Dublins best kept gay secret 

Don't know if anyone's noticed, but we have a new gay bar in town. The 'Wig and Pen', 133 Thomas St, opened a couple of weeks ago, and I finally got a chance to check it out tonight.

I popped in around 10, and first reaction was, oops, where are the customers. There was only one other couple there, so that made three 
customers and three staff in all, a week before Christmas. They have a half page ad in GCN this month...makes ya wonder if anyone reads it.

Having had a snoop around, and a chat with the very friendly barman, I have to say I'll be damned if I can figure out what's keeping the punters away. 

The place is small, but very stylishly fitted out and it's obvious the owner's are really making an effort to make this a place people will 
want to come back to. It seems to be taking up where Lynches, just up the road, left off. 

The barman tells me they are aiming for the 'couples' market, they clearly don't want it to be a pick up joint. But it's a world away from Lynches, the place is freshly decorated, the loo is spotless (there's even one upstairs for the ladies...very thoughful). No beer garden alas, and no TV to give the singles something to look at when the talent isn't around. But that's not really the market they are aiming for.

OK, it's not in the poshest of areas, the notorious 'Bond' is just around the corner, but just be aware of your surrounings as you head down Thomas St and you'll have nothing to worry about. It's only 10 mins walk from Out.

I'd say the place is definately worth checking out, ASAP. It's @ the junction of Thomas St and Bridgefoot St, (why couldn't they have said 
that in their add??), look out for the sign for the car park, same side as Lynches, but a couple of hundred yards nearer town (directly opposite 
the floodlit church).

Briany G - December 2001