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music · Thursday 2 July 2026 · 9:00pm 
Monthly Trad Session - McCabe's Bar Crossakiel Kells
At McCabe's Bar · Crossakiel, Kells, Co. Meath
At McCabe's Bar · Crossakiel, Kells, Co. Meath
On the first Thursday night of every month, McCabe’s Bar in the quiet rural village of Crossakiel pulls in locals and visitors alike for a traditional Irish music session. It is the kind of evening that is hard to plan and impossible to replicate - a small bar, a few musicians who know each other well, and no entry charge. If you want to hear trad played for its own sake rather than for the tourist trade, this is the sort of occasion worth marking in your diary.
McCabe’s Bar - also known locally as Gary McDonell’s - is a compact, characterful rural pub that has served the Crossakiel community for generations. The session runs on the first Thursday monthly from around 9pm. Expect fiddles, flutes, and guitars rather than a ticketed concert; sessions like this are participatory by nature, with musicians gathering to play sets together in the traditional way. The bar has a genuine community feel, rated by visitors as one of the friendliest pubs in Meath. Weekend music also takes place here - live bands and occasional sessions - so the Thursday trad night sits within a broader tradition of music at the venue. Entry is free; you just buy a drink.
Crossakiel sits roughly 10 km west of Kells on rural back roads, at the junction of the R154 and the L2801. A car is the only realistic option - there is no public transport serving the village. From Kells town, head west and follow signs for Crossakiel; the pub is central to the village and easy to find. Parking is available along the roadside. Kells itself is roughly 70 km from Dublin via the M3, so an evening out here works well if you are staying overnight in the area.
Kells itself is worth a few hours of your time - the town holds one of the High Crosses of Ireland and is associated with the famous Book of Kells, which was written here before being moved to Trinity College Dublin. The surrounding west Meath countryside is open, quiet, and largely undisturbed. There is more to see in Kells and across Co. Meath.
Heading to McCabe's Bar in Kells? Meath has plenty more to see. Read the Kells area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.