Home Away from Home: The Pub

Book on the Nightstand: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar WildeSoundtrack: John Field NocturnesDublin has a way of making it feel as if the entire city is out on a Friday or Saturday night. Pubs fill shoulder to shoulder with conversation and "coziness" as it's affectionately called. Even as everyone plays a game of human Tetris, there always seems to be room for one more.Step outside and the streets are teeming with even more people headed to the next night spot. The sounds of heels and laughter echo off the tightly packed walls of the winding streets. In Dublin, there always seems to be one more bar you can visit.Thankfully, I've managed to have already found my local pub (or did it find me); the Swan, a proper old-world pub. The mosaic floor leads to a beautifully crafted wooden bar. I'm usually able to find a seat close to the taps, where Rolan, the barkeep, tells stories of the bar's history. His father, Sean Lynch, founded the bar when not representing the British and Irish Lions in international rugby. His hall of fame bust is in the corner.Rolan, though full of conversation, has a way of speaking in hushed tones, leaning over a freshly poured pint, that make you feel as if your part of a great secret. Part confidant, part adviser, the place seems ripe for "gentleman's agreements." The bullet holes on the outside walls from the Easter Rebellion of 1916 lend additional credence to that feel.It's a comfortable place though. A source of good conversation. Exactly what you look for in a pub. I'd show you pictures, but I didn't want to be the "tourist" flashing his camera in his "home" pub. So tell you what, come visit, and I'll be sure to include the Swan on the itinerary.