We arrived on Sunday, Aug 26th, the day of the Irish football semi-finals. Temple Bar was packed with very drunk and happy Kerry people. I don't recall the name of the first pub as you enter the area (on the north side of the street), but people were spilled out onto the sidewalk six and seven deep.
Well behaved, though.

The other pubs were packed, as well, that night, but not as badly.

Later, when things cleared down (and over the next few nights), I visited all the usuals - Gogarty's, Temple Bar, The Quay, the Dubliner, and others.

Several places had really good Irish music, but all of them were extremely hot -temperature, that is. It had to be in the mid eighties in most of them.
I'm 100% Irish descent, but I must have a different internal thermostat.

I did enjoy speaking with several locals - but was exhausted by questions regarding US foreign policy and how anyone with an ounce of brains could vote for the current administration. All I could do was agree and sympathize with them. Many shared my enthusiasm for Obama and were very knowlegable about the candidates.

I did enjoy an encounter at the Halfpenny (Bridge) Pub. There, the publican was teasing me about his negative experience renting a car in Orlando. I shot right back with the nightmare Americans encounter at the rental agencies at Shannon and Dublin. We all got a good laugh.

Re the comment on these places being "too touristy" -- Temple Bar IS packed with tourists, but most of them are young people from the Continent who can't afford to go into the pubs, so they congregate in the streets. I thought the touristy comment referred to aging Americans wanting to hear "Danny Boy."

Overall, I enjoyed Temple Bar, but I wish they could improve (or initiate some) air circulation in the pubs.

Regarding restaurants, several TB spots refused to seat my wife and I around the seven pm mark -- they told us to come back at nine. All had plenty of empty tables, however.

We did get seated at the Quays restaurant, but the hostess was very unpleasant. We were stuck in a corner where people from two tables would have to rise in order for us to get to or from our seats. The soft spoken waitress (with poor English skills) couldnt' hear us, so this added to the problem.

The food at the Palm Tree was very good. Unfortunately, my wife cut her finger opening the cap on her bottle of sparklling water. The waitress (whom I beleive is the daughter of the owner) wasn't the least bit apologetic for not having loosened the cap at the bar, and she was only minimally helpful with any sort of bandage (or plaster). Afterwards, we had to find a late night pharmacy.

We very much enjoyed an Italian restaurant whose name is something like Traversere. Their food is fantastic and they seated us without any grief.

Thaks to all who posted suggestions.