Gogarty's Temple Bar Hostel

You'll hear the fiddles before you see the crowds spilling onto Anglesea Street. This Temple Bar stalwart does exactly what it says on the tin - proper traditional music sessions most nights, pints of plain that aren't half bad, and enough craic to keep the tour groups happy. The upstairs restaurant serves solid pub grub while downstairs gets properly mental when the music kicks off around half nine. Yes, it's touristy as hell and you'll be shoulder-to-shoulder with Americans taking selfies, but the musicians are genuinely class and the atmosphere can be electric when everything clicks. The hostel upstairs means there's always a young, international crowd ready to get messy, which either adds to the energy or drives you mental depending on your mood.