Today we will try to fill you in on everything we know about music in Dublin. This is certainly a broad topic but we will do our best to cover the full scene in this post.
To get the ball rolling we will discuss the best musical instrument stores in Dublin. There will be separate lists for where to buy guitars in your area as well as the top drum shops in town.
Obviously there will be some crossover in those sections as some stores will have the leading guitar brands for sale like Gibson, Fender, or Keisel as well as all the keyboards, synthesizers, pedals, amps, or pretty much any supplies you may need.
Contents
Up next we will get into where to go for quality instrument repair near you. Some of you may need a piano tuned, a guitar repaired, or work done on other band instruments and there is somebody out there that can assist.
The best music lessons for kids or adults will get a shout out. And then there will be some local stores for music lovers with vintage CD’s and records.
We also think many of you will want to know about the best concert halls and live music venues plus there are also many bars and restaurants that have live music around the city.
And our final section will get into the best festivals on the Dublin music calendar. Stick around until the end where you will find a map with the wide variety of stores and venues we are discussing pinned on it. You can click this link for more of our posts on Europe.
Musical Instrument Stores In Dublin
When you want to go to one of the best musical instrument stores in Dublin head to:
- Waltons at Blanchardstown Rd S
- McCullough Piggot at 11 William St S
- Crehans Musical Instruments at 6 Carberry Rd
- Gandharva Loka at 62 S Great George’s St
- XMusic at 1, Red Cow Retail Centre
- Paul Ryan Woodwind & Brass at Friends Meeting House
- Musicmaker at 29 Exchequer St
- The Music Outlet at The Plaza, Forster Way
- Irish Musical Instruments at #137 Grange Dr
Waltons Music was started in the early 1920’s and currently distributes leading brands across Ireland like Lag Guitars, Jim Dunlop, Zoom, Deering Banjos, SX Guitars, and many others. They also make Irish tin whistles, bodhrans, and harps.
Crehan Musical Instruments has been delivering quality string instruments to musicians near you for almost three decades including violins, violas, cellos, concertinas, basses, and a full range of traditional instruments. Their skilled instrument repair professionals complete repairs on all types of violins in their custom-built workshop.
XMusic sells one of the largest selections of musical instruments including guitars, basses, amplifiers, keyboards, drums, microphones, headphones, DJ equipment, stage lighting, PA systems, recording, studio monitors, interfaces, folk instruments and accessories, and much more.
Musicmaker specializes in instrument retail sales and also like to keep busy with their distribution company, community connections, concerts, and gigs.
Irish Musical Instruments has a large range of new and antique violins to pick from. All of their historical violins have been carefully restored and modernized to match the needs of today’s players.
Where To Buy Guitars
If you are specifically trying to buy a guitar or guitar accessories in your area check out:
- Goodwins Music at 134 Capel St
- Charles Byrne Musik Instrumente at 21-22 Stephen St
- Jimi’s Music Store at b2 Ballymount Dr
- Some Neck Guitars at 4 Dean St
Acoustic, electric, and bass guitars, amplifiers, fx pedals, keyboards, music books, DVD’s, and accessories such as strings, tuners, cases, cables, and digital recording equipment are all sold and serviced at Goodwins Music Store.
Jimi’s Music Store can assist you whether you’re just starting out with your first vintage instrument or you’re a seasoned collector looking to add to your existing collection. With over 20 years of experience in the industry they sell a large inventory of vintage, new, and used instruments, and gear.
We mentioned Gandharva Loka, XMusic, Musicmaker and The Music Outlet in the local music stores list but they are also great places to buy guitars.
Drum Shops Near You
Muzikkon at Robinhood Business Park, #10 is a great place to buy drums in Dublin plus we also suggest XMusic and Musicmaker.
Instrument Repair
You can get quality instrument repairs at:
- Sound Factory at Parkmore Industrial Estate, #14
- The Guitar Workshop at S Circular Rd
- Michal Langner Guitar Service at Carraig, Leopardstown Rd
- East-West Guitars
Sound Factory was founded by Dave Travers who is a trained electronic repair and service expert, audio engineer, seasoned musician, and luthier. He’s worked on guitar and amp repairs for a number of notable artists including The Cranberries, The Script, The Coronas, Kodaline, Gavin James, Aslan, and many others.
A couple of other places that we have mentioned throughout the post that are great for instrument repair are Crehans Musical Instruments, The Music Outlet, and Irish Musical Instruments.
Music Lessons
You will probably improve your skills by taking music lessons at:
- Dublin School of Music at Eaton House, 86-88 Terenure Rd N
- Waltons New School of Music at 69 S Great George’s St
- Simply Music Lessons at 1 Pembroke St Lower
- The Cassidy Academy of Music at Murphystown
- Kilternan School of Music at Rosemont Secondary School
- Playright Music at 95 Glasnevin Ave
Local individual music lessons are available to students of all ages and skills at Dublin School of Music. Improvisation, songwriting, audio engineering, music theory, ear training, composition, and performance are all included in their lessons.
Simply Music Lessons uses the most up-to-date learning methods to achieve optimum outcomes on a budget. Adults and children as young as six years old can take private and group music lessons in your area.
Violin, viola, cello, piano, guitar, drums, percussion, and voice are all examples of lessons offered at The Cassidy Academy of Music. Waltons New School is a comprehensive music center that combines skilled classes for students of all ages and skill levels.
CD & Record Stores
Some of our favorite local stores for music lovers with lots of vintage CD’s and records are:
- Freebird Records at 15A Wicklow St
- Tower Records at 7 Dawson St
- Golden Discs at 16 Sandyford Rd
- Spindizzy Records at 32 The Market Arcade
- Claddagh Records at 2 Cecilia St
- Vinyl Dublin at 61 George’s St
- The Record Hub at Tolka Industrial Park
Golden Discs has been selling music, movies, and vinyl in addition to music-related accessories and technology since 1962. Spindizzy Records sells both new and used vinyl as well as CD’s, and if you want to sell your old records they are happy to check them out.
Dublin Live Music Venues
These Dublin live music venues are great places to see a concert or performance:
- Whelan’s at 25 Wexford St
- The Underground Venue at Peadar Kearney’s, 64 Dame St
- Vicar Street at 58-59 Thomas St
- The Zodiac Sessions at 2 Harry St
- The DC Music Club at 20 Camden Row
Restaurants With Live Music
These restaurants with live music in your area can be a lot of fun:
- The Old Storehouse Bar & Restaurant at 3 Crown Alley
- Merchant’s Arch at 48-49 Wellington Quay
- Madigan’s O’Connell Street at 19 O’Connell St
- The Bleeding Horse at 24-25 Camden St
- Belvedere Irish Nights at 1 Denmark Street Great
- The Norseman at 28E, Essex St E
The Old Storehouse Bar and Restaurant serves traditional Irish fare while live music is performed seven evenings a week with no entrance charge. Madigan’s serves great Irish food and live Irish music.
Belvedere Irish Nights provides a great opportunity to sample the local Irish music, dance, and cuisine for which the country is famed around the world. The Norseman specializes in live music, amazing food, and whiskey.
Bars With Live Music
Plus there are bars that play live music too:
- The Grand Social at 35 Liffey St. Lower
- Whelan’s at 25 Wexford St
- Sin é at 15 Ormond Quay Upper
- Fibber Magees at 80-81 Parnell St
- O’Donoghues Bar at 15 Merrion Row
- Bad Bobs Temple Bar at 35-37 Essex St E
The Grand Social features a fantastic rooftop beer garden with its own customized cocktail bar, DJ performances, and giant TVs showing all major sporting events. The ground floor ballroom is a great spot to meet up before a show and it also holds their weekly free admission Table Quiz on Thursdays, the Monday night Jazz Jam, and on weekends their regular party anthem DJs.
Bad Bobs has something for everyone whether you’re looking for a relaxed post-date beverage or getting ready for a big night out.
Music Festivals In Your Area
We will be back soon with this info.
You may also be interested in these posts on:
Enjoy The Dublin Local Music Scene
Well guys, we tried cover the scene as well as we could. You read about the best musical instrument stores, drum and guitar shops, instrument repair services, where to go for lessons, vintage CD and record stores, concert halls and other live music venues like bars and restaurants, plus the best festivals near you.
Anyone that is still here probably knows bit about the local music scene themselves. If so feel free to tell us if we got anything incorrect, if we left any cool spots out, or just share your own thoughts in the comments at the end of the post.
No matter if you are trying to buy a new instrument, wanted some live entertainment, needed a vintage CD and record, or just wanted to learn more about music in Dublin we hope you enjoy yourself.
