10 Best Pubs in Ireland for Irish Traditional Music

Nothing beats an authentic Irish trad session, and Dublin’s variety of pubs and venues has something for everyone.

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Traditional music is performed in a variety of settings, ranging from the back room of a pub to the main stage of a dedicated venue. And, depending on where you are, you can choose to participate (if you dare) or simply observe. It’s all about craic agus ceol (fun and music) wherever you go, so find a snug and settle in for an earful of Irish history through song.

You’re never far from the sweet sound of an uilleann pipe, the beat of a bodhrán, or the emotionally charged song of Irish traditional music, whether you’re in a bar in cobblestoned Temple Bar or high up in the Dublin Mountains.

The Merry Ploughboy

The Merry Ploughboy, located in the leafy Rathfarnham suburb, attracts a mix of tourists, locals, and music enthusiasts. The pub is owned by a group of traditional musicians and is the only venue in the country where the proprietors perform on stage at every performance. The three-time winner of Best Traditional Dinner/Entertainment Event in Ireland, the festivities begin after dinner and continue late into the night. The pub even organizes a shuttle bus to transport patrons in and out of the city center.

The Cobblestone

The Cobblestone in Smithfield, a classic pub that hosts skilled musicians led by renowned uilleann piper Néillidh Mulligan each weekend, is one of the most intimate venues for small but mighty trad bands. The Cobblestone is an old, beaten-up bar with a lot of personality and history. Once the music starts, it’s standing room only. The appreciative audience is typically a mix of locals and visitors who have been silenced by the beautiful melodies.

Johnnie Fox’s

Johnnie Fox’s, located high in the Dublin Mountains, is one of the city’s most popular music venues, attracting visitors from all over with a nightly show that combines traditional music, Irish dancing, and storytelling. While the ‘Hooley Show’ caters primarily to international visitors, the entertainment (and accompanying four-course meal) is so good that you’re just as likely to see local hikers, cyclists, and even the occasional biker crew tapping their toes and singing along. It has the closest atmosphere to a country pub you’ll find within city limits.

O’Donoghues

O’Donoghues on Merrion Row is perhaps Dublin’s most famous musical pub, thanks in large part to its role in launching the career of folk superstars The Dubliners. In the 1960s, the pub was at the heart of Dublin’s burgeoning folk and traditional music scene, and that tradition is carried on today by tourists, musicians, and locals who come to hear a mix of classic and modern interpretations of the genre. If you’re lucky, you might find yourself in the middle of a legendary session here on weeknights beginning at 9 p.m. or Saturdays beginning at 5 p.m.

Darkey Kelly’s

Darkey Kelly’s, as the name suggests, is a pub with a macabre past. A word of caution to the faint of heart: the bartenders here are known to tell terrifying stories about the pub’s eerie past, which includes witchcraft, ghosts, and even murder. The venue is also where Handel’s Messiah was first performed in 1742, and that musical legacy lives on through the live trad sessions held here every evening. The Saturday céil (dancing) session, in particular, is a popular event for energetic Dubliners. If you want to join the fun, get there early because this spooky venue fills up quickly.

The Brazen Head

Is there anything more atmospheric than a traditional seisin (session) in a 1198 pub? The Brazen Head is Dublin’s oldest pub, with low ceilings and walls covered in historical keepsakes and mementos dating back almost as far as the pub’s inception. The nightly traditional sessions begin at 9 p.m. and are strictly informal, which means that anyone who can hold a tune and keep up with the pace of play is welcome to join in.

The Celt

For a more relaxed session, head to Talbot Street’s The Celt bar, a traditional stone-floored pub that specializes in fine food and craft beers. The music here serves as a subdued soundtrack to the bar’s main activity: serving gourmet grub to its crowd of visitors and lifelong regulars. The sessions aren’t as loud as others, but the quality of the music is just as good.

Gogarty’s

The Oliver St John Gogarty, one of Temple Bar’s most popular pubs, serves up a daily session of traditional music to a usually packed audience of visitors. Live Irish music, ballads, and laments fill the upstairs bar from early afternoon until evening trad-pop sessions erupt. As a result, two floors of dueling music attract tourists seven days a week.

The Old Storehouse

The Old Storehouse, located in the heart of Temple Bar, is three bars in one. The musical action takes place in the main bar, where seasoned players entertain an appreciative audience every afternoon against the beautiful backdrop of the Ha’penny Bridge outside. When the sun goes down, the music moves downstairs to O’Flaherty’s, and if you need a break from the craic and ceol, you can take a seat in the Snug.

Pipers Corner

Pipers Corner on Marlborough Street is a relatively new addition to the trad scene. The uillean pipes are the primary focus here, which explains the large mural of legendary piper Séamus Ennis that adorns the front. Seán Potts, a founding member of the Chieftains and a brilliant tin whistle player, helped establish the pub’s reputation as a venue for the best players to perform. Despite its youth, this is one of the most serious venues in town, with no chit chat permitted once the music begins.

Festivals

Every January, TradFest sends pulses racing through the pubs, clubs, and streets of Temple Bar, combining the intimacy and excitement of a high-octane pub performance with the variety of a world-class program.

The seaside town of Skerries hosts a Traditional Music Weekend in May, which celebrates the rich musical culture of the Fingal region and features many talented local musicians. In May, the outdoor folk and traditional music festival Féile Nasc takes place in Marlay Park. This family-friendly music festival features a lineup of established stars as well as promising newcomers.

Musicians to look out for

Many a renowned ceoilteoir (musician) can be found entertaining audiences in Dublin’s pubs. Most Sundays, uilleann piper Eoin Dillon of renowned Irish folk group Kila performs at Bowes pub on Fleet Street, while O’Donoghues is one of singer-songwriter Christy Moore’s favorite places for an impromptu concert. The Old Punchbowl in Booterstown is a regular stop for musician, storyteller, and poet John Spillane, while Devitts on Camden Street hosts nightly sessions with a slew of young, talented musicians looking to make a name for themselves.

Visit some of Dublin’s other music hotspots.

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Topic: 10 Best Pubs in Ireland for Irish Traditional Music

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