Are there any pubs in the Temple Bar area with traditional music that aren't too "touristy"?

Thanks

John

You realize the contridiction in your statement, right?
Is there a particular reason you're set on Temple Bar?

You may want to try the Blooms hotel bar on Sunday night. They had a trio that was very good last month. However, Friday and Saturday nights in the Temple Bar area are pure madness. But fun!!

I appreciate the tip on the Blooms hotel.

I requested information on the Temple Bar area because we'll be staying at the Westin, which I understand is very nearby. I prefer pubs that are within easy walking distance.

We arrive on a Sunday, and are staying four nights.

Thanks.

I like Temple Bar. Not everyone does. The Temple Bar and Oliver St. John Gogartys are happening places. You might like Dohoney & Nesbitt and Foleys, also just a walk from Westin. I also like the Bruxilles and O'Neills.

Avoid Temple Bar like the plague.
Everything else is in easy walking distance of the Westin.
www.irishmusicbar.com is a good place to start.

The Long Stone is nice enough and close to the Westin. Turn on to Fleet St, heading east (away from Temple Bar). Keep going until the street changes to Townsend St and it's on your left just before you get to Tara St.

Maybe try The Stag's Head for traditional music, I can't remember if they still do it downstairs there. It's a good pub and worth going to anyway. To get there head west on Dame St (with Trinity College behind you) on the left hand side of the street. There's an alleyway with a mosaic of their logo on the ground, head down that and you're there. If you overshoot the alley (easy to do) just turn left on George's St (at Rick's Burgers (highly recommended )) and then take the first left off George's St and keep going until you see it.

I'd also second avoiding Temple Bar. The only pub worth going to there is The Porterhouse on Parliament St. It's They have another pub nearer to the Westin, Porterhouse Central on Nassau St which is not as good but it does have all of their beers.

O'Sullivans bar...directly facing the Westin. great spot. no tourists

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.

Glad to hear you had a good experience,overall.
Like most cities Dublin is a wonderful place if you can cut through all the touristy nonsense.
However,next time you're in Ireland might I suggest you visit Cork,in the heart of rebel country.
It is the true capital of Ireland,like.

If you feel like Rip Van Winkle in waking up this thread, you”ll be happy to know that little has changed it would appear. Staying by Harcourt Street the easy choice for us this late Sunday afternoon was Devitt’s of Camden Street. Offering good Irish beer, tasty traditional food and great live music the place was everything we could wish for in a pub!

Somewhat amusing to read this from the relatively sane days of 2007!

For anyone picking up this thread now, my tuppence worth would be that Temple Bar is worth a visit, but with the emphasis being on the singular. Dublin in general is horrendously expensive, and Temple Bar (especially the pub of the same name) is outrageously so, and is accordingly frequented almost exclusively by unwitting visitors.

Agree on the single visit, but the Whiskey Experience next door is a must try if you like rare Irish (1990s era Redbreast - only bottles left in the world of certain casks/distillings). Expensive for your everyday whiskey's though.

Oneils is fun and easy to get a beer at. Other bars on that street might vary in entertainment from night to night, but you can probably catch (or even request) a rendition of Danny Boy if that's the "traditional music" you are seeking.

Go to Belfast (instead / as well) - much nicer IMO

And yes, I do realise this is an old thread!

Any recommendations near the Moxy Dublin City Center and also any near The Shelbourne?