No trip to Dublin is ever really complete without stopping into a local spot for a bit of live Irish folk music. If you are out and about and not sure what to do in the evenings, you could do worse than head out to a pub (which, by default, will be an “original Irish pub”) and then join a traditional Irish session. Want to give it a try?
Most sessions start at around 9:30 pm or whenever a few musicians have gathered. However, if you want to hear live Irish folk music during the day, certain pubs will start the sessions at 2 pm (especially on Sunday).
Traditional Music in Dublin:
- “Angler’s Rest” – Monday
- “Auld Dubliner” – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
- “Brazen Head” – every day
- “Cavanagh’s” – Thursday
- “The Celt” – every day
- “Clifden Court” – every day
- “Cobblestone” – Monday through Friday starting at 5 pm, and Sunday afternoon at 2 pm
- “Cuckoo’s Nest” – Sunday
- “Aras Chronain” – Friday
- “Fitzsimon’s” – every day and Sunday afternoon
- “Fleet” – Thursday
- “Harcourt” – Monday, Friday and Saturday
- “Hilton Stakis” – Friday in Summer, Tuesday in Winter
- “Hughes'” – every day
- “International” – Sunday afternoon
- “JJ Smyth’s” – Tuesday and Sunday
- “Johnny Fox’s” – every day (very professional)
- “Keating’s” – every day
- “Knightsbridge” – every day (very professional)
- “Man O’ War” – Monday
- “Merchant” – every day
- “Molloy’s” – Wednesday and Sunday
- “Mulligan’s” – Sunday
- “Norseman” – Friday to Sunday
- “O’Donoghue’s” – every day with a lively crowd to go along with it
- “The Old Storehouse” – every day until 1:30 am, or 2:30 am on weekends
- “Oliver St. John Gogarty’s” – every day (very professional)
- “O’Shea’s Merchant” – every day (sometimes with well-known musicians)
- “Paddy Hannah’s” – Sunday
- “Radisson Hotel Lounge” – Thursday
- “Rolestown Inn” – Friday
- “Royal Dublin Hotel” – Friday
- “Searson’s” – Thursday
- “Shell’s Restaurant” – Wednesday and Sunday (5:30 pm)
- “Slattery’s” – Thursday to Sunday
- “Taylor’s Three Rock Bar” – every day (very professional)
- “Temple Bar” – Touristy but there are three live music sessions every day, starting at 2 pm
- “The Villager” – Wednesday and Saturday
- “Whelan’s” – every day
- “White Horse” – Wednesday
- “Wood Quay” – Thursday to Sunday
- “Wynn’s Hotel” – Thursday and Friday
Listening to Live Irish Music
From the list above, it should be clear that traditional Irish music is most commonly found performed in pubs rather than as a formal concert in a sitdown auditorium. Even though the setting is informal, there are still some suggestions for “session etiquette,” or how to be a good guest during live Irish folk music performances:
- Refrain from asking for your favorite tunes unless invited to do so.
- Even if the low volume and (to your ears) dubious quality of an octogenarian’s “sean nos” (old style singing) is not to your liking – do not start a loud conversation while everyone else is trying to listen.
- If you want to take photos, do so without causing too much disturbance – and remember that most participants in a session are there for fun, not as paid cast members.
- Should you have bought a bodhran or a tin whistle the day before and just started to read the instructions … please refrain from joining in as a “musician” and thus embarrassing yourself.
- However, if you know the words and the crowd is starting to sing along, then feel free to join in and take part.
