Brendan Gleeson's Farewell to Hughes's

“A classy, charming portrait of a proper Dublin institution.” (Sunday Independent)

To some it was an unassuming pub on a side street in Dublin's city centre. To musicians, dancers, singers and listeners, Hughes's was a mecca of traditional Irish music for more than 35 years. After it closes its doors for the final time, actor Brendan Gleeson returns to it to commemorate its invaluable legacy. In the midst of the current musical renaissance, this documentary celebrates the passionate and earnest story of an Irish cultural nucleus.

'For me, Irish music was always wild and emotional and evocative. Hughes’s pub was where it lived.' (Brendan Gleeson)

Filmed over five days in January 2022, Brendan Gleeson’s Farewell to Hughes’s records and interviews various musicians, dancers and singers as they gather one last time to revisit the magic, with archival footage inserted throughout to tell the story of Hughes’ contribution to both the traditional music community in Dublin and the city as a whole. In a time when Irish traditional music is reaching levels of popularity it never has before, the story of Hughes’s pub is a genuine representation of traditional music sessions and those involved in them.

In partnership with Culture Ireland and ITMA :