Republic of Ireland
The Best Pubs & Bars In The Country!
Our website could hardly count itself as a useful resource without featuring Irish pubs. Ireland doesn't shy away from the fact it likes a drink.
Combining a fondness for all things traditional with that tendency all relatively new independent states have, to dip back into their past for inspiration and identity, this manifests itself in some wonderful preserved pubs, as yet ungentrified and still with a keen understanding of what qualities make a pub worth going to.
Speaking stereotypically, it's common to find the bar in Dublin pub manned - in both senses - by late middle-aged fellow of sizeable girth packaged in a smart plain white shirt and black trousers. You'll be assured of a friendly welcome and perhaps a few jests if you're not a local - usually good natured, but occasionally at your expense for the amusement of the bartender's cronies at the front.
Out in the countryside many Irish pubs traditionally doubled as other businesses. Grocers, hardware stores, even undertakers, and this heritage is sometimes preserved. If you want a pint at a petrol station or a roadside convenience store, Ireland is among your best bets.
While Irish folk music can be witnessed in many pubs as to be commonplace, it nevertheless adds a bonhomie that, particularly as an occasional visitor, takes atmosphere onto another level. Be sure to research a good time to visit a pub when the musicians will be starting up.
The phenomenon of 'plastic Paddy' (the corporate face of Ireland marketed to the world) unfortunately infects pubs in honeypot areas meaning that an enticing exterior and Gaelic signage is no cast-iron guarantee of a preserved interior or a good operation. A little like London, many of Dublin's historic pubs are being squeezed to accommodate as many tourists as possible with the inevitable price-gouging and corporate feel that comes with it. Temple Bar is perhaps the defining example, but it isn't isolated to there.
The second downside is that Heineken and Guinness' parent company have more or less cornered the pub market, highly restricting independent Irish brewers from being able to sell their beers in Irish pubs. This situation has slowly been thawing, but market share is always being consolidated and even some smaller Irish brewers have sold up. Whether you like Beamish, Guinness, Murphy's or don't, Ireland deserves a better selection and its independent brewers a fairer crack.
However, thankfully you don't have to go far at all to find the places that are still happy being what they are. Go to Ireland at the first opportunity you get, as many of their wonderful pubs won't be long for this world once the landlords retire.
Combining a fondness for all things traditional with that tendency all relatively new independent states have, to dip back into their past for inspiration and identity, this manifests itself in some wonderful preserved pubs, as yet ungentrified and still with a keen understanding of what qualities make a pub worth going to.
Speaking stereotypically, it's common to find the bar in Dublin pub manned - in both senses - by late middle-aged fellow of sizeable girth packaged in a smart plain white shirt and black trousers. You'll be assured of a friendly welcome and perhaps a few jests if you're not a local - usually good natured, but occasionally at your expense for the amusement of the bartender's cronies at the front.
Out in the countryside many Irish pubs traditionally doubled as other businesses. Grocers, hardware stores, even undertakers, and this heritage is sometimes preserved. If you want a pint at a petrol station or a roadside convenience store, Ireland is among your best bets.
While Irish folk music can be witnessed in many pubs as to be commonplace, it nevertheless adds a bonhomie that, particularly as an occasional visitor, takes atmosphere onto another level. Be sure to research a good time to visit a pub when the musicians will be starting up.
The phenomenon of 'plastic Paddy' (the corporate face of Ireland marketed to the world) unfortunately infects pubs in honeypot areas meaning that an enticing exterior and Gaelic signage is no cast-iron guarantee of a preserved interior or a good operation. A little like London, many of Dublin's historic pubs are being squeezed to accommodate as many tourists as possible with the inevitable price-gouging and corporate feel that comes with it. Temple Bar is perhaps the defining example, but it isn't isolated to there.
The second downside is that Heineken and Guinness' parent company have more or less cornered the pub market, highly restricting independent Irish brewers from being able to sell their beers in Irish pubs. This situation has slowly been thawing, but market share is always being consolidated and even some smaller Irish brewers have sold up. Whether you like Beamish, Guinness, Murphy's or don't, Ireland deserves a better selection and its independent brewers a fairer crack.
However, thankfully you don't have to go far at all to find the places that are still happy being what they are. Go to Ireland at the first opportunity you get, as many of their wonderful pubs won't be long for this world once the landlords retire.
All venues rated 7.5+
Recent Entries: 🔹
| Name | Location | Style | Our Rating |
| Dick Mack's | Dingle | Brewery Taproom | 9.7 |
| The Gravediggers | Dublin | Backstreet Boozer | 9.6 |
| Grogans | Dublin | City Tavern | 9.5 |
| Tig Bhric | Ballyferriter | Brewery Taproom | 9.5 |
| Sin é 🔹 | Cork | Live Music Venue | 8.8 |
| Dan Lowrey's 🔹 | Cork | Traditional Pub | 8.8 |
| The Oval 🔹 | Cork | Historic Pub | 8.8 |
| The Castle Inn 🔹 | Cork | Traditional Boozer | 8.7 |
| Foxy John's | Dingle | Shop/Bar | 8.7 |
| Callanan's 🔹 | Cork | Traditional Boozer | 8.7 |
| The Abbot's Ale House 🔹 | Cork | Beer Specialists | 8.7 |
| The Hi-B 🔹 | Cork | Lounge Bar | 8.7 |
| O'Donoghues | Dublin | Historic Tavern | 8.7 |
| Toners | Dublin | Historic Tavern | 8.7 |
| Kehoes | Dublin | Boozer | 8.6 |
| Maureen's 🔹 | Cork | Refurbished Boozer | 8.6 |
| Dawson Lounge | Dublin | Basement Bar | 8.5 |
| The Welcome Inn 🔹 | Cork | Traditional Boozer | 8.5 |
| Arthur Mayne's 🔹 | Cork | Cocktail Bar | 8.3 |
| Mulligans | Dublin | City Tavern | 8.3 |
| Dennehy's 🔹 | Cork | Roadside Tavern | 8.2 |
| Doheny & Nesbit | Dublin | City Tavern | 8.2 |
| The Blackman Bar 🔹 | Cork | Roadside Tavern | 8.2 |
| McNeills | Dublin | Boozer | 8.1 |
| An Spailpín Fánach 🔹 | Cork | Live Music Venue | 8.1 |
| O'Connor's | Killarney | Market Tavern | 8 |
| O'Flaherty's | Dingle | Backstreet Boozer | 8 |
| Mutton Lane 🔹 | Cork | Late Bar | 7.9 |
| Stag's Head | Dublin | City Tavern | 7.8 |
| Bowes | Dublin | City Tavern | 7.8 |
| Coughlan's 🔹 | Cork | Performance Venue | 7.8 |
| Tigh Ui Chathain | Ballyferriter | Village Pub | 7.8 |
| Abbey Tavern 🔹 | Cork | Backstreet Pub | 7.8 |
| Briodys | Dublin | Boozer | 7.8 |
| The Corner House 🔹 | Cork | Live Music Venue | 7.7 |
| Bierhaus 🔹 | Cork | Craft Beer Bar | 7.6 |
| Fionnbarra 🔹 | Cork | Courtyard Bar | 7.5 |
| Baily's Corner | Tralee | Market Tavern | 7.5 |
| Paddy Mac's | Tralee | Market Tavern | 7.5 |
Cork // pop. 225,004
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Cork is situated in one of the world's finest natural harbours. Suburbs and towns sprawl around the various sounds and inlets as the Lee flows into Lough Mahon and out into the Irish sea. All around the city, hills slope down towards the core, making Cork appear a vast place.
Cork's pub scene per capita is among the best in Europe. Central nightlife is situated mainly in two areas. First of all, along and around Plunkett street with several lanes shooting off from it to explore, Crane Lane a particular hotspot. Secondly, on the north bank along MacCurtain Street west to St Mary's church. Busy, lively, and a health mixture of regional provincial power and a cosmopolitan sensibility. In minutes you can be sat at a gloriously unreconstructed family-run old boozer, while hopping off to a high concept cocktail bar. With central and peripheral breweries, the selection of drinks in most places has moved past the basic stouts, lagers, gins and whiskies, with some independent names featuring. In a few rare cases Guinness/Beamish/Murphy's is left out altogether, in something of a deliberate statement.
Central Cork is not cheap, but you may notice it doesn't take long out of the centre before the prices start plummeting to attract locals. Don't worry about finding somewhere early or late. Though Cork's famous "earlies" have mostly bitten the dust (with Covid the final swing of the scythe), there are good options even from late morning all days of the week, while at the other end of the candle, you can be out til 2-3am most nights somewhere nice. Cork's pubs are starting to expand their outdoor areas, many making investments around 2021-2022 to expand their capacity. There are some nice courtyard areas around if you prefer al fresco drinking.
With so many high quality pubs in reach, the welcome introduction of higher quality products, and a variety that is benefiting from a modern touch and in some cases a female sensibility for a change, Cork genuinely occupies among the very finest selections you'll find in Europe for a city of its size.
Dingle // pop. 2,050
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Kerry peninsula's biggest settlement, the harbour, marina area and high street give the impression of a much more significant town than the 2 thousand or so population suggests. There are a good number of pubs for a town of the size also, reflecting the tourism in the town. Two superb standouts in the shape of Dick Mack's and Foxy John's are nationally famous, while some of the more local alternatives in town are well worth a try. There's no doubt in our minds it is the finest town in the county.
Dublin // pop. 544,107
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
One of the most famous pub cities in the world, let alone Europe, a visit to Dublin would be extremely underwhelming without a visit to some of their oldest and greatest venues.
The offering in Dublin centre is varied with many old pubs clinging on even in the face of some of the most aggressive property development in Europe.
You'll find the drinks offerings in nearly all pubs virtually identical due to the exploitation of licensing laws by big brewers. Guinness, Smithwicks Red, Heineken, etc, etc. This has suppressed craft brewing which is even now struggling to make headway.
Overall though, a pub visit is for the atmosphere and social scene and here is where Dublin shines, with its folk heritage on show, unvarnished and authentic in places - plastic and pop influenced in others.
Try to avoid Temple Bar and some of the more touristy venues unless it's your very first visit, and head to some of the stalwart pubs that aren't mentioned as prominently. Some of these are full of surprises and delights, and less full of annoying tourists.
Killarney // pop. 14,054
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️
The gateway to imposing hills and moorlands, the scale of the hills may surprise some. One Irish town with its own brewery, providing a relief from the usual locked-in options of Guinness, Smithwick's and Heineken. The town itself is pleasant if undramatic, and the same goes for its pubs, although there are a few battered old boozers around that are well worth a look.
Tralee // pop. 23,691
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️
County Kerry's capital, Tralee is a market town with a busy feel, unspectacular but functional. The river walk to Blennerville provides some natural scenery to an otherwise flat town. Pubs here are along similar lines, pleasant with only a few standouts, however you will experience full local life here undaunted by tourists.
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Cork is situated in one of the world's finest natural harbours. Suburbs and towns sprawl around the various sounds and inlets as the Lee flows into Lough Mahon and out into the Irish sea. All around the city, hills slope down towards the core, making Cork appear a vast place.
Cork's pub scene per capita is among the best in Europe. Central nightlife is situated mainly in two areas. First of all, along and around Plunkett street with several lanes shooting off from it to explore, Crane Lane a particular hotspot. Secondly, on the north bank along MacCurtain Street west to St Mary's church. Busy, lively, and a health mixture of regional provincial power and a cosmopolitan sensibility. In minutes you can be sat at a gloriously unreconstructed family-run old boozer, while hopping off to a high concept cocktail bar. With central and peripheral breweries, the selection of drinks in most places has moved past the basic stouts, lagers, gins and whiskies, with some independent names featuring. In a few rare cases Guinness/Beamish/Murphy's is left out altogether, in something of a deliberate statement.
Central Cork is not cheap, but you may notice it doesn't take long out of the centre before the prices start plummeting to attract locals. Don't worry about finding somewhere early or late. Though Cork's famous "earlies" have mostly bitten the dust (with Covid the final swing of the scythe), there are good options even from late morning all days of the week, while at the other end of the candle, you can be out til 2-3am most nights somewhere nice. Cork's pubs are starting to expand their outdoor areas, many making investments around 2021-2022 to expand their capacity. There are some nice courtyard areas around if you prefer al fresco drinking.
With so many high quality pubs in reach, the welcome introduction of higher quality products, and a variety that is benefiting from a modern touch and in some cases a female sensibility for a change, Cork genuinely occupies among the very finest selections you'll find in Europe for a city of its size.
Dingle // pop. 2,050
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Kerry peninsula's biggest settlement, the harbour, marina area and high street give the impression of a much more significant town than the 2 thousand or so population suggests. There are a good number of pubs for a town of the size also, reflecting the tourism in the town. Two superb standouts in the shape of Dick Mack's and Foxy John's are nationally famous, while some of the more local alternatives in town are well worth a try. There's no doubt in our minds it is the finest town in the county.
Dublin // pop. 544,107
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
One of the most famous pub cities in the world, let alone Europe, a visit to Dublin would be extremely underwhelming without a visit to some of their oldest and greatest venues.
The offering in Dublin centre is varied with many old pubs clinging on even in the face of some of the most aggressive property development in Europe.
You'll find the drinks offerings in nearly all pubs virtually identical due to the exploitation of licensing laws by big brewers. Guinness, Smithwicks Red, Heineken, etc, etc. This has suppressed craft brewing which is even now struggling to make headway.
Overall though, a pub visit is for the atmosphere and social scene and here is where Dublin shines, with its folk heritage on show, unvarnished and authentic in places - plastic and pop influenced in others.
Try to avoid Temple Bar and some of the more touristy venues unless it's your very first visit, and head to some of the stalwart pubs that aren't mentioned as prominently. Some of these are full of surprises and delights, and less full of annoying tourists.
Killarney // pop. 14,054
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️
The gateway to imposing hills and moorlands, the scale of the hills may surprise some. One Irish town with its own brewery, providing a relief from the usual locked-in options of Guinness, Smithwick's and Heineken. The town itself is pleasant if undramatic, and the same goes for its pubs, although there are a few battered old boozers around that are well worth a look.
Tralee // pop. 23,691
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️
County Kerry's capital, Tralee is a market town with a busy feel, unspectacular but functional. The river walk to Blennerville provides some natural scenery to an otherwise flat town. Pubs here are along similar lines, pleasant with only a few standouts, however you will experience full local life here undaunted by tourists.