Everyone watches Irish music. You're going to play it.
75 minutes · Small groups · No musical experience needed · All instruments provided
You've heard Irish music in the pubs. Fiddles, flutes, that drum that drives the whole thing along. A hooley is what the Irish call the party where all of that happens — and the secret is, it was never meant to be watched from the next table. It was meant to be joined.
A lively gathering with music, song and dancing. The kind of night nobody plans and nobody forgets.
The bodhrán (BOW-rawn), Ireland's ancient drum. The tin whistle, the sound of every Irish film you've ever seen. A guitar or banjo if strings call to you. Your session, your choice.
A professional Irish trad musician teaches each of you a real part, sized to your instrument — a rhythm, a few notes of melody, two chords. If you can clap along to a song, you can do this.
Drums driving, whistles on the melody, guitars underneath — the room locks in behind a real jig or reel, live. This is the moment it stops being a class and starts being a session.
For the rest of your trip, every pub session you hear sounds different — because now you know what's happening in there. Some guests even take an instrument home.
Perfect — you're exactly who this is designed for. Every instrument in the room has a beginner-sized part: a rhythm on the drum, a handful of notes on the whistle, two chords on the guitar. Our format gets complete beginners playing a real tune together inside an hour. If you can tap a steering wheel, you're qualified.
Bodhrán (the Irish drum), tin whistle, guitar and banjo — all provided, all beginner-friendly. Pick one for the session, or ask your musician to let you swap during the night. No instrument snobbery here.
Everything: your instrument for the session, tuition from a professional Irish traditional musician, and the group performance you'll be part of at the end.
Yes — the hooley is family-friendly and kids tend to be the stars of the room. Under-16s join with an adult.
In Galway's city centre, a short walk from Eyre Square and the Latin Quarter. The exact venue is confirmed with your booking.
You can — guests regularly bring home the drum or whistle they learned on. Ask at your session.
Visiting Galway with a tour group, a wedding party, or colleagues who need something better than another dinner? We run private hooleys year-round for groups of 8 to 40 — your own musicians, your own session, your group playing together by the end of the night. Tell us what you're planning: