I like James for his tireless rebuttal of 'the oldest pub' claims. Nottingham has several old but not old enough pubs. The classic old pub is Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem underneath the castle (which hasn't been a typical castle for several hundred years). Ye Olde Trip claims 1189 as its date.
Yep. At least it looks like an 'older' building...The Brazen Head here in Dublin doesn't even try, just paints the date outside. It is, well, *brazen* indeed (which is a shame, as there is an interesting history to the name, at least, as well as the street). www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide...
Would a Dublin pub myth be 'Brendan Behan never drank here'? Good essay. Once a pub reaches, and looks old, a certain age it gains a couple of centuries in popular imagination. Most stories, amusing and entertaining as they are, are just good stories that take on a life of their own.
LOL, that would be a good one! I'm always lamenting the lack of pub ghostlore here, there must be stories that people simply aren't telling.