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The Irish Dance Party in Dublin
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From €25 per person
Every afternoon at 3pm, the upstairs room at Merchants Arch Bar on Wellington Quay turns into something you won’t find at any other venue in Dublin. Four world-class, award-winning Irish dancers take the floor. A live Irish singer hosts the whole thing, weaving songs and stories in between the performances and keeping the atmosphere warm rather than touristy.
Over the two hours, you’ll watch four choreographed dance performances and then get pulled into it yourself. There are two group dance teaching sessions built into the event — a 20-minute block and a 10-minute block — where the dancers break down the steps and actually get the room moving. It’s more fun than it sounds, even if your two left feet have a lot to say about it.
You arrive at your own reserved table, the bar is open throughout, and there’s a full food menu if you want to stretch the afternoon into an early evening. It runs every single day, 3pm to 5pm, 4.8 stars from over a thousand reviews. Some things just keep delivering.
The event runs daily from 3pm to 5pm. Wear comfortable shoes if you plan to join in — and you should plan to join in. Children are welcome and must be accompanied by an adult; infants sit on an adult’s lap. Groups can be up to 60 people. Public transport is nearby. Hotel transfers are not included, and all fitness levels are welcome.
Get there five minutes early and grab a window seat. The reserved table arrangement means you won’t be scrambling for a spot, but settling in before the host kicks things off helps you relax into it from the start rather than arriving flustered.
Wellington Quay is right on the river. If you’re coming from the city centre, it’s a nice walk along the south Liffey bank from O’Connell Bridge. Temple Bar is immediately behind you, so the area is lively and easy to find without needing a map.
The food menu is genuinely good. Merchants Arch is a proper bar, not a tourist trap with a set menu. If you’re planning to eat, a bowl of chowder or a burger before the performances start means you can focus on the dancing once it gets going.
Come thirsty but not in a rush. Two hours is the right amount of time — long enough to feel the full shape of the show, short enough that you’re still buzzing when it wraps up and the evening is still young. The Temple Bar area right outside has plenty of options for wherever the night takes you next.
If you’ve got kids with you, this is a genuinely great pick. It’s participatory, it’s loud enough to be exciting, and it’s short enough to hold younger attention spans. The dancers are patient and encouraging during the teaching sections, and no one’s going to be graded on their performance.