Traditional Irish Music

Traditional music is the living heart of Irish culture, and its natural home is the pub session, where musicians gather informally with fiddle, flute, tin whistle, banjo, accordion and the bodhran drum to play jigs, reels and airs, often late into the night. From Dublin to Galway to tiny village pubs in the west, the tunes carry centuries of feeling.

What you actually see

• The pub session - the informal gathering of musicians playing the old tunes.
• The instruments - the fiddle, flute, tin whistle, banjo and bodhran drum.
• Jigs, reels and airs - the dance tunes and slow airs of the tradition.
• The western heartland - the sessions of Doolin, Galway, Clare and Kerry.

When to go

Year-round; sessions happen most nights in the right pubs, and the west of Ireland is the heartland. Evenings are when the music comes alive; the best sessions are informal and unadvertised.

Honest expectations

The best sessions are informal gatherings of local musicians rather than staged performances, so the very touristy pubs offer a lesser version. It is a drink-and-listen experience in a pub, not a concert. The west, especially Clare and Galway, has the richest tradition.

Nearby

Doolin in Clare, Galway city and Dublin's Temple Bar all offer sessions, though the smaller western pubs are more authentic.