The Temple Bar Area in Dublin, Ireland
A Dream in Old Dublin, Waiting to Show Irish Craic to Guests
Sep 12, 2009
When visiting Dublin, Ireland, the Temple Bar area is a must-do. It is one of the older parts of the city, and the only area to keep its cobblestone streets. It was once considered an undesirable part of Dublin, but thanks to the efforts of the Temple Bar Properties organization that was created with the help of Taoeseach (Prime Minister) Charles Haughey, it is now a bustling tourist destination.
The area is well known for its pubs and general outreach to tourists. The prices of food are a bit higher, consequently, but the atmosphere is worth it. While the average tourist will not find many (if any) locals in these pubs, they will find excellent music, free dance lessons, great company, and overall craic (Gaelic word with no real translation but for “good times”).
Legendary Temple Bar Pubs
Four pubs stand out in particular; The Temple Bar, The Palace, The Quays, and Oliver St. John Gogarty’s. All of them offer traditional Irish music on a fairly regular basis, but Oliver St. John Gogarty’s (or Gogarty’s, for short) offers free dance lessons most days between 2 and 5pm on their second floor. The Temple Bar is a great first choice for the initial immersion into pub life in Dublin. The music is always good, the bar is always full of people to meet, and the general atmosphere is welcoming and friendly. From there, The Palace is a good stop, with its older, quainter surroundings. The Quays is a good choice for music a little later in the evening, say 9pm or so, and the pub culture thrives along with the traditional music. The place to dance the night away, however, is Oliver St. John Gogarty’s. From 11pm to 2am the place is alive with good music, good drinks, and mighty craic. As a side note, here one will also find the best "chips" in Dublin, hands down.
Culture and Learning Together With Fun
If one is of the more cultured tastes, and wishes to know more about Irish Pub Life and Traditional Music, then they absolutely must attend the Musical Pub Crawl, starting at Gogarty’s. Tickets can be bought at the Tourist Bureau, or at Gogarty’s, on the second floor. It is the best 12 Euro that any tourist can spend in Dublin. The night begins at Gogarty’s with 2 local, professional musicians, and winds around Dublin’s pubs. Here the visitors are part of the great traditions of storytelling, singing and jokes until it finishes, back at Gogarty’s. The musicians are open and happy to answer questions, and really give the customers a good view of culture and life in Ireland, and the musical history that goes along with it. As an added bonus, anyone who is interested may ask them for “local” haunts and good musical sessions, and they will offer some places to get a real feel for Ireland. They also give tips on proper pub ettiquette, the culture of the pub, and how not to offend the musicians; for example, by clapping while they play, or not buying them a pint.
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