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Glen Hansard, Mundy and Gemma Hayes are just three of the successful singer- songwriters to have cut their teeth at Dave Murphy’s famous Tuesday night gigs, writes KEVIN COURTNEY

IT’S THE END of the decade in Dublin. The cold and the recession are biting deep, and you’re wandering around the city centre in search of a warm, welcoming and – you hopefully – cheap night’s entertainment. You reach the Bailey pub in Duke Street, and hear the sound of an acoustic guitar, skilfully plucked, wafting from the upstairs windows. You go up the stairs, pay the modest admission fee, and find yourself sitting amongst a small, bohemian group of music lovers, the scent of their rolled-up cigarettes permeating the air. Some of them have their guitars with them, and are waiting their turn to go onstage and play.