Traditional Music Session at McNeill's Bar

McNeill’s Bar on Connaught Street in Athlone runs a traditional Irish music session every Monday night from 9pm. The bar has traded continuously since 1901, when William McNeill bought out the previous grocery and spirit store on the site, and the family has kept it running through four generations since. Trad music has been part of the pub for most of that history, and the Monday session is the regular fixture in the current weekly lineup.

What to expect

Expect an open trad session rather than a ticketed concert. Musicians gather around a table with fiddles, boxes, flutes and bodhráns and play through sets of reels, jigs and airs, with singers joining in between tune sets. Sessions like this run informally: turn up, listen from the bar, or bring an instrument if you play. No booking is needed and there is no cover charge. McNeill’s marked 125 years in business in May 2026 with a Bank Holiday weekend of trad sessions, live bands and a DJ, a scale of celebration that reflects how central music has been to the pub’s identity across four generations of the same family. The Monday night is the standing weekly date outside of one-off occasions like that anniversary weekend.

Getting there

McNeill’s is on Connaught Street in Athlone town centre, close to the Connaught Street market area and a short walk from the Shannon bridge and Athlone Castle. Street parking is available on Connaught Street and in nearby town centre car parks.

While you’re in Athlone

Athlone straddles the River Shannon roughly midway between Dublin and Galway, with Connaught Street among its older streets close to the river crossing. There is more to see in Athlone and across Co. Westmeath.

Good to know

• Recurring every Monday from 9pm
• Venue: McNeill’s Bar, 65 Connaught Street, Athlone
• Price: free, no cover charge, no booking needed
• Trading since 1901, marked 125 years in business in May 2026
• Informal session, musicians and listeners both welcome