Galway; the widely considered cultural capital of Ireland, provides us with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the arts, creativity and vibrant people.
With music and spoken word being a central part of the Galway identity, it is only right that the open mic scene in the city be a strong one.
People come from far and wide to sing, play guitar, recite poetry and tell jokes.
This bilingual haven boasts numerous open mic locations, from The Ol’55 Bar and The Cellar, both a stone’s throw away from Eyre Square, stretching right across to Róisín Dubh and The Salt House in Galway’s Westend, where customers can enjoy thrilling shows of storytelling and music.
Beginning in Galway’s Westend, the manager of the Roisin Dubh open mic night, Steve Sharpe, is more than proud of the venue being a musical pillar of Galway city.
“Roisin Dubh has such a history of music, this is a community of people who are all attentive and support each other.”
“We never stop anyone coming up to perform on stage, even if someone has had a few drinks, they often end up just being really funny.”
“There have been people who come and perform for the first time, and maybe weren’t quite there yet, but they come back a few times later and then they’re really good.”
Crossing over the River Corrib to the east side of the city, guitar strums, booming subwoofers and rapturous applause can be heard before you even set foot in The Ol’ 55 Bar.
Met with character and smiles, and not to mention a mix of vintage CDs and cosy nooks, host Rosa Green revels in the venue’s link to performance, as their open mic event enters a new era.
“This open mic night has been going since the pub first opened, it stopped for a while and then got back going again in March 2024.”
“We usually get a nice few signups; we have our regulars who always come in.”
Ms Green further elaborates on how this inclusive environment has been a nurturing space for artistic development.
“One girl has just started coming, she’s only 18 or 19 years of age, but she’s really growing as a comedian, which is nice to see.”
“We also have this guy who is an insane singer, and plays guitar as well, hopefully he’ll show up tonight,” she adds.
Among these regulars are two Australian exiles, both from the same city, but ironically it took them moving to Galway to first meet each other.
Poet Angus Bowring and singer-guitarist Isa Cendon-Jordan are both fully immersed in the Galway scene, bringing a mix of down-to-earthness and self-deprecating humour that every pub thrives on.
Mr Bowring shares the unique selling point of his poetry, as he leans back in his bar stool.
“I moved here for the weather, of course,” he jokes.
“Some people get a bit scared when they think of poetry, but mine is almost like a drinking man’s style of poetry.”
“I’d talk forever, my teacher used to say to me in school that there was a reason I had two ears and one mouth, so I could listen twice as much as I speak.”
In addition to open mic events, an emerging attraction for musicians is the phenomenon of the jam session, which sees a band play with other musicians in a similar structure.
Matt Faughnan, lead singer and guitarist of the ‘Meet The Fawkers’ band, reflects on the rise of his group’s ‘Blues Jam’ that now takes place in The Cellar.
“While playing in open mics, people asked me to play with their bands and we established the band through some of those connections.”
“After a few years, we wanted to give back, I felt that Galway was underserved for musicians, with the open mic nights more so being tailored to singer-songwriters.”
“I was frustrated with it because when I was younger all I wanted to do was to play my electric guitar.”
“I had seen the jam sessions in the U.S, and approached a few places back in Galway and wanted to start up something similar.”
“The Cellar have always been very supportive of us, they really supported us when it came to the Blues Jam as well.”
A plethora of talent and personality is there for all to see in Galway, with the performance arenas clearly alive and kicking, as loyal patrons hang on to every word and guitar solo in these packed out creative spaces.
