Matt Molloy — the flute player from The Chieftains — owns a pub in Westport, and that single fact has made the town a pilgrimage site for trad music lovers for decades. But Mayo's session scene runs much wider.
Westport's position on the Wild Atlantic Way brings musicians from across the world through Matt Molloy's back room on any given night. The quality of musicians who walk through on any given night is genuinely unpredictable — in the best possible way. But Ballina and Castlebar have their own separate session traditions that predate the tourism era.
at Matt Molloy's · Bridge Street, Westport, Co. Mayo
Owned by Chieftains flutist Matt Molloy since 1989. Nightly sessions in the back room — the quality of musicians who walk through on any given night is genuinely unpredictable in the best possible way. No cover charge.
at Gaughan's Bar · Ballina, Co. Mayo
Ballina's best-regarded trad night. Musicians travel from Castlebar and Westport for this one — strong fiddle tradition, no cover.
at Durkan's · Castlebar, Co. Mayo
Castlebar town local. Friday and Saturday trad nights — the kind of pub that opens before matches and stays open after them.
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