"From the outside, the Brazen Head has the vague look of a small castle, the crenellations at the top of the front wall designed to give the impression of a mini-medieval fortress. It makes sense, given that the Brazen Head’s claim to fame is that it dates back to 1198 A.D., which would make it Ireland’s oldest pub. But the lore isn't quite true—the first recorded license to sell ale dates from 1661, and this former coaching inn was only built in 1754. Still, that's plenty of street cred—and who cares about dates when you're name-dropped in Joyce’s Ulysses, and you've served as a backdrop for revolutionary Robert Emmett to plot his strike for Irish independence? That's what keeps the tourists coming back, after all—that, and the delightfully traditional seisiúns, informal jam ‘sessions’ that lie at the heart of the genre. Musicians gather and start playing around 9 p.m. and are joined by others as the night goes on." - Fionn Davenport
