My wife and I are visiting Dublin this summer and I am wondering if there are any good musical instrument stores where I can find a bowl back mandolin?
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My wife and I are visiting Dublin this summer and I am wondering if there are any good musical instrument stores where I can find a bowl back mandolin?
Try Walton's - they used to be in Frederick Street - off Parnell Square. Mandolins are pretty scarce in Ireland.
Why would you look for a bowlback mandolin in Dublin? You would prob do better in England, at least if you wanted a vintage one. There were lots imported from Italy at around the turn of the last century. I don't know how many got over to Ireland.
There's a good selection of shops in Dublin, the best selection of acoustic instruments I've seen lately is in the Dublin Guitar Centre on Exchequer Street. I'm not sure you'll find any bowl back mandolins though. Waltons is around the corner from the Dublin Guitar centre and further back from there heading back towards Grafton Street you'll find Music Maker which has a good selection of acoustic instruments upstairs. However the last time I was in Music Maker they had very few mandolins. Goodwins on Capel Street always has a few mandolins too. There are other shops outside Dublin such as The Sound Shop in Drogheda who stock Webber and Breedlove or if you're in Cork it's always worth a visit to Crowley's on McCurtin Street. In Kilkenny there's Essaness Music. To be honest I've never seen a bowl back mandolin in any of these shops but I have seen a few bowl back Bouzoukis. While I'm aware of good stores in Galway and Ennis I've never visited them.
Enjoy the journey, there's plenty of music related entertainment but just for the sake of saying you were there, have a pint in O'Donoghues it's the "birthplace" of Irish Folk music.
Not meaning to hijack the thread but---I will be in the Donegal and Galway area this Sept. and would appreciate any tips on the music shops and such.
Clareen Banjos in Clarinbridge, Co. Galway, just outside of Galway City - lots of tenor banjos and a fair amount of mandolins too. Tom Cussen is the shop owner/banjo builder and a gem of a fella.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jesse Harmon
If you're passing through Clare on your way to Galway you could check out Custy's in Ennis.
Mulroy Music in Milford, Co. Donegal
Also check out the event listings at the Irish Music Magazine website www.irishmusicmagazine.com to see what festivals will be happening when you're there as that will be the tail end of the festival season.
Cheers,
Jill
Thanks for this info Jill. I bought a guitar in San Sebastian, Spain and carried it home on the plane between my legs from Paris to Detroit. At least a mandolin will be a little more comfortable if I get carried away with the festival spirit.
Seconded – totally worth the trip. Tom is great.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jill McAuley
If you're in the market for a mandolin and headed to Dublin, why not see if you can get your hands on a Joe Foley mando?