Reeling In The Cheers

Where everybody knows your shame…

t’s been through some changes over the years – including an ill-advised spell as a fully-fledged disco bar in the 1980s – but Dann’s is today still very much a big part of Greystones’ DNA.

It’s pretty incredible to think that this little corner bar – attached to the side of The Beach House, alongside the small Fraggle Rock Lounge – is all part of a drinking hole that first opened its doors back in 1858.

Big Willie Dann

The name over the door is W. H. Dann & Son, William having taken over the premises back in 1900, from one John George McEntagart. Back then, it sold everything from milk to mulch, with its own coalyard also acting as farmland for mucky spuds and other vegetables.

William H. Dann

Today, it’s all the beer, fine wines and yummy food. Served to mucky spuds and other vegetables.

We got our #1 historian Gary Acheson to chart the rise and rise, and wobble, and then rise again of the town’s oldest pub…

Little Jack Dann

1858 – John Doyle builds a hotel at the harbour and announces its opening in the newspapers. Originally it was called the Greystones Hotel and later the Beach Hotel. Besides a grocery and bar, he also constructs a high-walled coal yard at the back for his coal import business.

Caroline Galligan

1883 – John Doyle dies and his widow, Susannah, sells the business to John George McEntagart, who ran several restaurants in Dublin as well as owning coal ships.

1900 – About this year, McEntagart sells the business to William H Dann, to focus on his restaurants in Dublin. William’s father, Alexander Dann, was originally from Limerick but had moved to Newtownmountkennedy to work as a butler. His sons went into the grocery business. Nathan Robinson Dann was in business in Delgany by at least 1899 (when his daughter Lucy was baptised in Christ Church.)

William Dann’s adverts describe the business – coal, grocer, wines and spirits and ‘Italian Warehouseman’ – what we would now call a delicatessen.

Willie Dann & Tommy Lawless at the Flagstaff. Source Derek Paine

Peter Hoey, James Byrne, Tommy Doyle and Artie Fox cutting corn at Dann’s 1938. Source Derek Paine

John Whiston, Christy Keegan, Jim D’Arcy & Baker Massey, Dann’s coalyard. Source Derek Paine

Outside Willie Dann’s general store – Corney ‘Naily’ Salmon, John ‘Lifter’ Whiston, Jim Darcy, Paddy Nolan, Michael ‘The Gull’ Fields, P. Delaney, Ceylon Doyle, Scully Darcy & Jim ‘Nickser’ Whiston

Jack Dann cruising with Bill Manweiller, John Brady, Peadar Byrne, Dermot Green & Sammy Ward

Postman Ben Doyle finishes up in Danns. Source Derek Paine

Ring throwing in Dann’s, with Phil Bell, Mick Green, Nickera Murphy, Ruban Doyle & Andy Wark

Ploughing behind Dann’s – John Dann in the overcoat. Source Derek Paine

North Beacher Michael Byrne works the thresher at Dann’s. Source Derek Paine

Thirsty horses at Dann’s. Source Derek Paine

Outside Dann’s, with Alan Evans on right. Colourised by GG.

Dann’s gets a little May snow…

Harbour including Dann’s Shop. Pic: Robert French

W. H. Dann’s High-Class Groceries bill

Jack Dann pulls the winning ticket, as Beezie Whiston & Seamus Smullen look on

The original Dann’s shop front

Thirsty horses at Dann’s. Source Derek Paine

Charlie Eglington at Dann’s

Dann’s coalyard growing spuds

Dick Copeland with Mr & Mrs Willie Dann

Jack Dann behind the bar. Colourised by GG.

Molly Dann, Harold Bennerhassett with Mr & Mrs Dann

The Beach House 1960, with Leslie Acheson’s fine Fiat out front

Again, you can check out the two surviving bottles from Dann’s in-house beer right here, along with a message in a wall from one dreamy Dann’s customer right here. Oh, and read Gary Acheson’s fine local history posts right about here.