British life in Dublin: pubs, cricket and the poppy

Dublin is the easiest move abroad a Brit can make, and also the one where people least expect to feel foreign.

The short version

No time difference. Ireland runs on the same clock as the UK all year, so the footie, the rugby and the Six Nations happen at the same time as back home.
Pubs: the big Dublin sports bars show the Premier League, and a few places do a proper Sunday roast with Yorkshire puddings [1][2][3].
The Royal British Legion has a Republic of Ireland district with branches in Dublin, including Dublin Central and Dún Laoghaire [4][5].
Cricket is alive and well: Phoenix Cricket Club in the Phoenix Park dates from 1830 [6].
We found no Royal Society of St George branch in Ireland [7].

The odd thing about being British in Dublin

Brits are one of the largest groups of foreign-born residents in Ireland, yet the community is close to invisible. You speak the language, you watch the same telly, and you can be on a flight to Birmingham faster than you'd get across London on a Friday evening.

It's also not quite home, and it helps to know that. Ireland's history with Britain is long and complicated, and most Irish people are far too polite to bring it up. A bit of curiosity goes a long way: read up on 1916 and the War of Independence, and don't call Ireland part of the "British Isles" in mixed company without expecting a raised eyebrow. The banter about England's footballers is free of charge.

Pubs, roasts and a proper chippy

Dublin has thousands of pubs and almost all of them will pour you a decent pint, but these are places we could verify in 2025 or 2026 for the British basics:

Where	What it's good for	Area
Sinnott's, South King Street	Big sports bar with 30-plus screens, often several matches at once, and a carvery	Off Grafton Street, Dublin 2
The Bleeding Horse, Camden Street Upper	Historic pub showing the Premier League and rugby	Camden Street, Dublin 2
Hawksmoor Dublin, College Green	The British steakhouse's Sunday roast: rump or sirloin, beef-dripping roasties, Yorkshire puddings and bone-marrow gravy	College Green, city centre
Leo Burdock, Werburgh Street	Dublin's oldest chipper, open since 1913	By Christ Church, Dublin 8
Bewley's, Grafton Street	Landmark café doing afternoon tea Thursday to Sunday	Grafton Street

Sources: the venues' own sites [1][2][3]; Leo Burdock and Bewley's sites (see our British food guide for links).

A Dublin carvery is close cousin to a Sunday roast, and plenty of suburban pubs do one at lunchtime. Fish and chips here come from a "chipper", and a "single" means a portion of chips. Our guide to British food, shops and pubs in Dublin has the shops for Colman's, Bisto and Christmas pud.

The footie, the rugby and the cricket

Football

Because Dublin shares UK time, Saturday's 12.30 and 5.30 kick-offs fall at exactly the same times as at home, and Irish pubs aren't bound by the UK's 3pm TV blackout, so you can often watch Saturday afternoon games that you couldn't see on telly back home. Premier League loyalties in Dublin run deep: Liverpool and Manchester United (and, north of the border, Celtic) all have huge Irish followings, so your club's shirt won't stand out.

For live football, the League of Ireland is cheap, friendly and played in proper old grounds. Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians and Shelbourne all play in Dublin, and a Friday night match at Dalymount Park in Phibsborough is a good way to make Irish friends.

Rugby

Rugby is huge in Dublin. Leinster play at the RDS in Ballsbridge, and Ireland play at the Aviva Stadium on Lansdowne Road. During the Six Nations, England, Scotland or Wales week in Dublin is a joy, as long as you can take a ribbing whatever the score.

Cricket

Cricket in Ireland is older than most people think, and it's very much an Irish game these days, played under Cricket Ireland. Two Dublin clubs we checked with 2026 seasons:

Phoenix Cricket Club in the Phoenix Park, founded in 1830 and Ireland's oldest club, with six men's teams plus women's and youth cricket [6].
Leinster Cricket Club on Observatory Lane in Rathmines, with men's and women's sections [8].

Both welcome new players, including rusty ones whose last innings was for a village side in Somerset.

Remembrance, Bonfire Night and the King's Birthday

Remembrance

Remembrance in Ireland is quieter than in the UK, but it's there. Tens of thousands of Irishmen died in the British Army in the First World War, and the Royal British Legion still has a Republic of Ireland district with an office on Molesworth Street in Dublin 2 [4][5].

Royal British Legion, Dublin Central branch: open to veterans and supporters, it meets quarterly at the Legion's district office for social, fundraising and welfare work [4].
Royal British Legion, Dún Laoghaire branch: serves Dún Laoghaire and south County Dublin [5].

Contact details for both are on the Legion's own pages. Poppies are worn by some people in Dublin, but far fewer than in the UK; wear yours without fuss.

On Remembrance Sunday, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, the Church of Ireland's national cathedral, holds its Sunday services; in 2026 that's 8 November, with Choral Matins at 10.55 [9]. Christ Church Cathedral is the other big Anglican cathedral in the city.

Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night isn't a thing in Ireland. Halloween is the big night for bonfires and fireworks in Dublin, which has deep roots here. Fireworks need a licence in Ireland, so don't bring a boot full back from the UK.

The King's Birthday

Like most British embassies, the one in Dublin usually marks the King's Birthday with a reception, normally by invitation, so don't expect a public street party. The embassy, at 29 Merrion Road in Ballsbridge, is also where you go for consular help [10].

British clubs, business and politics

There isn't a British social club in Dublin the way there is in some cities, and we found no Royal Society of St George branch in Ireland: its list of overseas branches covers Canada, the US, Africa, Spain, France, Portugal, Denmark, the Gulf and Asia Pacific, but not Ireland [7].

What does exist:

The British Irish Chamber of Commerce on Merrion Square, which runs business events and an annual conference for people working across both countries.
The British Council Ireland, mostly working with schools and the arts.
The political parties' overseas groups, listed side by side: Conservatives Abroad, Labour International (whose branch covers southern France, Ireland and the Isle of Man) and the Lib Dems in Europe all say they cover members in Ireland. Remember that British citizens can vote in Irish general and local elections too.

If you're the sociable type, the friendliest route in is usually Irish: a GAA club, a parkrun, a choir or a five-a-side team. Our community group for Brits in Ireland is here for the rest, from finding a Sunday roast to swapping notes on Revenue.

British life in Dublin: roasts, the footie, cricket and the Royal British Legion