REAL Traditional Irish Music & Drink
The Dublin Musical Pub Crawl is a great experience that anyone who loves real music should appreciate. You meet at Gogarty’s Pub (a very touristy place) and buy your 12 euros ticket. You can have a pint while you wait and listen to the good but touristy Irish music. The group then follows a pair of local musicians to a more authentic Irish pub and sits in a reserved room, gets their pints, and listens to music and stories of Irish culture. The musicians are very funny and informative, and talented with their wit and instruments. They make it very clear that you will NOT be hearing “Danny Boy” or “Molly Malone” on this crawl. After some time at the pub, we all walked to another pub and were further entertained. The evening gives you a real appreciation for authentic Irish music. You can’t help but stomp your feet to the music (don’t clap!). Before the evening is over, the patrons are encouraged to sing any song with the musicians. They want you to nurture your inner musician. A young woman got up and started singing “Me & Bobby McGee” (by Janis Joplin) and the musicians eventually joined in using Irish instruments and made the song sound as if it had been part of the musical landscape of the Emerald Isle. When her shyness and nerves overtook her, I picked up where she left off. I have a strong voice, and that type of song suits me perfectly. I guess my inner ham enlivened the musicians as we really started to jam. Such a blast! Afterwards we all were encouraged to visit one the few authentic music sets happening in pubs in central Dublin. Not only is this evening a great way to see local musicians at their craft, but it’s a nice way to meet people and enjoy your Guinness. ***I was even invited to join these musicians at a local set, but as there is a lot of improvisation and I don’t know any traditional songs, I took the flattery but didn’t push my luck and left with a great memory!