The Donal Kirk Band at Arthur's Blues and Jazz Club

Anto Drennan is one of those names that recurs throughout Irish music history in the credits of other people’s records. As a session guitarist he’s played on recordings across blues, rock, country and folk - the kind of musician who is highly regarded by the people who know music and less visible to everyone else. Seeing him in the live setting of Arthur’s Blues and Jazz Club on Thomas Street, with the Donal Kirk Band, is a different experience from watching him at a bigger venue.

The band is a proper quartet: Donal Kirk on vocals and acoustic guitar, Drennan on electric, Keith Duffy on bass, Jason Duffy on drums. A blues and jazz room on a Sunday afternoon is the right context.

What to Expect

An afternoon set from 4:30pm. Arthur’s Blues and Jazz Club on Thomas Street is a small, dedicated venue in the Liberties - one of Dublin’s better spots for the kind of music that values players over production. The room is intimate, the sound carries properly, and the crowd tends to be there for the musicians rather than the occasion.

Donal Kirk is a singer-songwriter with a voice that suits the blues idiom, and with Anto Drennan alongside him the guitar work is going to be the draw. A Sunday afternoon show like this runs typically two hours and has the feel of a session rather than a produced concert.

Good to Know

• 4:30pm Sunday afternoon
• Arthur’s Blues and Jazz Club is a small, intimate venue
• Thomas Street in the Liberties is worth arriving early to explore
• Bar service throughout
• Check the Eventbrite page for ticket price

Getting There

Arthur’s Blues and Jazz Club is at 28 Thomas Street, Dublin 8, in the Liberties. The Luas Red Line stops at Fatima and Rialto, both about 10 to 15 minutes’ walk. Dublin Bus routes 13, 40, and 123 serve Thomas Street. It’s about a 20-minute walk from the city centre via Dame Street and Christchurch.