13 Best Bars in The Southwest, Ireland

With its selection of more than 60 Irish and 30 Scottish whiskeys and a vast range of Irish craft beers, this family-run traditional bar in the town center is an excellent spot for discovering Ireland's distilling and brewing traditions. A favorite of local and visiting musicians, it hosts live traditional sessions Monday to Thursday in season, with live contemporary music every Friday night.

Part cobbler's shop, part bar, this tiny pub has been quenching thirsts since 1899. Offering a quintessential Dingle experience, with music nightly and a big selection of whiskeys. It has its own food truck and microbrewery by the beer garden, where tours and tastings take place daily in the taproom.

Informally known as "the sweetshop Pub" this much-loved Killarney landmark, bang in the center of town, dates from 1870 and was recently given an inspired makeover. The sweets are still there in jars, but one side of the pub now serves coffee, cakes, and light snacks, while the other is a regular pub. Both sides of the establishment are decorated with a fascinating collection of memorabilia. It's a great place to meet the locals.

A lively waterfront spot, Dolan's has traditional Irish music every night, and dancing classes from September to May. Dolan's Warehouse, under the same management and in the same location, is a live-music venue with top national and international acts.

For a lively nighttime spot, try this large, busy pub in the town center, known for live Irish music and late hours.

This is the place for big-name Irish acts—from comedian Dara O'Briain to Hozier to Riverdance—at the Irish National Events Centre (INEC) within the hotel. Gleneagles also has a bar with nightly live music.

Supposedly the oldest inn in town---it has served ale to locals from its low-ceiling quarters in a narrow slip lane by the west end of Thomond Bridge since 1794 (the building dates back over a hundred years earlier). JJ Bowles offers wonderful views from its riverside beer garden. It has a good reputation for the quality of its Guinness, making it a good stop on a chilly day if you can find a seat by the warm glow from its fireplace. And, being midway between the city center and Thomond Park Stadium, expect lively crowds during rugby season.    

The Belltable Theater, a former Georgian town house, was remodeled with an Arts and Crafts facade in the early 19th century when it became a pioneering cinema. It has a gorgeous tapestry of wrought iron, stained glass, and limestone materials that stand apart from its neat redbrick neighbors on O'Connell Avenue. Just one block north of the oval-shaped Crescent with its large statue of the liberator, Daniel O'Connell, this building has entertained Limerick's citizens with plays and movies for over a century. Intimate, with just 200 seats, it hosts many touring productions of stand-up comics, art-house movies, or the works of Irish playwrights like John B. Keane. It has a small café.

For larger productions, head 2 km (1 mile) south to the recently constructed, übermodern Lime Tree Theatre on the grounds of the city's Mary Immaculate College.

Set on the riverside, this is one of Limerick's oldest bars, dating from 1724, and has live music every night. It's also a great place for outdoor drinking in summer, or a simple bar food meal

There's traditional fireside music at this busy pub year-round on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in the front bar starting at 9 pm.

An Daingean's pubs are well-known for their music, but among them O'Flaherty's, a simple, stone-floor bar at the entrance to town, is something special and a hot spot for traditional musicians. Spontaneous sessions occur most nights in July and August, less frequently at other times. Even without music, this pub is a good place to compare notes with fellow travelers.

Tom Collin's Bar has managed to retain all of its authentic Victorian charm, which you'll see from its bright red-and-white timber facade or its arched doorway with tiny lion medallions and white metal fanlight. It paves the way for the old shopfront character inside, where it's as though a clock stopped ticking sometime in the distant past on the wall behind the ruby shades and mahogany finish of the bar counter. Service is second to none and the Guinness is legendary in this quiet premises, just a stone's throw from busy O'Connell Street. 

An old-fashioned pub, this one is typical of the age of Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes. There's no music, but you'll find big-game rugby matches playing live on TV. Drop by for hearty bar food and a drink while the local side, Munster, is playing.