Find places in Ireland

Must-Haves

• Trinity College and the Book of Kells (College Green)
  A ninth century illuminated gospel book and the soaring Long Room library in the heart of the city.
• Kilmainham Gaol (Kilmainham)
  A moving guided tour of the prison where leaders of the 1916 Rising were held and executed.
• EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum (Docklands)
  An interactive museum on why millions left Ireland and what they achieved abroad, ideal for diaspora visitors.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Chester Beatty (Dublin Castle)
  A free and beautifully displayed collection of manuscripts, prints and books from across the world.
• National Museum of Ireland Archaeology (Kildare Street)
  Free entry to Celtic gold, Viking finds and the eerie preserved bog bodies.

Must-Haves

• Guinness Storehouse (St James's Gate)
  The story of Ireland's famous stout, ending with a pint and a city view in the rooftop Gravity Bar.

Fun for Everyone

• Dublin Zoo (Phoenix Park)
  A family favourite zoo with an African savanna and plenty of space to wander.

Fun for Everyone

• Phoenix Park (Phoenix Park)
  One of Europe's largest city parks, with wild fallow deer, the zoo and wide open lawns.

Must-Haves

• Howth Cliff Walk (Howth)
  A sea cliff loop above Dublin Bay, with seals in the harbour and fish and chips after.

Off the Beaten Path

• Forty Foot (Sandycove)
  A historic year round sea swimming spot where Dubliners plunge into the bay in all weather.

Must-Haves

• The Brazen Head (Merchants Quay)
  Claims to be Ireland's oldest pub, with snug rooms and nightly traditional music.

Great for Date Night

• The Long Hall (South Great George's Street)
  A Victorian pub of mirrors, dark wood and red lamps that feels like a step back in time.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kehoe's (South Anne Street)
  A classic old pub with snugs, just off Grafton Street, loved by locals.
• Mulligan's (Poolbeg Street)
  A no fuss pub famous for one of the best poured pints in town.

Off the Beaten Path

• The Cobblestone (Smithfield)
  The city's best known pub for real traditional music sessions played by and for musicians.

Great for Date Night

• Chapter One (Parnell Square)
  A celebrated fine dining room beneath the Dublin Writers Museum building, for a special night.
• The Winding Stair (Ormond Quay)
  Irish produce served above a bookshop with windows onto the Ha'penny Bridge.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Leo Burdock (Werburgh Street)
  Dublin's famous old chipper for cod and chips eaten on a wall near Christ Church.

Must-Haves

• Bewley's Grafton Street Café (Grafton Street)
  A grand old café with Harry Clarke stained glass windows, an institution since the 1920s.

Fun for Everyone

• Queen of Tarts (Cork Hill)
  A cosy little café near Dublin Castle for scones, tarts and a proper breakfast.

Off the Beaten Path

• 3fe Coffee (Grand Canal Street)
  One of the roasters that started Dublin's speciality coffee scene.

Low Cost and Authentic

• George's Street Arcade (South Great George's Street)
  A Victorian covered market of vintage stalls, records, books and snacks.

Must-Haves

• Avoca (Suffolk Street)
  Irish woollens, homewares and a good café under one roof.

Great for Date Night

• The Shelbourne (St Stephen's Green)
  A grand old hotel on the Green where the Irish constitution was drafted.

Must-Haves

• The Merrion Hotel (Merrion Street)
  Four restored Georgian townhouses with a fine Irish art collection and quiet garden.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Generator Dublin (Smithfield)
  A lively budget hostel with private rooms beside the Jameson distillery.

Fun for Everyone

• St Patrick's Festival (City centre)
  Several days of parades, music and céilís around Ireland's national day in March.

Off the Beaten Path

• Bloomsday (City centre)
  Every 16 June, fans in Edwardian dress retrace Leopold Bloom's day from Joyce's Ulysses.

Must-Haves

• Latin Quarter and Shop Street (City centre)
  Buskers, painted pubs and medieval lanes in the most cheerful few streets in Ireland.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Galway City Museum (Spanish Arch)
  Free exhibitions on the city's past and the sea, beside the old Spanish Arch.
• Galway Cathedral (Nuns' Island)
  A huge twentieth century cathedral with striking mosaics, free to visit.

Must-Haves

• Kylemore Abbey (Connemara)
  A neo Gothic castle and Victorian walled garden on a lake under the mountains.

Fun for Everyone

• Salthill Promenade (Salthill)
  A long seaside walk where locals kick the wall at the end for luck.

Must-Haves

• Connemara National Park (Letterfrack)
  Bog, heath and the Diamond Hill walk with views over the Atlantic islands.
• Dún Aonghasa (Inis Mór, Aran Islands)
  A prehistoric stone fort on the edge of a sheer sea cliff.

Off the Beaten Path

• Sky Road (Clifden)
  A short loop drive or cycle with huge views of the Connemara coast.

Must-Haves

• Tigh Neachtain (Cross Street)
  A crooked old pub of snugs and wood panelling, the heart of the Latin Quarter.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Taaffes Bar (Shop Street)
  A friendly old pub with traditional music sessions most days.

Off the Beaten Path

• The Crane Bar (Sea Road)
  An upstairs music room across the river where serious trad sessions happen.

Great for Date Night

• Ard Bia at Nimmos (Spanish Arch)
  Seasonal west of Ireland cooking in an old stone building by the river.

Low Cost and Authentic

• McDonagh's (Quay Street)
  A long running fish restaurant and chipper for fish and chips and seafood chowder.

Must-Haves

• Galway Market (Church Lane)
  A street market by St Nicholas' Church with crafts, cheese and hot food stalls.
• Thomas Dillon's Claddagh Gold (Quay Street)
  A long established jeweller with a small museum on the history of the Claddagh ring.

Off the Beaten Path

• Charlie Byrne's Bookshop (Middle Street)
  A maze of new and second hand books, beloved by readers.

Must-Haves

• Galway International Arts Festival (City wide)
  July theatre, music and street spectacle that fill the city.

Fun for Everyone

• Galway Races (Ballybrit)
  A famous summer horse racing week that turns the whole city into a party.

Off the Beaten Path

• Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival (City centre)
  A September celebration of native oysters, shucking contests and music.

Off the Beaten Path

• Coffeewerk + Press (Quay Street)
  Speciality coffee downstairs and a design shop of prints above.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Griffin's Bakery (Shop Street)
  A family bakery for brown bread, scones and cakes since 1876.

Great for Date Night

• The g Hotel (Wellpark)
  A playful designer hotel with lounges by milliner Philip Treacy.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kinlay Galway (Eyre Square)
  A central hostel with private rooms right by the bus and train station.

Must-Haves

• Killarney National Park (Killarney)
  Lakes, oak woods, red deer and mountains right on the edge of town.
• Slea Head Drive (Dingle Peninsula)
  A coast road of beehive huts, beaches and views to the Blasket Islands.

Fun for Everyone

• Torc Waterfall (Killarney National Park)
  A short woodland walk to a waterfall, easy for all ages.

Off the Beaten Path

• Gap of Dunloe (Beaufort)
  A narrow mountain pass you can walk, cycle or cross by pony and trap.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ladies View (N71 Kenmare Road)
  A free roadside lookout over the Killarney lakes named for Queen Victoria's ladies in waiting.

Must-Haves

• Muckross House (Killarney National Park)
  A Victorian mansion with gardens and traditional farms in the national park.
• Ross Castle (Lough Leane)
  A fifteenth century tower house on the lake shore, with boat trips nearby.

Off the Beaten Path

• Kerry Bog Village Museum (Glenbeigh)
  Thatched cottages that show rural life in the 1800s, with Irish wolfhounds.

Must-Haves

• Ring of Kerry (Iveragh Peninsula)
  Ireland's famous scenic loop of beaches, mountains and villages.

Off the Beaten Path

• Skellig Michael (Portmagee)
  A UNESCO listed island monastery reached by boat in season, weather permitting.

Fun for Everyone

• Killarney Jaunting Cars (Killarney)
  Horse drawn carts with jarveys who tell stories as they ride into the park.
• Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium (Dingle)
  An aquarium with otters, penguins and sharks, good for a rainy day.

Fun for Everyone

• Murphy's Ice Cream (Dingle)
  Kerry ice cream in flavours like sea salt and brown bread.

Low Cost and Authentic

• The Laurels (Main Street)
  A long running family pub with hearty food and music.

Must-Haves

• O'Connor's (High Street)
  A small traditional pub with nightly music, often packed and friendly.
• Dick Mack's (Dingle)
  A pub and old leather shop where you drink among the shoe lasts.

Off the Beaten Path

• Courtney's Bar (Plunkett Street)
  A locals' pub with good sessions away from the busiest strip.

Fun for Everyone

• The Killarney Grand (Main Street)
  Traditional music early in the evening and a dance club later.

Great for Date Night

• The Europe Hotel and Resort (Fossa)
  A lakeside hotel and spa with mountain views from almost every window.

Must-Haves

• The Killarney Park Hotel (Town centre)
  A classic, warm country house style hotel walking distance from everything.

Must-Haves

• English Market (City centre)
  A covered food market trading since 1788, full of local cheese, meat and fish.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Farmgate Café (English Market)
  Simple Cork dishes cooked from the market below, served on a balcony.

Fun for Everyone

• Market Lane (Oliver Plunkett Street)
  A busy, relaxed restaurant built on local produce.

Great for Date Night

• Café Paradiso (Lancaster Quay)
  A long loved vegetarian restaurant that changed how Ireland cooks vegetables.

Must-Haves

• Blarney Castle (Blarney)
  Kiss the famous stone for the gift of the gab, then explore wide gardens.

Fun for Everyone

• Shandon Bells and Tower (Shandon)
  Climb the tower of St Anne's Church and ring the bells yourself.
• Fota Wildlife Park (Fota Island)
  Animals roam freely in a large park, a favourite family day out.

Off the Beaten Path

• Spike Island (Cork Harbour)
  An island fortress and prison reached by ferry from Cobh.
• Cork City Gaol (Sunday's Well)
  A castle like old prison with lifelike figures telling inmates' stories.

Must-Haves

• Cobh Heritage Centre (Cobh)
  The emigration story of the port that was the Titanic's last stop.

Low Cost and Authentic

• St Fin Barre's Cathedral (Bishop Street)
  A Gothic Revival cathedral with rich carvings and stained glass.
• Crawford Art Gallery (Emmet Place)
  A free gallery of Irish art beside the opera house.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Sin É (Coburg Street)
  A small pub with traditional sessions that draw players from all over.

Off the Beaten Path

• Franciscan Well Brewery (North Mall)
  A brewpub with a beer garden and pizzas on the riverside.

Must-Haves

• The Mutton Lane Inn (Mutton Lane)
  A tiny candlelit pub tucked in a lane off Patrick Street.

Fun for Everyone

• Guinness Cork Jazz Festival (City wide)
  Late October weekend of jazz in pubs, hotels and halls.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mizen Head Signal Station (West Cork)
  A bridge and signal station at Ireland's most south westerly point.
• Ballycotton Cliff Walk (East Cork)
  A coastal path of wildflowers and sea views from a fishing village.

Must-Haves

• The Imperial Hotel (South Mall)
  A historic city hotel where Michael Collins spent his last night.

Great for Date Night

• Hayfield Manor (College Road)
  A quiet manor style hotel near the university.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Cork Coffee Roasters (Bridge Street)
  A small local roaster for good coffee on the walk to Shandon.

Must-Haves

• Cliffs of Moher (Liscannor)
  Sheer Atlantic cliffs with a visitor centre set into the hillside.
• Burren National Park (The Burren)
  Limestone pavements and rare wildflowers in one of Europe's strangest landscapes.

Off the Beaten Path

• Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk (Doolin to Liscannor)
  Walk the cliff top path from Doolin and see the cliffs away from the crowds.

Fun for Everyone

• Lahinch Beach (Lahinch)
  A long surf beach with schools for complete beginners.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ennistymon Cascades (Ennistymon)
  Free river cascades right in the middle of a lovely market town.

Fun for Everyone

• Doolin Cave (Doolin)
  Walk underground to one of the longest free hanging stalactites in Europe.
• Aillwee Burren Experience (Ballyvaughan)
  Show caves plus a birds of prey centre, great for families.

Off the Beaten Path

• Doolin Pier ferries to Inis Oírr (Doolin Pier)
  Seasonal boats to the smallest Aran Island, many sailing below the cliffs.

Must-Haves

• Gus O'Connor's Pub (Fisherstreet)
  The famous village pub for traditional music and seafood.

Low Cost and Authentic

• McGann's Pub (Roadford)
  A small, cosy pub with music most nights and good chowder.

Fun for Everyone

• McDermott's Pub (Roadford)
  Lively sessions and hearty food in a family run pub.

Must-Haves

• Poulnabrone Dolmen (The Burren)
  A portal tomb over five thousand years old standing on bare limestone.

Off the Beaten Path

• Burren Perfumery (Carron)
  A tiny perfumery and tea room in a hidden valley of the Burren.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Burren Smokehouse (Lisdoonvarna)
  Smoked organic salmon from a small family business, with tastings.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Doolin (Fitz's Cross)
  A friendly village hotel with its own pub and music.

Fun for Everyone

• Stonecutters Kitchen (Doolin)
  A family friendly kitchen known for chowder, burgers and a play area.

Off the Beaten Path

• Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival (Lisdoonvarna)
  A September festival of dancing and music with a real matchmaker.