The current building occupies the same spot where an inn of the same name was already serving patrons in 1710. Historical records from that time paint a vivid picture of the original establishment; a small, somewhat neglected structure that had seen better days, with one of its gables protruding awkwardly into the street and a window that jutted out over passersby.

What truly set this early 18th-century inn apart was its distinctive sign, a painted panel that hung above the door depicting a rather macabre scene: a white horse with blood streaming from its neck. This gruesome imagery gave the establishment its memorable, if somewhat unsettling, name. The origin of such dramatic pub signage remains a mystery, though it certainly would have made the inn easy to spot amongst Dublin’s numerous drinking establishments.

Today’s Bleeding Horse continues to serve drinks on this historic site in Dublin’s south city, carrying forward a tradition of hospitality that has endured through Georgian, Victorian and modern times. Whilst the ramshackle building with its jutting gable has long since been replaced, the pub remains a tangible link to Dublin’s colourful tavern history, when painted signs told stories and even the smallest inn could earn a place in the city’s collective memory.