The Best Pubs In Ireland. The vast majority of the places below are old-school, traditional Irish bars (most of which pour a decent pint of Guinness!).
The Best Pubs In Ireland. The vast majority of the places below are old-school, traditional Irish bars (most of which pour a decent pint of Guinness!).
This place is the blueprint for what every Irish pub should aspire to be:
When you walk through its doors you have a fairly snug little front bar where, if you manage to nab a seat, you’ll feel like you’re perched in someones living room.
As you make your way out back you’ll find what was once a kitchen with a few seats. There’s also a spacious beer garden. This is one of the best pubs in Ireland, in my opinion, for good reason!
This place is the blueprint for what every Irish pub should aspire to be:
When you walk through its doors you have a fairly snug little front bar where, if you manage to nab a seat, you’ll feel like you’re perched in someones living room.
As you make your way out back you’ll find what was once a kitchen with a few seats. There’s also a spacious beer garden. This is one of the best pubs in Ireland, in my opinion, for good reason!
Westport is home to one of the most famous pubs in Ireland – Matt Molloy’s. But I’m taking a detour from busy Bridge St. to the Fairgreen to visit Toby’s, next.
I first visited Toby’s during a heatwave with my aul lad a few summers back. It was a Sunday and when we walked into the pokey front bar the place literally went silent.
We stopped, thinking ‘Sh*te, we’re about to be ran out of this place’, but what followed was a fair bit of friendly abuse and then we were in and settled.
I’ve returned to Toby’s many time since. On each occasion I’ve felt welcome and my custom appreciated, which is rare these days. The Guinness is great at Toby’s, as are the people. Another of the best pubs in Ireland, in my books!
Westport is home to one of the most famous pubs in Ireland – Matt Molloy’s. But I’m taking a detour from busy Bridge St. to the Fairgreen to visit Toby’s, next.
I first visited Toby’s during a heatwave with my aul lad a few summers back. It was a Sunday and when we walked into the pokey front bar the place literally went silent.
We stopped, thinking ‘Sh*te, we’re about to be ran out of this place’, but what followed was a fair bit of friendly abuse and then we were in and settled.
I’ve returned to Toby’s many time since. On each occasion I’ve felt welcome and my custom appreciated, which is rare these days. The Guinness is great at Toby’s, as are the people. Another of the best pubs in Ireland, in my books!
There’s some brilliant pubs in Galway but the one that I find myself returning to over and over is Tig Chóilí on Mainguard St. (just off busy Shop St.).
There’s a lot to like about this place, with live music sessions taking place twice a day Monday to Friday. Tig Chóilí has welcomed everyone from Prince William and Kate to Sharron Shannon over the years and, while small, it packs a punch!
If you nip in to Tig Chóilí before if fills up for the music, take some time to admire the photos and artefacts dotted across every inch of wall in this cosy pub.
There’s some brilliant pubs in Galway but the one that I find myself returning to over and over is Tig Chóilí on Mainguard St. (just off busy Shop St.).
There’s a lot to like about this place, with live music sessions taking place twice a day Monday to Friday. Tig Chóilí has welcomed everyone from Prince William and Kate to Sharron Shannon over the years and, while small, it packs a punch!
If you nip in to Tig Chóilí before if fills up for the music, take some time to admire the photos and artefacts dotted across every inch of wall in this cosy pub.
There’s many mighty pubs in Dingle but Dick Mack’s has been my firm favourite since I visited with the aul lad on a stormy winters evening a few years ago.
It was the off season, the place was quietish and we managed to get a seat in the front bar – a great people watching spot.
Dick Mack’s has been on-the-go since 1899 and its in-house leather workshop only adds to its unique charm. There’s also a brewhouse on-site and the action (and twice-daily guided tours) takes place in a building dating back to the 1850s.
There’s many mighty pubs in Dingle but Dick Mack’s has been my firm favourite since I visited with the aul lad on a stormy winters evening a few years ago.
It was the off season, the place was quietish and we managed to get a seat in the front bar – a great people watching spot.
Dick Mack’s has been on-the-go since 1899 and its in-house leather workshop only adds to its unique charm. There’s also a brewhouse on-site and the action (and twice-daily guided tours) takes place in a building dating back to the 1850s.
Another of the best bars in Ireland, in my opinion, is Antrim’s Crosskeys Inn, located off the main Randalstown to Portglenone road.
This gorgeous old Irish pub dates back to 1654. A stone-built cottage with whitewashed walls, it’s almost like stepping back in time when you enter and the Guinness is some of the finest in the land.
Look out for the live trad music every Saturday, alongside impromptu sessions on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evenings.
Another of the best bars in Ireland, in my opinion, is Antrim’s Crosskeys Inn, located off the main Randalstown to Portglenone road.
This gorgeous old Irish pub dates back to 1654. A stone-built cottage with whitewashed walls, it’s almost like stepping back in time when you enter and the Guinness is some of the finest in the land.
Look out for the live trad music every Saturday, alongside impromptu sessions on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evenings.
Another of the more famous Irish pubs thanks to its appearance in the now-iconic Guinness Christmas ad is O’Connell’s of Skryne.
Pub interiors don’t get much more homely than O’Connell’s, with mahogany chairs, white panelled walls and a crackling fire come winter.
O’Connell’s has one of the most uniquely picturesque locations of any bars in Ireland in this guide. Finely plonked on top of Skyrne Hill, the pub (well, the outside anyway!) boasts sweeping views of the Boyne Valley to accompany your creamy pint!
Another of the more famous Irish pubs thanks to its appearance in the now-iconic Guinness Christmas ad is O’Connell’s of Skryne.
Pub interiors don’t get much more homely than O’Connell’s, with mahogany chairs, white panelled walls and a crackling fire come winter.
O’Connell’s has one of the most uniquely picturesque locations of any bars in Ireland in this guide. Finely plonked on top of Skyrne Hill, the pub (well, the outside anyway!) boasts sweeping views of the Boyne Valley to accompany your creamy pint!
Few pubs in Dublin have achieved fame like Glasnevin’s John Kavanagh’s, AKA ‘the Gravediggers’. Reputed to pour the best pint of Guinness in Dublin, the nickname ‘the Gravediggers’ comes from its proximity to Glasnevin Cemetery.
Dating back to 1833, the old-world interior is beautiful and the atmosphere is enhanced further by the lack of music or TV.
A nice combo for an afternoon out is to head for a ramble in the Botanic Gardens, take a tour of Glasnevin and then nip into the Gravediggers, to top it off! It’s also one of the only dog friendly bars in Ireland in this guide!
Few pubs in Dublin have achieved fame like Glasnevin’s John Kavanagh’s, AKA ‘the Gravediggers’. Reputed to pour the best pint of Guinness in Dublin, the nickname ‘the Gravediggers’ comes from its proximity to Glasnevin Cemetery.
Dating back to 1833, the old-world interior is beautiful and the atmosphere is enhanced further by the lack of music or TV.
A nice combo for an afternoon out is to head for a ramble in the Botanic Gardens, take a tour of Glasnevin and then nip into the Gravediggers, to top it off! It’s also one of the only dog friendly bars in Ireland in this guide!
The only straw-thatched pub in Offaly, Dan and Molly’s is a local institution with a welcome as charming as that famous old roof.
Located in Ballyboy outside Kilcormac, it’s a friendly spot that’s famous around the county for its impromptu music and dancing sessions in the front parlour.
But if all that excitement is a bit too much, then it’s also a perfect spot for a pint and a chat, especially in the winter when the pot-bellied stove and open turf fire keeps everything nice and toasty inside.
The only straw-thatched pub in Offaly, Dan and Molly’s is a local institution with a welcome as charming as that famous old roof.
Located in Ballyboy outside Kilcormac, it’s a friendly spot that’s famous around the county for its impromptu music and dancing sessions in the front parlour.
But if all that excitement is a bit too much, then it’s also a perfect spot for a pint and a chat, especially in the winter when the pot-bellied stove and open turf fire keeps everything nice and toasty inside.
This is the type of pub you’d expect to find in the darkest corners of West Cork – it’s traditional to its core.
The Castle Inn has stood its ground on South Main Street for generations, quietly resisting the pull of modern trends.
What you get instead is a rare, unpolished slice of pub history – worn floorboards, red and cream panelling, and a tiled fireplace straight out of another era.
There’s no music, no screens, no distractions – just the gentle hum of conversation and some of the best pints in the city.
This is the type of pub you’d expect to find in the darkest corners of West Cork – it’s traditional to its core.
The Castle Inn has stood its ground on South Main Street for generations, quietly resisting the pull of modern trends.
What you get instead is a rare, unpolished slice of pub history – worn floorboards, red and cream panelling, and a tiled fireplace straight out of another era.
There’s no music, no screens, no distractions – just the gentle hum of conversation and some of the best pints in the city.
