrys,bapt 9th June 1859, Murroe, Co.Limerick, went to Dublin, publican, ran a pub at 49 Great Britain St (later Parnell St), Dublin,"Michael Humphrys", family grocer, and tea, wine and spirit merchant, listed there in [Thoms] 1891 to 1920,he took over the pub from William Humphrys,wit his brother Dr.David's marriage settlement, and marriage, Dublin, 1895,mar 1897 to Annie O'Shaughnessy [or Angela, listed as "Annie" in 1911 census, born 1871, Dublin], he registered Dr.David's death, London, 1903,when his brother Dr.David's widow Nell and her children came to Dublin in 1909 he was the only relative they had there, he lived over this pub for many years,listed at 49 Great Britain St in [Census, 2 April 1911], his nephew Jack there with him as assistant, think 49 Parnell St is now demolished, site is part of the Ilac Shopping Centre, he owned and ran a pub at 81 Dame St, Dublin, that is now called The Oak,pub established 1860, would have been called Humphrys' pub when he ran it,"Michael Humphrys" listed there in [Thoms] from 1923 on (still called "Humphrys" pub after his death),his surname, spelt "Humphrys" (the old way), is in a tiled floor at the door of the pub, dating from c.1923, he did NOT live over this pub,he is listed as living 29 North Circular Rd in [Thoms] from 1923 on,
think he moved to 81 Dame St in 1922 or earlier (i.e. [Thoms] is a year or two out of date), because when his nephew Dick Humphreys first set up in business as O'Mara's Rubber Co., by agreement dated 9th Oct 1922, he located at 79 Dame St, two doors away from where his uncle already was, he was close to his brother Dr.David's family, but sadly they fell out over politics over the Civil War (1922-23), Mick was Free State, his brother's family were strong Republicans,apparently the top part of 81 Dame St was destroyed during the Civil War, had to be re-built, he used to hunt with Langans,[Mary Frawley, née Humphreys] remembered a story that Mick "saved a child" from the Proselytisers (Protestant missionaries who offered food to the Catholic poor if they would convert), some Catholic organisation presented him with a watch,he might be "M. Humphreys" who was present with other vintners at the Alderman's funeral 1931,he died May 1934, age 74 yrs,funeral Mon 28th May 1934, bur Glasnevin Cemetery, (todo) find grave, funeral list in Irish Press, Tue 29th May,Annie fl 1934,81 Dame St is still called "Michael Humphrys" pub in [Thom's, 1938],had issue:
think he moved to 81 Dame St in 1922 or earlier (i.e. [Thoms] is a year or two out of date), because when his nephew Dick Humphreys first set up in business as O'Mara's Rubber Co., by agreement dated 9th Oct 1922, he located at 79 Dame St, two doors away from where his uncle already was, he was close to his brother Dr.David's family, but sadly they fell out over politics over the Civil War (1922-23), Mick was Free State, his brother's family were strong Republicans,apparently the top part of 81 Dame St was destroyed during the Civil War, had to be re-built, he used to hunt with Langans,[Mary Frawley, née Humphreys] remembered a story that Mick "saved a child" from the Proselytisers (Protestant missionaries who offered food to the Catholic poor if they would convert), some Catholic organisation presented him with a watch,he might be "M. Humphreys" who was present with other vintners at the Alderman's funeral 1931,he died May 1934, age 74 yrs,funeral Mon 28th May 1934, bur Glasnevin Cemetery, (todo) find grave, funeral list in Irish Press, Tue 29th May,Annie fl 1934,81 Dame St is still called "Michael Humphrys" pub in [Thom's, 1938],had issue:
(5 children) Humphrys. 1911 census says they had 5 children born alive 1897-1911, all of whom were dead by 1911. (todo) try Mary Humphreys, [GROI] Dublin South, 3rd qr 1904, age 4, vol 2, p 438. (todo) try John Humphreys, [GROI] Rathdown, 1st qr 1902, age 0, vol 2, p 733. (todo) try Anthony Humphreys, [GROI] Dublin North, 4th qr 1902, age 0, vol 2, p 451. (todo) try Eliza Humphreys, [GROI] Dublin North, 4th qr 1906, age 0, vol 2, p 413. (todo) try Beryl V. Humphreys, [GROI] Dublin South, 4th qr 1909, age 1, vol 2, p 454.
The pub at 81 Dame St is listed as "Terence P. O'Donnell, licensed grocer" in [Thom's, 1945]. Not yet called The Oak.
81 Dame St was re-decorated in 1946 with an interior of wood from the RMS Mauretania.
The Mauretania was the sister ship of RMS Lusitania. It was launched 1906, and was then the largest passenger ship in the world. It also held for many years the record for fastest crossing of Atlantic. It was scrapped 1935, furnishings sold at auction.
After the re-decoration with the ship's wood, the name of the pub was changed 1946 to The Oak.
The Oak was a gay pub in the 1970s-80s.
The Thomas Read Group (or via here) now own The Oak.
They are named after the adjacent Thomas Read's Cutlers shop at 4 Parliament St, which was until it closed the oldest surviving shop in Dublin (shop dates from 1670, current building from 1760s). The Thomas Read Group bought it when it closed.
The Oak is now joined internally to the trendy "Thomas Read" cafe and bar next door.
On the roof of The Oak is the music video site Balcony TV (and myspace).
81 Dame St was re-decorated in 1946 with an interior of wood from the RMS Mauretania.
The Mauretania was the sister ship of RMS Lusitania. It was launched 1906, and was then the largest passenger ship in the world. It also held for many years the record for fastest crossing of Atlantic. It was scrapped 1935, furnishings sold at auction.
After the re-decoration with the ship's wood, the name of the pub was changed 1946 to The Oak.
The Oak was a gay pub in the 1970s-80s.
The Thomas Read Group (or via here) now own The Oak.
They are named after the adjacent Thomas Read's Cutlers shop at 4 Parliament St, which was until it closed the oldest surviving shop in Dublin (shop dates from 1670, current building from 1760s). The Thomas Read Group bought it when it closed.
The Oak is now joined internally to the trendy "Thomas Read" cafe and bar next door.
On the roof of The Oak is the music video site Balcony TV (and myspace).
For more information about the Humphry family follow this link:
