Traditional Irish Music Everyone needs to experience a traditional Irish music session at least once

Everyone who contacts us for an Enchanting Ireland vaction always mentions that they need to experience some Traditional Irish Music at some point along the way. It's almost impossible to miss a music session on your vacation but not all towns are the same when it comes to music. You may find traditional music sessions designed for the tourist in mind or you might happen upon a session which is full of locals.

In the following clip you'll find a traditional music session that I stumbled upon, full of locals bused in during the Matchmaking Festival.

This was an early session, around 5pm in early September 2008. We thought we were going to enjoy a pint and some Guinness Stew at O'Connor's Pub and within minutes, a bus pulled up and the pub was filled with locals. They quickly settled in and the music began.

In fact, we were sitting between the two rooms and had dueling music sessions -- the above being music alone and below was a woman single alone -- most beautiful voice despite the noise in the pub.

Doolin - Our Favorite Village for Traditional Music Sessions

We always stop in Doolin for at least one night to take in the traditional music sessions at O'Connor's, McDermott's or McGann's... and now Fitzpatrick's. It's much better in the off-season when you have more locals than tourists.

Get there early, perhaps for dinner, and stake your location as these places fill up quickly right before the sesssions start.

Children are typically allowed in for dinner and, depending on how busy and how good your children are, they might be able to stay for the traditional music session.