Paschal Leloup took us out for a wonderful dinner tonight. I forget where we ate but after we ate we walked around downtown Dublin and he finally gave into my request to hear some traditional Irish music. He took us to O’Donoghues Bar.

It reminded me instantly of New Orleans’ Preservation Hall. Authentic music being played without amplification in a corner of the bar with only locals in sight.

I quickly made my way right next to the band (I sat right next to the violin player) and started talking with the locals. Turns out music has been played every weekend in this corner for more than 40 years. One local I talked to said seeing Americans was rare: “how did you find your way to this place?” I pointed to Paschal and said a local had brought me. He told me I had found the real thing, not the commercialized thing which other pubs hire.

I looked around and there was tons of Guinness being served (and the band was well lubricated too, or as one of them put it, they were “pissed”).

Hope your Friday evening is going as well.