Ireland is well known as one of the best places around for staying entertained. It’s a country with plenty of things to stay busy with in your spare time and plenty of ways to have fun. One option that has been popular for many years now is playing casino games.
From roulette to slots and blackjack, these kinds of games have long been a hit with players at land-based casinos in Ireland. Modern times have seen this sector grow nationally, with a raft of digital Irish casino platforms allowing people to gamble online.
Casino reach extends beyond gaming in Ireland
The presence of casino gaming in wider Irish pop culture has seen its influence reach into other areas of the country’s entertainment landscape.
Nightlife in Dublin is a good example and is quietly being impacted by design touches from classic gaming hubs. The appetite some Irish bars show for mirroring the look or feel of old-world casinos illustrates this perfectly.
This is not only bringing fresh ideas into the national hospitality scene but also further tightening the bonds between Irish casino gaming/drinking culture.
Online casinos are also popular in Ireland for a combination of reasons, there is relatively relaxed legislation that allows access to many international operators, as well the best online casinos in Ireland being easily accessible and convenient.
How are some Irish bars using old world casino design ideas?
Before we look at a few real-world examples of bars in Ireland that are quietly taking old-world casino touches on board, it’s worth pinning down what this looks like broadly.
The major design flourishes this tends to include are
- Dark wood furnishings and ornate wood panelling
- Luxurious fittings and elegant interior décor pieces
- High-end colour palettes
- Pictures and paintings that hark back to gaming’s golden age
- Etched glass
- Soft and warm lighting
- Patterned wallpaper
- Large, open-plan main bar spaces
- The use of partitions to create semi-private spaces
Design touches borrowed from old-world casinos help Irish bars that use them to create a similar ambience and glamorous vibe. It also allows them to create multi-use spaces that offer something for everyone.
All these things help Irish bars mimic the positive features of old-world casino design to wow customers. It also allows them to tap into the love for casino gaming in Ireland to connect with customers.
Which Irish bars are using old-world casino design ideas?
When you start looking around the country, there’s no doubt that some bars are taking their lead from classic casinos to deliver true luxury to customers. But what are some of the best examples to think about?
Dublin naturally has a few drinking haunts that use design that harks back to gaming’s past. The Bank on College Green in the city centre, for example, has an ornate ceiling, marble columns, and a massive vaulted hall to create a feel just like a classic casino foyer.
The Long Hall is another example to consider from the city and is widely seen as one of the best bars in Dublin.
Deep red upholstery and patterned carpets really do take you back to iconic casino halls of old. Mirrored surfaces and ornate wood partitions also help remind patrons of plush casino gaming spaces.
Bars around the rest of Ireland are borrowing similar ideas to create the feel of classic casino spaces. Fitzgerald’s Bar in Cork is a good example and recently got a revamp in 2025.
This brought in rich velvet furnishings and a wraparound bar to give the kind of special space you’d find in the best old-world casinos.
What’s next for classic casino design in Irish hospitality?
Irish nightlife is constantly evolving and changing to offer people more. With this in mind, it would not be a surprise to see more bars in the country adopt the kind of design ideas old-world casinos are most closely associated with.
This would see more bars using casino décor to create an air of elegance and sophistication. It may also see some bars go further and follow a dedicated casino theme. This would bring even more design ideas from the gaming world into Irish hospitality and further connect the two industries.
The presence of casino gaming in Irish culture means that it may well influence how bars look and feel for many years to come.
Old-world casino design impacting Irish bars
Looking at how some of the most common design touches from old-world casinos are cropping up in Irish drinking culture, it’s fair to say that some bars are jumping on this trend. As time moves on, it will be interesting to see if more bars around the country decide to use these interior décor flourishes to create a luxurious, elegant vibe.
Photo by Edgar Chaparro on Unsplash
