The Old Music Shop restaurant, located at the top of Parnell Sq, on North Frederick Street , is named after the landmark music store, Walton’s, which it housed for over 80 years. The store, which opened in 1924 was home to Ireland’s first music school, the Dublin College of Music, and their mantra “if you’re going to sing a song, sing an Irish song” is still remembered throughout the world.
The music store was established by Martin Walton, a talented musician, who at the age of fifteen became a volunteer in the 1916 Easter Rising and later went on to become bodyguard to General Michael Collins in the War of Independence. At that time, Collins and Walton were frequent guests in the adjoining Castle Hotel.