Athlone
You mightn't guess it from the front, but this pub dates from AD 900, making it Ireland's oldest (look for the Guinness World Records certificate). Peat…
Must-see nightlife in Ireland
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…
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 –…
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…
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…
Bray
Four former fisherman's terraces make up this maze of rooms with vintage maritime bric-a-brac (and a resident cat). Craft-beer options by local brewers…
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…
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'…
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…
Doolin
Right on the river where it runs into the sea, this sprawling place dating from 1832 has a rollicking atmosphere when the music is in full swing. On some…
Killarney
Of the thousand-plus whiskeys stocked at this stunning contemporary bar, over 500 are Irish, including 1945 Willie Napier from County Offaly and 12-year…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 …
Dingle Town
Stars in the pavement bear the names of Dick Mack's celebrity customers. Ancient wood and snugs dominate the interior, while the courtyard out back hosts…
County Waterford
Sure, there's good traditional food at this two-centuries-old pub 8km southwest of Dungarvan, but the real reason to stop by is the craic. Year-round,…
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…
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…
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…
County Waterford
Located on the southern edge of the city centre, this is a genuine local boozer with a friendly atmosphere and a loyal clientele who throng here to enjoy…
The West Cork Coast
A convivial, jostling atmosphere – with walls splattered with photos and press cuttings, dramatic masks and musical instruments – provides the setting for…
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…
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…
Killarney
Live music plays every night at this tiny traditional pub with leaded-glass doors, one of Killarney's most popular haunts. There are more tables upstairs,…
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…
Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green
This classic bar is the very exemplar of a traditional Dublin pub. The beautiful Victorian bar, wonderful snug and side room have been popular with…
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…
Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green
Known simply as Grogan's (after the original owner), this is a city-centre institution. It has long been a favourite haunt of Dublin's writers and…
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…
North of the Liffey
It advertises itself as a 'drinking pub with a music problem', which is an apt description for this Smithfield stalwart – although the traditional music…
Kinvara
With more than a hundred different whiskeys on shelves behind its bar, which looks ready to collapse, this 1865 pub is quite a sight. Painted peppermint…
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…
