The Spinnaker Bar — Dunmore East Harbour

See The Spinnaker Bar as it really is: a proper Irish harbour pub alive with live music, real atmosphere, and genuine character. These videos were filmed right here — at The Spinnaker Bar, Dunmore East, Co. Waterford.

There is a reason people keep coming back to Dunmore East. And there is a reason The Spinnaker Bar sits at the heart of their experience of it. It is not just a good pub. It is the right pub in the right place — a genuine, lived-in, character-filled bar on one of the prettiest harbours in the south-east of Ireland, and these videos prove it.

The Spinnaker sits right on the water's edge, close enough to the harbour that on a still summer evening you can hear the sea through the open windows. It serves proper food — fresh seafood, steaks, pub classics done without shortcuts — and carries a serious range of drinks. It hosts live music most weekends throughout the year. And it maintains the kind of atmosphere that only comes from a pub that has been genuinely used, genuinely loved, and genuinely cared for over years.

The videos below were both filmed at The Spinnaker Bar in Dunmore East. They show the real energy of a night here — the musicians, the crowd, the intimacy of a harbour pub setting where everyone is in the room because they want to be.

Redwater — Live at The Spinnaker Bar

Redwater performing live at The Spinnaker Bar in Dunmore East. This footage gives a real sense of what the bar feels like on a live music night — the crowd, the energy, the warmth of the room. The Spinnaker works as a live music venue precisely because it was never designed to be one. It is a proper harbour pub, and that authenticity comes through in every frame.

The bar's low ceiling, the timber fixtures, the stone and the harbour light — it all adds up to an acoustic environment that suits live performance far better than most purpose-built venues. When a band like Redwater plays in a space like this, the music fills the room completely. There is nowhere for it to go except into the ears and chests of the crowd. That immediacy is what makes live music at The Spinnaker so memorable.

Tell Me Ma — Live Session at The Spinnaker

Tell Me Ma — a song that needs no introduction in an Irish pub — performed live at The Spinnaker Bar in Dunmore East, Co. Waterford. When a song like this is played well, with a crowd that knows every word and means every one of them, you are witnessing something genuinely Irish. This is the Spinnaker doing what the Spinnaker does best.

The traditional Irish session is one of the oldest and most democratic forms of live music in the world. It does not require a stage, a PA system or a production crew. It requires a room, musicians who know what they are doing, and an audience that is present. The Spinnaker Bar provides all three in abundance. This video captures that perfectly.

What Makes The Spinnaker Bar Special?

No single feature of The Spinnaker would make it remarkable on its own. What makes it worth the trip is the combination of things that rarely coexist in one place.

The location is exceptional. Dunmore East harbour is one of the most photogenic in Ireland, and The Spinnaker's position means you get that view with your pint. On a clear summer evening, with the sun dropping behind the headland and the boats moving on the water, there is genuinely nowhere in Ireland you would rather be sitting.

The food is serious. The kitchen produces proper meals — seafood landed close by, steaks sourced with care. There is a reason the dining area fills up as quickly as the bar on busy weekends.

The drink selection is good. A proper range of beers, Irish whiskeys, and the expected standards — all kept and served as they should be.

And then there is the music. The Spinnaker hosts live acts regularly — bands, acoustic performers, trad sessions — and does so with genuine commitment. The acts are good. The nights are properly organised. The crowd shows up ready to enjoy it.

If you are planning a visit to Waterford — or to the south-east of Ireland more broadly — make time for Dunmore East. And make time for The Spinnaker. See the food menu, check the music schedule, and book a table. Or ring us on (051) 383 133.