Best Places to Visit in Ireland: A Local Guide's Top Recommendations

During two decades as a guide with CIE Tours, Marlene Sullivan has learned Ireland’s most celebrated stories—from the Black Stuff (that’s Guinness stout to the rest of us) to the Blarney Stone. She’s led a variety of the tours that CIE offers throughout the country. And she has also brought to fruition the customized tours—around themes such as literary history, gardens or golf—that make up half of the company’s offerings.

Q: Why does Ireland have such a hold on the public imagination?

A: It mostly comes from the grand scenery and the ancestral connections. But I think that another big part is the warmth and intimacy you find in the smaller restaurants, along the narrow roads, on the small ferries. The Irish want you to go away thinking that you’ve visited one of the friendliest places ever. We’ve also been fortunate to be put on the world stage recently by streaming series that showcase locales, like Game of Thrones, and re-tell dramatic sagas, like the new House of Guinness.

Q: Lead us through one of your favorite tours.

A: If you’ve never been to Ireland, you should start with the one-week Irish Gold tour, which is sort of a greatest hits trip through the south and west. The trip begins in Dublin, where we stay at the Royal Marine Hotel on the Dún Laoghaire promenade, where in the 5th century Saint Patrick is reported to have visited King Laoire, the high King of Ireland, at his fortress during his mission to convert the people of Ireland  to Christianity. It makes for a great start!

From there, we drive about two hours west and break for some Irish coffee in Athlone at Sean’s Bar, the oldest bar in Ireland, dating to 900 AD. It’s very close to Galway, where we take a short walking tour and then on the next day visit Kylemore Abbey in Connemara. The rest of the tour includes visiting a sheep farm, exploring the Cliffs of Moher, which brings us down to Killarney for riding the horse-drawn [‘jaunting’] cars that are particular to the area.

Then it’s on to Blarney Castle in Cork, where we, of course, can kiss the iconic stone before heading on to Waterford to visit the manufacturing facility of the famous crystal maker. This is a wonderful place to pick up some souvenirs. Before heading back to Dublin, we stop at Kilkenny Castle, which dates to the mid-1200s and also has a wonderful design center that sells pottery, jewelry and textiles handcrafted by local artisans.

Q: Any tips for those looking to dig deeper?

A: Well, of course, you can explore a big city like Dublin from many vantage points, so it might be a good idea to stay longer and pursue a special interest—like for instance, visiting sites associated with classic writers like Oscar Wilde and James Joyce. You can do the same in Belfast, which is almost a must at this point. It has amazing Victorian architecture and fascinating history, and it’s not far from the Giant’s Causeway.

But there are many wonderful small towns that have become very well-known too, like Westport, which is in County Mayo. It’s known for its music and pubs like Matt Molloy’s, where Matt, the flautist for the Irish folk band The Chieftains, is often there to welcome you. Or Kinsale, in County Cork, which is popular for its colorful houses and gourmet cuisine. It’s also where the Lusitania sank 11 miles offshore during World War I after being torpedoed by a German submarine. 

There’s so much richness to be found throughout Ireland, whether it’s amazing cultural heritage or incredible scenery. You’ll have to keep on coming back!