Celtic Music -Upper O Connell Street

One of the best things I did in Dublin was the Literary Pub Crawl - no music, but great fun. Before and/or after just do your own crawl in Temple Bar. Most of the pubs have live music in the afternoons and evenings. If you don't like the music at one, go along to the next. No need to purchase a drink until you've decided to stay long enough to enjoy it. Much of the music is trad.

You'll be a 10-minute walk from Temple Bar. You'll find plenty there.

We really enjoyed the RS recommended Musical Pub Crawl when we visited Dublin in 2013. It starts at Gogarty's Pub in the Temple Bar area, which has no shortage of music. For something a little out of the more touristy area, the Cobblestone Pub was holding nightly sessions when we were there. It had a much more genuine and "laid back" feel to it, as musicians drifted in and out throughout the evening. The pub is about a mile west of your BW, at King St and Red Cow Lane, near the old Jamieson distillery and Smithfield Square. They don't (or didn't at that time) serve real food there, but we had a decent meal at the nearby Oscar's cafe.

At the top of O'Connell street is a pub called Murrays where you can catch some live traditional music. Failing that, head into Temple Bar which is a 5 minute walk across the Liffey.

Ask for a "traditional session".

Temple Bar would not be my suggestion. The area is full of large, crowded, noisy bars rather than traditional pubs - really not much different than big cities anywhere.

I was disappointed with the area and ready to head in early but fell in with two Irish gentlemen, one my age and the other a generation older. They refused to let me go home disappointed and showed me a handful of pubs that were in basements, reached only by nondescript stairways off of busy streets. I enjoyed those, but can't start to tell you what they were called or how to find them.

I think a themed pub crawl would be ideal. There are literary, musical, and other choices. I wouldn't think the crawls would be in or around the Temple Bar area, however, they are more likely to visit older pubs elsewhere near the center.

A riddle: How do you walk across Dublin without passing a pub?
Answer: Stop in every one.

I echo the comment about Temple Bar and Oliver St. John Gogherty...I've heard good trad at O'Donohue's just off St. Stephen's Green at 15 Merrion Row. Touristy but not rowdy pub with trad is the Brazen Head near the Liffey at 20 Lower Bridge Street. O'Connell St can be a bit iffy after dark...consult the staff at your hotel about safety.