Not so well touristed pubs in Dublin

My sense is that any pub that’s not in Temple Bar will be at least somewhat non-touristy. One that we particularly enjoyed on our 2019 trip was The Cobblestone, west of Downtown. They’ve got a reputation as a prime place for Trad music, and we spent an enjoyable afternoon there. Musicians rotated every few songs, replaced by others. They weren’t there as any tourist attraction. It appeared they’d come for a drink, and brought their instrument to join in a short session. They left, and others arrived. All very good - really impressive.

I've been to Dublin four times and never been to Temple Bar, so I'm not sure exactly what touristy means. I would have thought Guinness Warehouse was touristy. .If it doesn't mean just crowded, then The Cobblestone is wonderful, at least if you like trad. There is always something happening, anytime after noon, much of it locals having their weekly music session. On our last trip we stayed around the corner, so we walked past every time we left our lodging. One day it was a dozen young women flautists, the next day, six fiddlers, etc. Evenings get more serious. Getting a seat is another matter, but there's enough turnover to eventually get a stool. The Cobblestone is currently under the threat of a new landlord doing an "improvement" - quite the controversy in the area.

Our second favorite is The Brazen Head. They have a Sunday afternoon session at 3pm that was wonderful last time we were there. One of participants simply plays the spoons and drums on the table, but he was a remarkable tenor that brought the crowd to tears.

A few years ago I wandered into Peadar Kearney's which is on Dame Street at the south end of Temple Bar. I was surprised to find all ages and mostly locals. It was during the day so I can't say what it was like at night. For other trips, I just found a pub closest to my hotel. Usually a mix of locals and tourists. Mostly in the area southeast of Trinity College. The Ginger Man was good. Kennedy's Pub is a block away. It gets tourists because of it's popularity with James Joyce fans.

We enjoyed Searson's

John Kehoes on Anne Street was packed with locals when I was there one Saturday night a few years ago. O'Donoghues is another good one although it's more well-known. Even though it's touristy a stroll through Temple Bar with a few stops is a must. Also, check out The Connoisseur Experience at Guinness!

When we were in Ireland, we just popped into any bar where we were hearing good Trad music from the street. However, as soon as they found out we were American, they started playing American music much to our dismay!

From my experience there will probably be more tourists in the pubs in the evening than during the afternoon. During the day the tourists are out 'touristing' (ie: sightseeing). At least that was the case when we were in Dublin and Galway. Not saying you can't find less touristy pubs in the evening, just making an observation. When out on the road exploring smaller towns and villages it seemed that it was mostly locals in the small pubs in the evening, especially on drop in evenings when locals turned up with their instruments for 'anyone can join in' sessions.