Fun and entertainment Ireland

Curragh Racecourse is probably the most famous racecourse in Ireland, located some 60 km southwest of Dublin. It is a popular venue for locals to attend prestigious horse races. The races, including five classics, take place between May and October. They are usually held on Saturday or Sunday in the early afternoon. Not to be missed are the Irish 2000 Guineas and 1000 Guineas in May, the Irish Derby in June, the Irish Oaks in July and the Irish St Leger in September.

This is an unmissable address in the city to drink a tea or a Guinness after a long day of visits. This pub is indeed nestled in the oldest house in Kilkenny (it dates back to 1324) which was once home to Lady Alice Kyteler, the witch of Kilkenny! A pleasant setting where you can also have a bite to eat while enjoying a menu of good Irish specialties. Its tavern atmosphere in the basement is particularly nice, and there is also a pleasant beer garden. Concerts take place regularly.

This is one of Galway's must-visit addresses. Its atmosphere of a large, no-frills inn is immediately appealing. Not too much decoration here, but big tables around a central stage where excellent musicians play, usually accompanied by a New Zealand washboard player! On weekends, when the atmosphere is at its peak, it is not unusual to see people feverishly dancing the jig in front of the stage! A festive stopover not to be missed for an encounter with the authentic Galway, music-loving and cheerful!

Copán bar is a huge, multi-storey bar-restaurant-nightclub with a large terrace, located in the heart of the Rathmines district, a residential area not often visited by tourists. Its resolutely modern, lounge style attracts a young, trendy clientele eager to drink good cocktails, eat excellent burgers and party in a place that's something of a change from the capital's city center. Themed evenings are regularly organized (see the establishment's Facebook page).

In the heart of the Temple Bar district, there is definitely a great atmosphere in this five-storey bar... five floors! And each floor has its own style of music, where bands regularly perform live. The clientele is cosmopolitan, rather young (maximum 30 years old). Major sporting events are broadcast on a big screen. Downstairs, DJs liven up the dance floor of the nightclub after the concerts on weekends. On the roof, there is a very pleasant terrace with a view, very popular with the youth of Dublin.

On the way to Temple Square, it is hard to miss this yellow and green facade, its countless flags and its statue of James Joyce. The Oliver St. John Gogarty receives letters from admirers from all over the world, nostalgic for the so irish atmosphere within its walls. If the place mainly welcomes tourists, it offers good plates for a Temple Bar pub. And every day, there is livetraditional music from 12:30 to 2:00 in the morning.

Opposite the Theatre Royal in Dublin, this is another famous local hangout, which has had patrons like Nat King Cole and Judy Garland in the past. This traditional Victorian pub, open since... 1782, has a reputation for serving the best Guinness in the Irish capital. It's up to you to make up your own mind! In any case, there's a real atmosphere in this lively and charming place that also saw James Joyce... and J.F. Kennedy when he was still a journalist. A legendary bar.

The Royal Dublin Society (RDS), founded on June 25, 1731 to promote the arts, owns this huge auditorium (the Main Hall) which hosts many cultural events. These events are always very varied: the programme includes classical music concerts, rock concerts, opera, but also painting or photography exhibitions... Don't forget to consult the rich programme before taking your plane to Dublin.

A large clock inlaid in a wooden panel separates the two parts of this charming pub: wide benches on one side and a long marble corridor with mahogany benches on the other. It's a pleasant decor for this comfortable local pub, which comes alive at weekends (younger clientele, DJs...), offering live music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A place as typical as it is friendly, for a meal break (soup of the day, gaelic chicken, shepherd's pie, etc.) or just a drink.

Not far from St. Stephen's Green and the Grand Canal, this traditional, popular and friendly bar attracts a clientele of local regulars as well as students after classes. Soccer matches are shown on a big screen in the large wooden room surrounded by stone walls. A good place to start afterwork. Pint prices are fair. Serves Irish cuisine and the famous Irish Stew. Live music on Thursdays, DJ sessions on Fridays and Saturdays and open mic on Sundays. Atmosphere guaranteed!

In the heart of the mythical Trinity College building, the Samuel Beckett Theatre was founded in 1992 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the famous university. The theatre's programme includes performances by national and international companies (Ireland, Europe, Japan, USA). It also participates in the Dublin Fringe Festival, Dublin Dance Festival and Dublin Theatre Festival. Drama students from the Trinity College campus also perform on this stage throughout the academic year.

The Flowing Tide is one of the most famous pubs in the Irish capital. For good reason, it's one of the oldest in Dublin. And it's the pub where you'll come to stop after a show at the Abbey Theatre, one of the country's most important venues. You can chat with Dubliners, most of whom are regulars. The ground floor is very authentic and full of charm. And when the weather is good, you can also sit in the courtyard around a barrel. The pub also broadcasts major sporting events.

The large windows overlooking George's Street make Hogan's a somewhatpretentious place at first glance, although the clientele, mostly in their thirties, is rather relaxed and smiling. Live music sessions are organised in the spacious room of Hogan's and the more the night goes on, the more it happens in the basement to sway to the rhythm of the DJs on the dance floor. In short, a fun night out among the Dubliners is guaranteed. Dubliners generally have a real affection for this place.

This is an original experience! Knappogue Castle offers a medieval banquet within its walls. A performance that takes place every evening from April to October. In a period atmosphere, with costumes and music (fiddles, harps, medieval songs...), after drinking a glass of mead (honey wine, famous in the Middle Ages), you sit down to a four-course dinner. The meal is followed by a show about chivalry.

The Locke is one of the oldest pubs in Limerick city and has won numerous awards for its gastro-pub style menu. It's a comfortable place to be and, more importantly, it's a good place to eat at reasonable prices. One of the major attractions of this pub is its location on the banks of the river, near the cathedral. There is also a large outdoor terrace, which is very popular and very pleasant when the weather is fine. Traditional music concerts are scheduled every night of the week.

Leopardstown Racecourse is one of the capital's famous racecourses, located 8km south of Dublin city centre. At this racecourse, horse racing takes pride of place with mainly flat races and steeplechase. With about twenty meetings per year, the Hennessy Gold Cup is held here in February, as well as the Christmas Festival which takes place every year from 26 to 30 December. Numerous catering outlets.

The Everyman Palace Theatre is a theatre that opened in 1898 and was designed by Scottish architect Richard Henry Brunton. It is one of Ireland's most important and famous theatres. It is a listed Victorian theatre with 650 seats for all kinds of shows. A great opportunity to test your English! Every October, it hosts the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival (www.guinnessjazzfestival.com). Don't hesitate to check the programme before your visit to Cork.

On Dame Street, at the entrance to the medieval quarter, this Victorian-style music hall, well known to Dubliners, was built in the early 19th century. Today, although it gave in to the temptation of naming in September 2021, it still offers light comedy, variety and comedy shows. There are also concerts on the program, usually on Friday and Saturday nights. The complete program can be found on the website.

Founded in 1928 by Michael MacLiammoir and Hilton Edwards, this superb North Shore theater offers a contemporary repertoire of the highest quality. The famous Orson Welles and James Mason made their debuts here, and it is not uncommon to see big names from the film industry treading the stage of this theater, which is the pride of Dubliners. If the audience is generally rather erudite, and if the language is not a problem, you should not hesitate to look at the program before going to the Irish capital. The theater also offers very good Christmas shows.

Many musicians perform within the walls of this pub. Every Wednesday, young folk songwriters come to play their songs. On Monday evenings, there are traditional music jams. An institution in Kilkenny. You can also try some of the house specialities such as one of the fifty soups on the menu (tomato and chorizo, broccoli, pear and blue cheese, sweet potato and coconut) or the traditional Irish Stew, as well as a selection of vegetarian dishes(raw energy salad or lentil pie).

This is the place to be if you are on a trip to Howth and want to spend the evening. This pub has a very friendly atmosphere and is a meeting place for the village fishermen, locals and tourists alike, where you can eat fish and seafood dishes and drink a good local beer. The prices are attractive and the setting is really charming, especially thanks to its patio with a marine atmosphere. And every weekend, live music concerts are organised. An excellent address.

Between two pints, a waitress picks from a pile of CDs, for choices oscillating between independent rock and jazz from the 1950s. The clientele here is as heterogeneous as can be: old-timers, students, couples... The bar, totally and deliciously faded, seems to have crossed the centuries, just like the owner who can sometimes be seen circulating between the tables to have a chat with the regulars. What do people come to look for in these places, which are often crowded at weekends? Above all, a friendly atmosphere unlike any other!

On the corner of Castle Street and South Market Street, this two-storey, semi-circular building has a festive atmosphere and is a great place to come for a drink. Young and old mingle daily on the ground floor terrace, which has a pub-like atmosphere, and on the upper floor, where you can dance to DJ sets on the weekends. You can listen to some current hits as well as the Stones, Blur, David Bowie or the Strokes... Pleasant retro-style leather armchairs overlook Corn Market Street.

An Spailpín Fanach ("The Migrant Worker") is a really nice pub and very typical of the city with its brick walls, its pleasant little corners and its fireplaces, you really feel good here. And for a long time since the establishment was founded in 1779. Quite quiet during the day, the pub fills up in the evening until it becomes really crowded sometimes. You can listen to traditional music every night except Saturday and eat typical pub food in a relaxed atmosphere.

Meades Bar 126 is a wine bar with a very pleasant, intimate atmosphere, featuring retro furniture, small round tables and candlelight. The wine list is excellent and not too expensive (between €5 and €6 a glass). You'll enjoy all this with the soundtrack of Neil Young, Bob Dylan and a host of flamenco tracks... A Spanish touch that's also reflected on the menu, as the establishment offers a host of delicious tapas throughout the evening. Cheese and charcuterie platters will also delight your taste buds.

Opened in 1823, the Palace Bar is one of the oldest pubs in Dublin. In the 19th century, it was even the haunt of famous writers from the city or just passing through. Its unique atmosphere and old-fashioned charm, with its beautiful woodwork, barrels and glass dome, give it a unique look that makes it a favourite with regulars. In addition to the beers, there are many whiskeys to try, including a hot whiskey. Very famous Irish music sessions are often held here on Thursdays. Beware, the establishment is often crowded.

The Foggy Dew was established in Dublin in the early 20th century and this historic bar will seduce you for a quiet aperitif. A chance to chat with your neighbours, locals perhaps, before heading out into Temple Bar or Grafton Street. The average age of its clientele is around 25-30 years old. The pints are very affordable for the neighbourhood; the Sunday live sessions are of quality, rather ska-reggae. Many artists from the 1950s have left their prints on the wall, take a look. Great atmosphere!

The doors of the Bailey are adorned with evocative names: Synge, Beckett, Kavanagh... which remind us of the literary past of the place, which is now long gone. There is no shortage of space during the day, thanks to the restaurant on the^first floor, in this vast space dressed in blue, from the carpet to the benches. You can taste great Irish classics, very well done. In the evening, on the other hand, you will generally find a big crowd at the counter. The regulars crowd this city institution as soon as the night falls.

In this large and obscure bar located on the banks of the River Liffey on Ormond Quay, a little away from the ultra-touristic pubs of the Temple Bar area, the atmosphere is always guaranteed. Rather quiet during the day, Sin é inevitably wakes up every evening to the sound of the live sessions (jazz, reggae, rock...) which take place at the beginning of the week, or thanks to the rhythms and fiery sets of the DJs on Friday and Saturday. You can meet a heterogeneous clientele who appreciate the underground atmosphere of the place. Good (and long) evening in perspective.

I really like this small and cosy Irish pub, with its old-fashioned decoration. From time to time, music can be heard in the background, but usually it's the conversations at the counter that are heard in the background. All generations meet here for a beer, watching the game on a small screen (muted) and replaying the latest rugby and Gaelic football matches. And, to make matters worse, everyone is greeted with a big smile!

Here you are in the smallest pub in Dublin... and maybe in the world, as the little sign at the entrance proudly announces! This confined place, installed in the basement of this Dawson Street door, has been fitted out in a very seventies style, and can welcome about twenty people around the bar or on one of the... three tables of the tiny room. The pints are cheap and the staff is adorable and always smiling. An unusual address that stands out among the trendy bars in the area. Worth a try during your stay

The Market Bar is an old warehouse converted into a bar, which has kept all its character. In a huge room, with high ceilings and brick walls, you can sit around a wooden table to enjoy some pretty good tapas or have a drink. Many beers of course, but also excellent cocktails await you here. You will also notice the wall filled with wooden shoes. It's worth a visit for the place alone. A very good brunch is also served at the weekend.

From the outside, this pub looks quite small, but it's not. Many Dubliners gather here after their day's work to drink a quality Guinness in a typical setting. It serves competitively priced pints and attracts journalists, politicians and the working classes who mingle in a cheerful hubbub. The Nesbitt, as they call it, is a simple, rather old school place and one of the oldest pubs in the Irish capital, since it has been serving beer and whiskey since... 1867 !

Pub a bit tristounet, but very nice and large beer garden. Also includes a nightclub, the Lighthouse Disco, which opens from midnight to.

A real pub. The impression is that the time stopped a century ago. At Biddy's it's the people in the corner who make music. They are breeders, teachers or retirees and come to the bed after dinner and go to bed on the 22 h… Mary McAleese spent a week in Glencolumcille every year, and we understand it!

Établissmeent has been in the family since 1949. The prices are very reasonable, and the clientele is a small, friendly crowd of people. On Thursdays, it is a concert of traditional music, and live live music on Saturdays and Sundays in a good child atmosphere.

Silken Thomas, a family business that is now almost fifty years old and located right in the centre of Kildare, is a complex with several different rooms and atmospheres: in Flanagan's Lounge it's rather modern, in Lils it's the Irish tradition, and finally Squires invites you to follow the sport with a pint in your hand. The staff is really friendly, we spend a very good time. Families are also welcome. A real institution in Kildare, a meeting point for the inhabitants.

If you are looking for good craic in Lahinch, Flanagan's is the place to be. The crowd is young and dense, and is a good mix of locals and tourists, most of whom come for the surf and the many pints of local beer on offer here. There is also always good music, especially when the establishment programs traditional Irish music sessions. You can find the program on the Facebook page of Flanagan's Bar

Shelbourne Park is a real institution in Ireland! Five minutes by car from the centre of Dublin, in the south in the Ringsend district, this stadium allows you to attend greyhound races, usually three nights a week. Facing the track, the stands offer a capacity of 400 seats and no less than seven restaurants to welcome its visitors. An original outing to consider if you have enough time. Guaranteed spectacle!

This bar-club located on the banks of the Liffey promises a successful evening with friends in a former apartment transformed into a nightclub. A truly original setting! In the late afternoon and early evening, you come to drink a beer and eat a good burger in the patio-terrace on the first floor. Then, it fills up slowly and the DJs take the orders in the two rooms adjoining the patio, including one with a view on the Liffey. Be warned, on Wednesdays the population is very young for the weekly student night.

In the redeveloped Docklands district, this is one of Dublin's newest theatres. Since its inauguration on March 18, 2010, with Swan Lake performed by the Bolshoi Ballet, the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre has been one of the hottest venues for theatre, music and dance. Mary Poppins, Romeo & Juliet: you can see the great classics here. With its modern architecture and cutting-edge programming, it would be a shame not to check out the program before boarding the plane.

What could be better than sipping a beer on the seventh and top floor of the Storehouse, with an impressive view of the Dublin skyline, in the heart of the spiritual home of Guinness? That's what the Gravity Bar offers in the Liberties district and the first pint will be free after visiting the Guinness Storehouse. Even Prince William and Kate Middleton have tasted the famous dark beer at Gravity. And they could enjoy the good big soft armchairs to admire the Phoenix Park and the mountains in the distance.

The Celtic is a great place to discover Irish and international whiskeys, wines, craft spirits and cocktails. It must be said that the house has more than 1,000 different whiskey labels! And to learn as much as possible, the Celtic is also the Irish Whiskey Experience which offers a wide variety of specialized courses and tastings on the mythical Irish beverage. Enjoy the kitchen that concocts fresh, local food every day.