Nothing beats a proper trad session: musicians around a table, a tune building speed and a pub falling quiet to listen. These 10 trad music pubs in Dublin host regular live Irish music, from tourist-friendly stages to sessions where the players are locals.
Worth knowing before you go
- In 2021 a plan to demolish most of The Cobblestone for a 14-storey hotel was refused after public protest; the pub says it was the first time cultural protection was weighed in a planning decision.
- O’Donoghue’s on Merrion Row became a nightly gathering place for musicians after 1934, and by the 1960s it was a regular haunt of The Dubliners.
- Most proper sessions carry no cover charge: you pay only for your drinks (Devitt’s and Gogarty’s both say so explicitly).
How we picked
We chose pubs, open in 2026, with regular, well-reviewed traditional Irish music, and noted session days and times where the pub or a reliable source states them. Times change, so always check first.
Trad music pubs in Dublin: the quick list
- The Cobblestone (Dublin 7, Smithfield (north side of Smithfield Square)): Dublin’s purist trad session pub
- O’Donoghue’s (Dublin 2, Merrion Row near St Stephen’s Green): The Dubliners’ old haunt
- Devitt’s (Dublin 2, Camden Street (about 8 minutes’ walk from St Stephen’s Green)): Nightly sessions upstairs on Camden Street
- Piper’s Corner (Dublin 1, Marlborough Street (north inner city)): Musician-run pub with a focus on the pipes
- The Brazen Head (Dublin 8, Lower Bridge Street on the south quays): Ireland’s oldest pub, with nightly trad
- The Celt (Dublin 1, Talbot Street near O’Connell Street): Nightly music and Jim Larkin history
- Darkey Kelly’s (Fishamble Street, opposite Christ Church Cathedral): Daily sessions and a dark local legend
- The Stag’s Head (Dublin 2, Dame Court near Grafton Street): Heritage pub with weekend trad
- The Old Storehouse (Dublin 2, Temple Bar (behind the old Central Bank)): Afternoon-to-late music in Temple Bar
- Oliver St John Gogarty’s (Dublin 2, Temple Bar): Almost non-stop trad in Temple Bar
1. The Cobblestone
Family-run for more than 35 years by Tom Mulligan, from a long line of musicians, The Cobblestone is the purist’s choice and the cradle of Dublin’s recent folk revival: Lankum, The Mary Wallopers and John Francis Flynn all sharpened their skills here. Sessions take place in the musicians’ corner just inside the door, seven days a week.
- Known for: Dublin’s purist trad session pub
- Where: 77 King Street North, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 TP22
- Session times: Monday 6.30pm–close; Tuesday–Thursday 4.30pm–close; Friday 2pm–close; Saturday and Sunday 2.30pm–close. Highlights: Monday from 9pm (the week’s rowdiest, led by members of Ispíní na hÉireann); Tuesday 7pm–9.30pm and Friday 4.30pm–7pm with Tom Mulligan and Simon McBride; Wednesday 4.30pm–7pm (beginner-friendly); Thursday 4.30pm–7pm (Donegal fiddle session).
- Good to know: There’s no food and no table reservations, and under-18s must leave by 9pm. It gets busy, so arrive early for a seat.
- Website: cobblestonepub.ie
2. O’Donoghue’s
Dating back to 1789, O’Donoghue’s became a nightly haunt for musicians and storytellers after 1934 and is forever linked with The Dubliners, who made it their local in the 1960s. Photographs of Luke Kelly, Ronnie Drew and other greats line the walls, and there’s still live Irish music every night.
- Known for: The Dubliners’ old haunt
- Where: 15 Merrion Row, Dublin 2
- Session times: Monday–Thursday 8pm–midnight; Friday 6.30pm–midnight; Saturday 5.30pm–midnight; Sunday all day.
- Good to know: For a quieter listen, go on Sunday when the music runs all day. There are guest rooms upstairs if you want to stay over.
- Website: odonoghues.ie
3. Devitt’s
A pub has stood at 78 Camden Street since the 1870s, and its Victorian mahogany-and-stained-glass bar is one of the few in the city with music every single night. The sessions happen upstairs, mixing traditional tunes with singalong favourites, and the crowd joins in rather than just listening.
- Known for: Nightly sessions upstairs on Camden Street
- Where: 78 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 C642
- Session times: Upstairs bar every day: Monday–Thursday 6.30pm–12.30am; Friday and Saturday 7.30pm–1.15am; Sunday 1.30pm–midnight (Sunday from 1.30pm is an open session for musicians of all levels).
- Price guide: No cover charge
- Good to know: Groups under ten don’t need to book, and the full food menu is served in the music bar.
- Website: devittspub.ie
4. Piper’s Corner
Opened in 2017 by uilleann piper Seán Potts, whose father co-founded The Chieftains, Piper’s Corner was built around the music, with a huge image of piper Séamus Ennis covering its façade. It’s a serious listening room with a strong leaning towards the pipes, and a deliberate alternative to the cover bands of Temple Bar.
- Known for: Musician-run pub with a focus on the pipes
- Where: 105–106 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1, D01 FD28
- Session times: Open Tuesday–Sunday from 4pm, with live traditional music from 9pm (8pm on Sundays). Closed Mondays.
- Good to know: The building has planning permission for demolition and redevelopment, so check the pub’s Facebook page for the latest before you make a special trip.
- Website: piperscorner.ie
5. The Brazen Head
Billed as Ireland’s oldest pub, with a tavern on the site traced back to 1198 (the current coaching-inn building dates from 1754), The Brazen Head is a warren of low-ceilinged rooms around a courtyard. Rebels and writers from Robert Emmet to Brendan Behan have passed through, and the music room still hosts live trad every night.
- Known for: Ireland’s oldest pub, with nightly trad
- Where: 20 Lower Bridge Street, Usher’s Quay, Dublin 8, D08 WC64
- Session times: Live music seven nights a week from 9pm; Sunday session 3.30pm–6.30pm.
- Price guide: A pint costs roughly €6.50–€7
- Good to know: For a seat near the musicians, go to the Sunday afternoon session or arrive before 9pm on a weeknight. Food is served until 9pm.
- Website: brazenhead.com
6. The Celt
A room-after-room traditional pub just off O’Connell Street with live Irish music seven nights a week. Its back bar, ‘The Shed’, was built in 1864 as stables and later became Ireland’s first trade union hall, where Jim Larkin held the meetings that led to the 1913 Lockout. Hearty Irish food, including beef and Guinness stew, is served until 10pm.
- Known for: Nightly music and Jim Larkin history
- Where: 81 Talbot Street, Dublin 1
- Session times: Live Irish music seven nights a week, with two bands playing at once in separate rooms on Fridays and Saturdays (start times not published).
- Good to know: Bills aren’t split for groups of four or more, so sort out payment between you in advance.
- Website: thecelt.ie
7. Darkey Kelly’s
Low ceilings, lively crowds and music every day of the week, all on one of Dublin’s oldest streets, where Handel’s Messiah was first performed in 1742. The pub takes its name from the notorious 18th-century madam Dorcas ‘Darkey’ Kelly, and the bar carries more than 100 whiskeys.
- Known for: Daily sessions and a dark local legend
- Where: Fishamble Street, Dublin
- Session times: Mon: céilí session 6pm, then Cathal Rolling Stone 8.30pm. Tue: Tommy Keyes & Friends 6pm. Wed: trad session 6pm, céilí session 8.30pm. Thu: traditional céilí 5.30pm, trad session 8.30pm. Fri: The Dublin Bards 4.30pm, Trad Rocks 7pm, No Limits 10pm. Sat: Irish music session 4pm, traditional Irish music 7pm, cover bands 10pm. Sun: Trad Rocks 3pm, Irish Celts 7pm.
- Good to know: It’s walk-in only, with no bookings. For trad, go before 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, when cover bands take over.
- Website: darkeykellys.ie
8. The Stag’s Head
A Victorian beauty a stone’s throw from Grafton Street, famous for its snugs, its whiskey shelves (more than 147 bottles) and its link to Michael Collins, who drank here. It was named Ireland’s Best Traditional Pub of the Year in 2023, and a trad trio plays at weekends.
- Known for: Heritage pub with weekend trad
- Where: 1 Dame Court, Dublin 2
- Session times: Live trad with the Trad Power Trio every Friday and Saturday (times not published).
- Good to know: Trad is weekends only: Tuesdays and Thursdays bring folklore and storytelling evenings, and Sundays and Mondays a comedy club downstairs. Food is served noon to 5pm.
- Website: stagshead.ie
9. The Old Storehouse
Built in the early 1800s as a wine warehouse, this Temple Bar pub now spreads over three bars: a quiet snug, a lively main bar for sessions and the O’Flaherty’s venue bar. Music starts mid-afternoon and runs until closing, making it one of the most reliable spots in the area for a tune at almost any hour.
- Known for: Afternoon-to-late music in Temple Bar
- Where: 3 Crown Alley, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 CX67
- Session times: Live Irish music Monday–Thursday from 3pm, Friday and Saturday from 2pm, and Sunday from 3pm, all until close.
- Good to know: There are two heated, covered beer gardens, and the kitchen serves until 9pm.
- Website: theoldstorehouse.ie
10. Oliver St John Gogarty’s
A Temple Bar landmark spread over several floors, Gogarty’s runs trad sessions almost non-stop from afternoon until the small hours, with impromptu tunes in the main bar downstairs too. Its musicians have even recorded a DVD and two albums of trad and ballads. Expect a lively, visitor-heavy crowd.
- Known for: Almost non-stop trad in Temple Bar
- Where: Corner of Fleet Street and Anglesea Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
- Session times: Upstairs sessions from 2.30pm to 2am (the homepage says traditional music every day from 1pm to 2.30am); ballads, folk and Celtic rock in the Library Bar Sunday–Thursday, 10pm–12.30am.
- Price guide: No cover charge
- Good to know: For something quieter and more intimate, head to the Library Bar’s late ballad sessions, Sunday to Thursday.
- Website: gogartys.ie
Trad music pubs in Dublin in pictures
Plan the rest of your day
Arrive early for the busiest sessions, especially at weekends, and remember a session isn’t a concert: the best seat is often near the musicians, kept quiet.
- Join a Dublin pub crawl walking tour
- Our 3 days in Dublin itinerary
- Dublin walking tours
- Getting around Dublin: buses, Luas and DART
Prices, opening hours and session times change often, so check each venue’s own website before you go. Information checked October 2026.
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