I always pictured the pubs in Dublin, the heart of all things Irish, to be like the ones in the movie “The Quiet Man” with John Wayne.

They aren’t. I was originally disappointed with Irish pubs. To me, they looked like American versions of what an Irish pub is supposed to look like.

I grew to like them, though, and embarked on a story on the “best pubs in Dublin.” Tough gig, what?

They aren’t as shabby as I was hoping. In fact, they’re cleaner than most American bars. And more expensive. And in some of them, the ones in downtown for example, you can find nary an Irishman.

“Oh, you won’t find anybody from Ireland in here,” said one guy I ran into in a fancy, downtown pub.

Others you would expect to be too touristy aren’t. The Brazen Head, which advertises itself as the oldest pub in Dublin, is lousy with Irishmen and Irish women. Even though it is definitely a tourist attraction, it was one of the better ones I found.

The Irish music jam session there on a Sunday afternoon was about as Irish as you can get, and a highlight of my trip. They’d sing these old ballads, and as you looked around the bar, you’d see all these Irish looking down forlornly, and singing quietly along. I thought the whole place would break into prolonged weeping. Then, they’d start a rousing jig and everybody would be dancing and laughing.

Look for the story coming soon, with some great video of that jam session…

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