Live Irish Music

A golden harp is blazoned on the Irish coat of arms, and for good reason, as music is an integral part of the Irish culture.  Not only would no trip to Ireland be complete without enjoying some traditional Irish music sessions, it would be a near impossibility to spend any length of time on the island without finding yourself surrounded by Irish melodies.  So our June topic is Irish music.

Music is a key element of Irish society and nightlife, so unsurprisingly live music (both modern and traditional) can be found in any number of pubs across Ireland.   For tips on where to go for some authentic Irish music, I’ve tried to offer a wide selection of venues including city streets known for great busking performances, pubs, music halls and theaters.

Busking

If you’ve heard about great street performances (busking) in Ireland, you’ve likely heard the name Grafton Street.  This Dublin pedestrian street is also known for its shopping venues and attracts a lot of street performers offering tourists and locals a taste of traditional Irish music while they shop.  On the other side of the island in Galway, Shop Street takes on this role.  Again a pedestrian street lined with shops and pubs, Shop Street is brimming with traditional Irish music.

Music Halls and Theaters

The Gaiety Theatre in Dublin offers great performances from plays to Irish music and dance.  The University Concert Hall in Limerick is also host to some amazing entertainment including some great music.

Pubs

Pubs are the most likely place to find some traditional Irish music sessions all over Ireland.  Whether paid performers or informal music sessions by local musicians, many Irish pubs host frequent traditional Irish music on a regular basis.  Some are even popular for bringing in both traditional Irish music and dancing acts.

In Dublin, check out The Cobblestone on the northside, O’Shea’s Merchant on the southside, O’Sullivan’s near Trinity College, O’Neill’s not far from the Temple Bar district and O’Donoghue’s near St Stephen’s Green for starters.  The Irish capital also offers a musical pub crawl which runs every night from April through October.

For traditional Irish music in Killarney try Murphy’s Bar on College Street, Jarvey’s Rest Traditional Irish Pub south of the main part of town, Courtney’s Bar, or O’Connor’s for a wide range of entertainment including music, comedy and readings.  The Grand also offers a club open every night with music and dancing.

Dolan’s is a popular venue for live music in Limerick.  Though you can also find frequent live music performances at The Locke or The Hurlers Bar.  Galway pubs for traditional Irish music include Róisín Dubh (or dark rose), The King’s Head, Monroe’s Live and The Crane.

You can also do some research ahead of time to find locations for traditional Irish music.  A Dublin Sessions site tracks a wide variety of performances across the city, similar to bandsintown.com which has pages tracking upcoming concerts in cities like Galway.  Another Galway site for finding live music venues and entertainment is artsingalway.com.  And sites like tripsavvy.com and tradconnect.com list popular music venues across Ireland.  There are even Facebook pages, like Music for Galway, to keep up on upcoming events.