Traditional Music in Dublin

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 a 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.