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O’Donoghue’s Pub, Merrion Row, Dublin, is celebrated as the birthplace of The Dubliners and a home for spontaneous traditional and folk sessions—but behind the music lies a deeper story. In the 1950s and ’60s, as waves of young people arrived from rural Ireland, the pub became a crucible where city and country styles collided. Amid post-war social change, European and American folk, skiffle, and rhythm and blues met with Irish melodies to forge a new, modern sound, yet true to the tradition. This was more than a meeting place—it was the heartbeat of a cultural awakening that reshaped Irish music at home and across the world.

Across two episodes, O’Donoghue’s: Birthpalce of Dublin Pub Sessions brings together legendary voices—, Finbar Furey, Andy Irvine, Johnny Moynihan, Paddy Keenan and others—to tell the story of how a modest Dublin pub became the engine of a global folk revival. The series, produced and presented by Tommy Fegan, traces the intertwining of traditional instrumental music, ballads and protest songs, and the evolution of a living musical tradition that echoed Ireland’s changing social and political landscape. This is the story of a sound—and a spirit—that still defines a nation.

Credits and Contributors

A big thanks to O’Donoghues Pub, Dublin

Old O’Donoghue’s Facebook page –Andy Irvine, Johnny Moynahan, Finbar Furey, Gerry McCartney, Phelim Drew, Peter Woods

O’Donohue’s Reunion –Frank McNamara, Néillidh Mulligan, Tom Mulligan, Paddy Keenan, Niall McDonagh, Frank Owens, Tommy Chambers, Brendan Freeman, Pat Sheeran, Ann Diver

Production Tem – Producer and Narrator: Tommy Fegan. Editor: Donagh McKeown, Love Lurgan.. O’Donoghue’s Recordings and Tech Support: Paul Loughran, Near FM, Dublin. Research assistant; Ann Diver

Made with the support of Coimisiún Na Mean with the Television License fee.