The 6 Best Towns in Ireland You Need to Visit

Okay, so these are the 6 best towns in Ireland according to yours truly.

Otherwise known as “Lynne’s favorite towns and villages in Ireland.”

I’m sure some of you would add or subtract towns to this list.

Some of you might outright disagree with me.

But I chose the 6 best towns in Ireland based on my personal experiences in these towns.

And I’ve chosen towns that are small AND towns that are only in the Republic of Ireland, not Northern Ireland which is part of the United Kingdom.

So what towns made the list?

And why?

Keep reading to find out.

Carlingford — County Louth

This is one of those places that doesn’t get talked about a lot outside of Ireland or the UK.

While Carlingford is popular with the Irish — especially Dubliners — it’s not as popular with Americans and Canadians.

But I think Carlingford is one of the best towns in Ireland — although it’s really a village with just a little over 1000 full time residents.

So what does Carlingford have going for it beside the fact that you won’t be there with your fellow country people (at least as an American)?

First is its location.

Carlingford is only 110km from Dublin so you can get here in about an hour and half by car.

And it’s about 85km from Belfast.

So it makes a great stopping point between these 2 cities.

This lovely town also happens to sit on the Carlingford Lough which is an inlet of the Irish Sea.

If you’re a water person, Carlingford is a wonderful town for you.

You can gaze across the lough to the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland and up at Slieve Foye, the mountain that lords over the town.

You can get out on the water, take some lovely walks or do some biking.

In fact, you can hike up Slieve Foye because it’s not the high or that difficult.

Carlingford has some interesting historical sites including the 12th century King John’s Castle that sits in the harbor.

There are some fabulous restaurants and a lively pub scene.

I would probably avoid it at the weekends, though, as it is a popular spot with hen and stag parties.

You’ll also find some talented artisans here selling their crafts in some beautiful shops.

So, Carlingford is one of the best towns in Ireland because it has a little something for everyone — just a hop, skip and a jump from Dublin.

Dunfanaghy — County Donegal

Otherwise known as the smallest village on the list, Dunfanaghy is one of my favorite places in Ireland.

I spent 2 full weeks here in April 2017 and I would go back in a heartbeat.

So what makes Dunfanaghy one of the best towns in Ireland?

I’ll start again with its location as it has the sea to the north and the mountains to the south.

There’s a lovely town beach that you can drive or walk to — there’s a parking lot right there — and stroll on the sand, the waves crashing on the shore.

Then there’s the hidden treasure of a beach, Tramore, that you have to walk a couple of miles to get to.

Dunfanaghy has lots of opportunity for outdoor adventure with surfing and horse riding at the top of the list.

There are also spots for walks and hikes at Ards Friary Forest Park and Muckish Mountain which are both nearby.

The village itself is pretty small with a few good restaurants and cafes.

The Mills, just to the outside of town, is the best, but I didn’t eat here so I can’t personally attest to this.

Naturally, there are some fun pubs with Patsy Dans being my favorite.

I love the food market that is set up in the little town square a couple of times per week.

The best thing about Dunfanaghy?

By far it is the people who I found to be so warm, friendly and inviting.

I felt as though I was leaving my family after 2 weeks.

Put this little village way up north on your list!

Westport — County Mayo

Westport is the largest of the towns on this list coming in at around 6200 folks.

This town was one of the first ones I visited back in 2007 that I really liked.

When I returned with my parents in 2010 I knew it would be a spot that would remain a favorite.

Again, it’s Westport’s location that make it one of the best towns in Ireland.

And yet again, this is a town that sits on the water, this time the gorgeous Clew Bay, and has mountains behind it.

The center of town itself is just a bit inland but the Westport Quay area is situated right on Clew Bay.

There are loads of outdoor activities — water sports, walking, cycling, horse riding.

In fact there are 2 things that make Westport one of the best towns in Ireland especially for active people.

First of all is the Great Western Greenway that runs from Westport out to Achill Island.

This is a paved trail that you can walk, run or cycle along.

Secondly, Westport makes a great base for those wanting to hike up Croagh Patrick — the peak that is a 15 minute drive from town.

This is THE hike in this part of Ireland.

Westport has some excellent restaurants and a fabulous pub and music scene as well.

Since it’s bigger than the other towns on this list, it also has more amenities including a train station.

Yes, you can actually train to Westport from Dublin which makes it a great spot for those not wanting to rent a car.

It can get busy with hen and stag parties at the weekends, so do be aware of this.

Clifden — County Galway

I remember the first time I stayed in Clifden back in 2007.

After reading the description in the Lonely Planet guide, I wasn’t sure what to expect as the description indicated a tired old town or something to that effect.

But with one quick night here, I didn’t think it seemed like a tired old town.

Fast forward to 2017 when I went back for another quick one night stay and found it to be a wonderful town.

So for my 2018 travels I included a longer stay in Clifden.

And yes, I really fell in love with it.

What makes it one of the best towns in Ireland?

Yes, another awesome location.

I mean, it’s known as the Capital of Connemara and Connemara is one of my favorite destinations in all of Ireland.

This equals a perfect location in my book.

You get mountains and bogs and time by the water.

Clifden is just large enough to have a supermarket and a couple of smaller, specialty markets as well as a good array of accommodation.

The pub scene is lively with some really good musicians.

And the food scene is good and is actually getting better with the addition of Darcy 12.

I think for me, there are 2 reasons that make Clifden one of the best towns in Ireland. Okay, 3.

The whole being right in the heart of the Connemara area is the first one.

But the second reason is the people.

Yes, these are warm, friendly Irish folks.

But there are also people from elsewhere in Europe.

I kind of like that there is an International flavor here.

And lastly, this is one of the towns that feels really authentic to me, despite the fact that it does draw in a fair amount of tourism.

There’s still a certain “every day life” vibe going on which I love.

For me, Clifden may be the best town in Ireland.

Period.

Kenmare — County Kerry

But then you go to Kenmare in County Kerry and think, “This is the best town in Ireland!”

This town is about the same size as Clifden with about 2500 full time residents.

While Kenmare technically sits on the water and has access to the water, it feels a bit more like a mountain town to me.

Still my parent’s friend, Francie, owned a boat that he took us out in during our time there in 2010 so water activities are definitely a part of Kenmare.

I think it’s one of the best towns in Ireland because of its access to Killarney National Park and all this park has to offer.

The drive over Molls Gap from Kenmare into the park and to the Muckross House area is one of the best drives in Ireland.

Kenmare itself has so many pubs with some of the best music in all of Ireland.

Seriously, every other door leads to a pub — or so it seems!

There’s some really good food in these pubs and there are a few excellent restaurants as well.

I think Kenmare has a nice array of accommodation with small B&B’s to luxury hotels.

But — beside the access to Killarney National Park — what makes Kenmare one of the best towns in Ireland is that you can actually access 2 of the southwest’s peninsulas — the Iveragh Peninsula (the Ring of Kerry) and the Beara Peninsula.

So for me, Kenmare makes a great base for exploring the area.

My absolute favorite thing about Kenmare?

Fond memories of time with my parents and their friends, Regina and Francie.

Francie passed away in 2018 and my mom passed in April 2015.

So for me…it’s a place of happy times.

Schull — County Cork

10 days here — 10 fabulous days — have put this little harbor village on the best towns of Ireland list.

It really is a special spot in West Cork.

While it’s merely a village with about 700 people, you won’t feel as though you’re missing anything.

There is a small Centra market, a few good restaurants and a nice array of pubs, some of which do serve food as well.

Once again it’s about location as Schull sits right on the water, part way out the Mizen Head Peninsula.

There are mountains and hills around as well.

And this is County Cork — West Cork at that.

So this is where you’ll find some of the best food in all of Ireland, some of the best musicians in all of Ireland and some of the best artisans in all of Ireland.

AND…

Where you’ll be treated to the West Cork light which is some of the most beautiful light in all of Ireland.

See why it’s one of the best towns in Ireland?

The people are amazingly warm and friendly.

And, like Clifden, there are folks from other parts of Ireland and Europe.

I met people from the Netherlands, England, Sweden and Germany.

Maybe because I was here for 10 days, Schull, like Dunfanaghy, felt like a community…like a family.

Or maybe it’s just because it really is a little village.

Be sure Schull is on your Irish itinerary!

Are these really the best towns in Ireland?

To me the best towns in Ireland for you are the ones you have connected with.

I connected with these 6 places in some way.

And if you’ve been to Ireland, you may have a town that you connected with that you would put on this list.

If you haven’t been to Ireland — but dream of making that trip — then think about visiting one of these towns.

Because I do think they are the best towns in Ireland.

What do you think?

Drop a comment below to tell me about your favorite town in Ireland.

Please note that Wander Your Way is only recommending international travel to those who are vaccinated and feel comfortable doing so. This is because travel to Europe is still a wee bit complicated although becoming less so.

If you do decide to travel internationally, please do your research or use a travel planning service such as Wander Your Way. Please stay up to date using official sources like the WHO and CDC.

As always, I’ll continue to write about incredible destinations and to offer tips on travel to Europe. And if you aren’t ready to travel just yet, you can still dream about travel to Europe and learn about new places to explore. So when you are ready to make that trip to Europe, you’ll be ready to go. 

And if you are prepared to go soon, please contact Lynne for any assistance you may need.

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