We fly out of Dublin on a Sunday morning at 11:30. We will spend Friday night in Ennis and are looking for a fun town to stay in Saturday night that is within an hour or so of the airport. Any suggestions of towns to look into that have some nice restaurants/pubs/activity to stay for a Saturday in early July?

Dublin on a Saturday night is perfect.

Consider Howth on the North Dublin coast. Malahide possibly Skerries.

From Ennis you could go to Tuamgraney up Lough Derg to Portumna then Birr to Tullamore/Kilbeggan. Then you can opt for the Motorways or Belvedere House maybe Kells and down the Coast. https://goo.gl/maps/iQHEWJzBcjm

July in Ennis http://www.visitennis.com/ has the Street Art festival 4~10 Ceili at the Crossroads in Clarecastle 10~17 then Fashion week

I've stayed in Swords, Malahide, and Dundalk.

Swords is the first town north of the airport, and has some nice restaurants, pubs, and decent shopping. Malahide is a bit further away, due east of the airport, and is a bit pretentiously upscale, though plenty very nice, if sometimes a touch pricey, restaurant options. Dundalk is more like 40 minutes north of the airport, and people scratched their heads as to why anybody would go there, but I wound up taking a couple hundred pictures - - I just thought the storefronts and the layout of the town were eerily enchanting - - the pictures are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougla...57651695404545

Nothing much happens in the suburban towns, although you will find decent restaunants in Howth and Malahide. If you want any real atmosphere, just stay in Dublin - 30 mins from the airport and plenty of life on a Saturday night

Thanks littlejane. I wasn't trying to be flippant when I said Dublin but it has the most to offer.

Agreed! Although re-reading the original post now I am wondering is the original poster looking to break up the journey i.e. somewhere about an hour closer to ennis than Dublin. Still not sure there is anywhere there that would offer a good Saturday night vibe (at the risk of offending the entire population of the midlands...)

There are more than enough options/routes between Ennis and DUB but a 11.30 flight means 08.30 at the airport assuming a non EU flight so a hour from DUB means leaving lodgings at 07.30 earlier the further away the overnight is.

I also assumed "Town" meant not staying in Dublin City.

You can always stay at an airport hotel and take the bus into Dublin for the day and evening and then head make to the hotel. We have done that for early morning flights. Agree they need to be there by 8:30 am.

Thanks for all the replies. I was hit with the flu so just checking back in. Yes, our flight is back to the states so don't want to stay too far from airport.

Originally, we had to fly home via LHR so were flying out Saturday night but seats opened up on the direct flight home changing our plans.

Were planning to visit some places around Ennis Saturday and then head back east towards Dublin that afternoon. And was wondering if there were some last fun town to hit closer to Dublin. Will talk to the family to see if they want to stay in Dublin the last night. I wouldn't think traffic getting out to the airport on a Sunday morning would be bad.