A friend will be in the Dingle area for about a week, and asked about sessions. Any recommendations?
Thanks in advance.
N
i worked in dingle a couple of months, 15 hours a day in the ficheries.
there was very little time for the pub, way back then in 1987
't was more an adventure than a job… 
http://homepage.tinet.ie/~oac/livemusic.htm
Okay, here’s the skinny–
The first place your friend should stop in town is Oifig An Cheoil (“The Music Office”, their webpage is linked in lixnaw’s post). Even if nobody is around, they usually have a schedule on the door of local music sessions that may be a little more up-to-date than what’s listed on their webpage. It’s located across the street and down the road a little ways from An Droichead Beag pub.
An Droichead Beag advertises something like “400 Mighty Sessions a Year” or something, although in practice, that usually means a couple of paid performers with mics and you can come up and join them if you ask. Piper Eoin Duignan and guitarist John Browne play there pretty often.
Just around the corner is another more low-key place, An Chonair. Even during the summer, this place always seemed to have a pretty low-key feel about it and it never got too crowded. This was probably my favorite place for sessions in Dingle. I think they usually have two sessions there a week (it was Thursday nights and Saturday afternoons when I was there, but that was a few years ago). The proprietor, John Benny, is a good box player.
There’s also O’Flaherty’s, run by Fergus O’Flaherty, a very good box, banjo, and guitar player and, by his own admission, a horrible piper. Piper Con Durham and flute player Brid Donoghue (Cillian O Briain’s wife) often play here and both are terrific musicians as well as very nice people.
If Seamus or Breandan Begley or Maidhc Dainin O Se are playing anywhere around town, do go see them.
Other places around Dingle worth going to are–
-Dick Mack’s pub. Once functioned as both a pub and the town hardware store. Doesn’t usually have sessions, but it’s a great place to go for a pint anyway.
-Dingle Record Shop, run by local singer/character Mazz O’Flaherty has a small selection of trad. CDs, including a few by some of the local musicians.
-The Orchard Lane Cafe has good Irish breakfasts in case you feel like clogging your arteries. The Global Village restaurant has some good vegetarian food.
-An Caife Liteartha is a must-stop for anyone with the least bit of interest in Irish language-related stuff. Large selection of books, mostly in Irish, although they do have some music books there as well, some of which are out of print. The cafe also has terrific sandwiches.
-Cillian O Briain’s music shop out by the Ceardlann Na Coille craft center is also a must-stop. He’s got some good CDs and books as well as a selection of whistles and low whistles (including his own fine whistles) and occasionally a couple of flutes for sale. Not to get your hopes up, but he also occasionally (and I should stress very occasionally) has a practice set for sale too.
Hope that’ll be useful.
-CD
Thank you both! Very helpful indeed, and much appreciated. 