Pub music
Few visitors tour Dublin without stopping in a few of the numerous public houses. The beverages inside are never free. But traditional Irish music often is, and there’s no obligation to imbibe while you listen.
The most famous pub for live “trad” performances is O’Donoghue’s, a living-room-size venue that inspired the Dubliners and Chieftains in the 1960s. Performers play next to the bar from 9 p.m. on weeknights, earlier and longer on Saturdays and, as the barman puts it, “after Mass” on Sundays. For non-Catholics, that’s roughly noontime. Other pubs also offer free performances, particularly in the Temple Bar tourist quarter, with Oliver St. John Gogarty’s offering day and night sessions in its upstairs bar.
Details: www.odonoghues.ie, www.gogartys.ie. Hikers bundle up in February for the Bray-to-Greystones cliff walk south of Dublin. The Victorian resort town of Bray lies in the background. The 5-mile path offers panoramic views of the Irish Sea and is among the most popular in the greater Dublin area. The commuter DART rail service hugs the Irish Sea coastline and can drop hikers at popular trailheads with ocean views. PHOTOS BY SHAWN POGATCHNIK/AP president and Farmleigh, the former Dublin residence of the Guinness brewing dynasty and now the government’s guesthouse for visiting dignitaries. Farmleigh is partly closed until July because Ireland is hosting European Union events, but the president’s house can be toured free with tickets distributed Saturday mornings at the visitor center.
Details: merrionsquare.ie, www.stpatricksfestival.ie, www.farmleigh.ie, www.phoenix park.ie/visitorcentre.