10 Best Places for Live Music in Dublin | Condé Nast Traveler
"This is the spiritual home of traditional music in Dublin, a fine pub that, despite sounding large—its footprint includes an old-fashioned bar, an upstairs extension, a courtyard, and an annex—feels pleasingly intimate. It was here in 1962 that a rich-toned baritone called Ronnie Drew formed The Dubliners. More folk than trad, but along with the Chieftains (also founded in 1962) they became the most famous musicians of the genre, and so O’Donoghue’s reputation was cemented. Alas, The Dubliners are no more, but their music lives on here, all seven nights a week. Get here at 9 p.m. (or 5 p.m., if it's Saturday) to witness the kick-off: You'll see a few musicians wend their way through the crowd, taking a seat in the corner, and hear someone call for ‘a bit of whisht’ or ‘ciúnas’ (silence) while the bow is dragged slowly across the bridge of the fiddle and the sounds of a plaintive chord are heard. Over the next couple of hours, they’re joined by others until the ‘sesh’ is in full flow." - Fionn Davenport
