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nightlife · Friday 14 August 2026 · 7:30pm 
Coscan and Poitin Live at the Marquee - Slane
At Dolly's Bar - Marquee · Slane, Co. Meath
At Dolly's Bar - Marquee · Slane, Co. Meath
Two of Ireland’s most engaging live trad acts take the marquee stage at Dolly’s Bar in Slane for a long Friday evening of music as part of the John Boyle O’Reilly Festival. Coscán are local heroes - a four-piece from Slane itself, with over 27 years on the Irish trad circuit - and Poitín bring their own brand of traditional energy to round out a night that runs until nearly midnight. If you enjoy Irish music played with real craft and some ambition behind it, this is worth the trip.
Coscán open the live sets, taking the stage from 8pm. The band have built a strong reputation playing a style that goes beyond straight trad - their original compositions weave in Asturian and Galician influences alongside the Irish material, and their album Firedance draws on the ancient sites and historical stories of counties Louth and Meath. They have played Electric Picnic, Temple Bar TradFest, and the National Concert Hall, and have toured France and the Netherlands. Seeing them perform in Slane, the town they are rooted in, gives the evening a particular charge.
Poitín follow with a set stretching past 10pm, blending traditional Irish jigs and reels with ballads and more up-tempo material. The marquee at Dolly’s Beer Garden provides a covered outdoor setting that suits late-summer music well - open enough to feel like an event, contained enough to hold a crowd and a sound.
Doors open at 7pm. The show runs until 11:55pm. This is an 18+ event; free parking is available.
Slane sits on the N2, roughly 50km north of Dublin and about 15km north-west of Drogheda. By car from Dublin, allow around an hour. Bus Éireann connects Slane to Dublin (via Drogheda) on the 101 route, and a return bus service runs late enough for an event of this kind - check current times with Bus Éireann before travelling. Dolly’s Bar is on the main street in the village, well known locally and straightforward to find. Parking is available near the venue.
Slane is worth arriving into early. The village sits on the River Boyne at a crossroads that has been in use since medieval times, and Slane Castle - the estate that famously hosts some of Ireland’s largest outdoor concerts - is just down the road. The Hill of Slane, where St Patrick is said to have lit the Paschal Fire in defiance of the High King at Tara, is a short walk from the village centre and gives a wide view across the Boyne Valley. There is more to see in Slane and across Co. Meath.
Heading to Dolly's Bar - Marquee in Slane? Meath has plenty more to see. Read the Slane area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.