Discover Ireland's Most Charming Small Towns and Villages

Ireland is famous for its lush landscapes and hospitality. Beyond Dublin and Cork, there are enchanting villages and intriguing cities to explore.

We present eight charming places on the Emerald Isle that offer unique nature experiences, colorful streets, rich culture, and lively pubs. These should definitely be on your list for your next Ireland vacation.

In the small town of Westport on Ireland's west coast, life is cozy. The 18th-century town, with about 6,000 residents, looks like it's straight out of a picture book: Colorful house facades, little bridges, and the town's lovely plantings are complemented by a lively pub scene.

One of the most famous pubs offering live music every day is Matt Molloy's. The owner is a band member of the Irish group The Chieftains, founded in 1962. If you're looking for a quiet escape after a long night at the pub, head to nearby Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holy mountain.

The mountain is a pilgrimage site with challenging hiking trails. Clew Bay, an Irish sea landscape from the Ice Age, is also worth a visit. Over 100 islands and rocks are located in the bay, with names like Freaghillanluggagh. Seals, cormorants, and other wildlife find a home here.

Every June, the small fishing village of Doolin hosts the Doolin Folk Fest. Although the village, with about 800 residents and its partly colorful, partly thatched-roof houses, is relatively small, it is considered the center of Irish Folk.

Even when there's no music festival, you don't have to miss out on live music in Doolin. In the village's three pubs, you can tap your foot to traditional music daily. And water sports enthusiasts will find what they're looking for in Doolin: The village offers two surfing spots right on the shore.

A hike on the Cliffs of Moher trail is particularly impressive. The spectacular scenery along the massive cliff coast is accompanied by the roar of crashing waves. In clear weather, you can see all the way to the Aran Islands, and the sunsets on the west-facing coast become a dramatically beautiful experience.

In the south of Ireland at the end of the Wild Atlantic Way, the longest designated coastal road in the world, lies colorful Kinsale. Just taking a walk through the colorful streets here will lift your spirits. The harbor town, 25 kilometers from Cork, is also of interest to gourmets: From Thursday to Sunday, you can dine at the Michelin-starred restaurant Bastion.

No wonder Kinsale is considered Ireland's Gourmet City. In October, at the Gourmet Festival, the best chefs in the country gather in Kinsale to delight the 5,000 residents and guests with a culinary tour.

In the summer, boats set sail from the harbor to observe dolphins and whales. History comes alive at Kinsale Bay: Right on the water, you discover the star-shaped Charles Fort from the 17th century. The fortress is open to the public and also houses a small museum.

The medieval city of Kilkenny, on the River Nore in southeastern Ireland, is known to many thanks to the beer of the same name, first brewed here at the Smithwick brewery in 1710. You can delve further into the brewery's history with a tour that includes interactive elements and tastings.

In addition to brewing, Kilkenny offers many historical buildings, foremost among them Kilkenny Castle. The 800-year-old castle with its massive towers sits on a hill on the Nore's bank. Many of the castle's rooms are open to the public, and its attic gallery is especially impressive. Also vibrant is the 21-hectare park surrounding the castle.

In Kilkenny, you'll find colorful cobblestone streets lined with interesting churches, numerous cafés, international cuisine restaurants, arts and crafts shops, and boutiques. Every August, culture enthusiasts flock to this city of about 26,000 residents. During the Kilkenny Arts Festival, international artists showcase their talent.

Hospitality and unconventional business ideas are writ large in the 2,000-resident harbor town of Dingle in southwest Ireland. You can experience both at once in one of the three household-goods pubs, where you can get a cold beer along with hats, rubber boots, and more.

One dolphin found such comfort here that it called Dingle bay its home for 16 years until its death in 2020, becoming a tourist attraction. A bronze statue now commemorates the late Fungi. On boat tours from Dingle, you can still spot Fungi's kind and even whales.

Plus, many of us already have products from the Dingle area on our breakfast tables. The famous butter from County Kerry, where Dingle is located, is only available in its salty version in Ireland. And the landscape around Dingle is indeed a piece of advertising perfection. You'll find the Inch Beach here, one of Ireland's most beautiful beaches.

Amidst landscapes dotted with lakes lies Sligo, with around 20,000 residents. The typical lively pubs and narrow old town lanes can be found here as well. Sligo translates to 'Place of Shells,' referencing the abundance of shellfish off Sligo's coast.

The ruins of the Abbey in Sligo, the city's largest monument, are a must-see. Five kilometers from Sligo you'll find Carrowmore, Ireland's largest megalithic site, with tombs between five and six-and-a-half thousand years old.

Activities around Sligo include hiking, golfing, horseback riding, fishing in the area's waters, and cycling. At the picturesque lake Lough Gill, you can experience both nature and poetry: On the lake is Innisfree, which inspired the famous Irish poet William Butler Yeats to write 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree.'

About ten kilometers from Sligo, the table mountain Ben Bulben stands as a symbol for both the town and the entire region. Clouds frequently shroud the summit, which reaches 527 meters high. Irish legends say that fairies inhabit the mountain and that mythical Celtic figures once resided in its caves.

Colorful, gable-roofed houses lined up, a magnificent cathedral in the background, and the sea beside it, it's no wonder that Cobh was voted one of the most beautiful small towns in Europe by 'Condé Nast Traveller' in 2019. The town, with about 13,000 residents, is also home to one of the world's largest natural harbors, with many cruise ships stopping here.

Cobh is linked to unfortunate maritime history. In 1912, when Cobh was known as Queenstown, the last 123 passengers boarded the doomed 'Titanic' here. At the interactive Titanic Experience museum, you can dive into the personal stories of its passengers.

The cathedral, the second-largest place of worship in Ireland, is also worth seeing. Its spire, over 90 meters tall, pierces the sky, and when the 49 bronze bells of the church sound, including Ireland's largest bell at 3.6 tons, you can listen to the country's only carillon.

The small village of Adare is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Ireland. In 2016, its population was just over 1,000. Almost every corner of Adare, with its cottages and flower gardens, monasteries, and churches, could be a postcard image.

In addition to the Augustinian Monastery, there is also the 15th-century Franciscan Monastery, now located on a golf club's grounds. The most famous attraction in Adare is the ruins of Desmond Castle at the village's edge, built in the 13th century.

If you crave city life after so much idyll, you can head to nearby Limerick. In 2014, Limerick was Ireland's first City of Culture and is also known for its vibrant pub scene. Among the best pubs are Jerry Flannery's Bar and the South's Pub.

Looking for more inspiration? Find tips for top travel destinations all in one place at bettercities.net.