The premises now known as The Admirals has operated as a licensed public house since at least the mid-nineteenth century, when it traded as Daly’s Pub, with newspaper advertisements from the 1860s promoting its whiskey selection and competitive prices. The Daly family remained associated with the business for well over a century, until proprietor Louis Daly retired in 1979.

Following the sale of the property to Paddy and Sheila Nelson, the premises underwent refurbishment and was relaunched under the name The Admirals, a reference to its distinctive maritime décor. Paintings of historic ships, a mounted ship’s wheel, navigation lights and a ship’s bell formed part of the interior design, creating a nautical-themed lounge that quickly became a familiar feature of Shop Street.

Like many long-established Irish pubs occupying historic town-centre buildings, the premises also developed a reputation in local storytelling circles for unexplained disturbances. According to local tradition, a former licensee once described the building as unusually active and arranged for a priest to bless the premises, after which the disturbances were said to subside. While these accounts remain part of local folklore rather than documented history, they continue to form part of the pub’s long-standing reputation in Drogheda.