When Metallica rolled into Dublin for their M72 World Tour in June 2026, there was one song the crowd was waiting to hear. Taking the stage at Aviva Stadium on the second night of their No Repeat Weekend, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo gave the local crowd exactly what they wanted. Hetfield joked that the band could hardly leave town without playing it, teased a quick riff from their epic track “…And Justice for All”, and then launched straight into “Whiskey in the Jar”.
Positioned right between “The Unforgiven” and “Blackened”, the performance turned the stadium into a massive singalong. While Metallica built their reputation on relentless thrash metal, their take on “Whiskey in the Jar” has always carried a different kind of swagger. Watching the band rip through the opening bars in the middle of a massive in-the-round stadium setup, you can see why Irish Examiner reviewer Eoghan O’Sullivan singled out the track for generating the biggest cheer of the entire weekend.
The track has deep roots in the host city. Though “Whiskey in the Jar” is a traditional Irish folk song with centuries of history, Metallica’s punchy version traces directly back to Dublin rock royalty Thin Lizzy. Frontman Phil Lynott, guitarist Eric Bell and drummer Brian Downey reworked the traditional tune into an electric rock anthem in 1972, taking it to number six on the UK charts the following year. Bell famously based his melodic guitar lines on the sound of uilleann pipes, creating the blueprint Metallica later made their own.
Metallica embraced that Celtic rock bounce when they recorded the cover for their 1998 collection Garage Inc. Their studio cut went on to earn a Grammy Award in 2000 for Best Hard Rock Performance, transforming a folk adaptation into a staple of international rock radio. The band even cemented their connection to the original track back in 1999 at the Point Theatre in Dublin, when Eric Bell himself joined them onstage to trade guitar riffs during the encore. Watch Metallica perform their celebrated rendition of “Whiskey in the Jar” on Irish soil during their 2019 concert at Slane Castle in Meath.
That shared history gave the Aviva Stadium show an emotional weight that went beyond an ordinary tour stop. Local press noted the band paying homage to Lynott during their Dublin stay, visiting his statue on Harry Street and his resting place in Sutton. Online, fans picked up on that local affection, with one commenter calling the performance “A lovely tribute to Mr Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy and Ireland – thanks, lads.” Another viewer agreed, writing that “This song is on another level when they play it in Ireland.”
Since Metallica shared the official live footage online, the video has logged over three million views. Beyond celebrating the classic cover, fans also zeroed in on Hetfield’s cheeky intro. Commenters were quick to demand the revival of the ten-minute track he teased, hoping to see “…And Justice for All” return to future setlists. Still, on a midsummer night in Dublin, nothing was going to overshadow the sound of an entire stadium roaring along to their city’s most famous rock anthem.