Galway City
Painted a bright cornflower blue, this 19th-century corner pub – known simply as Neáchtain's (nock-tans) or Naughtons – has a wraparound terrace for…
Must-see nightlife in Ireland
Dublin
Toner’s, with its stone floors and antique snugs, has changed little over the years and is the closest thing you’ll get to a country pub in the heart of…
County Mayo
Matt Malloy, the fife player from the Chieftains, runs this old-school pub where Mayo's musical heritage comes vividly to life. Head to the back room most…
Dublin
This brilliant old boozer is a cultural institution, established in 1782 and in this location since 1854. A drink (or more) here is like attending liquid…
Dublin
The pub where traditional music stalwarts The Dubliners made their name in the 1960s still hosts live music nightly, but the crowds would gather anyway –…
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Counties Meath, Louth, Cavan & Monaghan
Overflowing inside and out with bric-a-brac – milk cans, lanterns, antlers, church pews, crockery, street signs, barrels, bellows, bank notes and even…
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County Donegal
You never know who'll drop by for one of the legendary singalongs at famous, long-standing Leo's Tavern. There's live music nightly in summer and regular…
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Counties Meath, Louth, Cavan & Monaghan
Grey Goose has a vast downstairs bar with herringbone floors, stained glass and leather sofas, and a grand piano in its upstairs cocktail lounge, the…
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Galway City
Irish whiskeys are the speciality of this genteel old boozer. Incredible 'tasting platters' generally cost €11 to €14 – choices include an Irish Writers'…
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County Donegal
This traditional pub with peat fires is the best place in town for trad sessions, held throughout the year on Mondays and Fridays, and more often in…
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Tig Bhric & West Kerry Brewery
Dingle Peninsula
Small-batch brews such Carraig Dubh porter and Riasc red ale use hand-drawn well water and botanicals such as elderflower, rosehip and blackcurrants from…
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County Meath
Behind a fire-engine-red facade, this nook-and-cranny-filled pub has cosy snugs, stained-glass partitions and a toasty wood stove. It's owned by musician…
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Aran Islands
Warmed by peat fires, the island's oldest and most popular pub has trad sessions every night in summer from 9pm or 10pm, and weekends the rest of the year…
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County Clare
Hand-painted timber panels, including portraits of James Joyce and the cast of cult TV show Father Ted (who drank here during filming), frame the…
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County Donegal
This old city-centre pub – 'Dicey's' to locals – stays vibrant through constant reinvention. In the old pub downstairs there's live rock and blues most…
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Cork City
You could easily spend an entire day at this place, which is everything a craic-filled pub should be – long on atmosphere and short on pretension (Sin É…
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Kilkenny City
Dame Alice Kyteler's old house was built back in 1224 and has seen its share of history: she was charged with witchcraft in 1323. Today the rambling bar…
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Beara Peninsula
If you're carrying an original copy of the late Pete McCarthy's bestseller, McCarthy's Bar, you'll be excited to see the front-cover photo in real life …
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Kinsale
A rustic huddle of cosy nooks makes the Folk House an inviting spot to settle down by the fire with your choice of craft beers from around the world, or…
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Galway City
Two live céilidh (traditional music and dancing session) a day (at 6pm and 9.30pm) draw the crowds to this authentic fire-engine-red pub just off High St…
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Cork City
The copper vats gleaming behind the bar give the game away: the Franciscan Well brews its own beer (and has done since 1998). The best place to enjoy it…
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Cork City
Tucked down the tiniest of alleys off St Patrick's St, this inviting pub, lit by candles and fairy lights, is one of Cork's most intimate drinking holes…
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Limerick City
There's sawdust on the floor and peat on the fire in the cosy front bar of this wonderful old pub, but be sure to head out the back to enjoy a vast…
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Galway City
West of the Corrib, this atmospheric, always crammed two-storey pub is the best spot in Galway to catch an informal céilidh (traditional music and dancing…
Dublin
Locals are fiercely protective of this gorgeous traditional pub, which opened in 1845 to serve the patrons and staff of the Royal Hospital (now the Irish…
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The Burren
The Roadside offers pure Clare craic. Third-generation owner Peter Curtin proudly presides over trad sessions, which play nightly in summer and on Friday…
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Temple Bar
With its mirrors and wooden niches, the Palace (established in 1823) is one of Dublin's great 19th-century pubs, still stubbornly resisting any…
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The Midlands
Dating from 1775 (when it opened as a grocery store), this treasure of a pub has withstood the onslaught of modernisation. A hotchpotch of oddities line…
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Temple Bar
The atmosphere behind this inconspicuous, unlit doorway initialled with the letters 'VCC' is that of a Vegas rat pack hang-out or a '60s-style London…
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The Burren
With a big reputation in Irish music circles, Vaughan's has music in the bar every night during the summer and several times a week the rest of the year…
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The Midlands
Opening to a lovely beer garden, Hough's is a 250-year-old vine-clad pub renowned for its music sessions. You'll find someone playing here most nights in…
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Tralee
Ingeniously converted from a terrace house (with a tree still growing right through the courtyard-garden-turned-interior), this hip little bar has cool…
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County Donegal
The best craic in town is invariably found at this old-school pub where the owner plays the button-box accordion and pals join in traditional-music…
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County Donegal
Watch your head! All sorts of bric-a-brac hangs precariously from the ceiling of Letterkenny's most atmospheric pub. There's a good beer garden and…
Cork City
This unusual wine bar's former life as a pharmacy has been lovingly preserved – the window displays are full of vintage cosmetics and memorabilia. The…
Cork City
Come early to grab the seats by the crackling open fire, but even if you’re not lucky this time round, it’s still a great place to park for a few hours…
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Skellig Ring
The focus of Portmagee's village life is the raspberry-coloured Bridge Bar, a local gathering point that hosts traditional Irish music and dancing…
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The Midlands
Dating from 1823, the Chestnut incorporates dark wood, gilded mirrors, flickering candles, peat fires and a pressed-tin ceiling. Trad sessions take place…
Darkey Kelly's Bar & Restaurant
Temple Bar
Once the home of Ireland’s first female serial killer, Darkey’s now boasts a killer whiskey selection instead. It has a decent range of craft beer, and is…
Dublin
Given its location, Arthur’s could easily be a cheesy tourist trap, and plenty of Guinness Storehouse visitors do pass through the doors tempted by…
