Pubs first, late bars after, clubs until 02:30. Live music in Dublin, Galway and Cork is the real draw.
Live city guides: Dublin.
Best clubs: Dublin.
Where to go out
Ireland goes to the pub first. A night out starts with a pint, often with live music, and moves to a late bar or club only if you push on. Pubs close at 23:30 from Monday to Thursday and 00:30 on Friday and Saturday, with 30 minutes more to finish your drink. Late bars and nightclubs run until 02:30. A pint in a Dublin pub costs about €6 to €7.50.
Dublin is the main city, and the pub is the real venue. Dublin nightlife runs from the pubs of Camden Street and Wexford Street to late bars and clubs nearby, with Temple Bar as the tourist-priced exception. Galway and Cork run smaller, more local scenes, each around two and a half hours from Dublin by train or bus. Belfast, in the United Kingdom, is about two hours north.
The mistake is expecting the night to go on. Irish licensing law ends the night at 02:30, and plans to let clubs open until 06:00 have sat in draft legislation since 2022. When venues close, everyone looks for a taxi or a bus at once. Plan the way home before you go out.
Traditional sessions and gigs run in pubs across Dublin, Galway and Cork.
Conversation, rounds and a pint of stout. You do not need a club to have a night out.
Guinness and Irish whiskey are on every bar.
St Patrick's Festival in March, Electric Picnic in late August and Cork Jazz in October.
Dublin is compact, and Nitelink buses run on Friday and Saturday nights.
Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Glasgow are each about an hour from Dublin by air.
Not for you if you want a club until sunrise. Venues close by 02:30, and after that there is only the taxi queue.
Parade, concerts and street events around 17 March. The 2027 programme runs five days, from 13 to 17 March.
A festival of events ending with the parade through the city centre. In 2027 it runs 23 to 27 June, with the parade on Saturday 26 June.
Two weeks of theatre, music and art, from 13 to 26 July in 2026. Around two and a half hours from Dublin.
Three days of music with camping in County Laois, with coaches from Dublin and trains to Portlaoise. The 2027 edition, 27 to 29 August, has already sold out.
Five days over the October bank holiday weekend, with gigs in pubs, hotels and venues across the city.
Friday in the pubs of Camden Street and Wexford Street, Saturday in a late bar or club until 02:30. The Dublin nightlife guide has the doors, hours and Nitelink routes.
Two nights in Dublin, then around two and a half hours west by train or bus to Galway for live music around Quay Street.
Two nights in Dublin, then about two hours north by train to Belfast, in the United Kingdom, for the Cathedral Quarter. Bring pounds sterling.
Three nights in Dublin, then about an hour by air to Manchester or Liverpool for two.
Three nights in Dublin, two in Edinburgh and two in Glasgow. Fly from Dublin, then take the train between the Scottish cities.
Musicians play tunes in a pub corner, usually without a stage. Listen during the tunes and talk between them.
Stout is poured in two stages and left to settle. Order it in a busy pub where it turns over quickly.
Dublin's local alternative to Temple Bar, with pubs, late bars and clubs close together. The Dublin guide has current doors.
When pubs shut at 00:30, late bars take over until 02:30.
Pedestrian streets around Quay Street, busy with buskers and pubs.
On Friday and Saturday nights Nitelink buses leave the city centre for €2.40 with a Leap Card.
Chips, crispy shredded chicken, peppers and chilli in a spice mix, in a paper bag. Sold at Chinese takeaways.
A breaded chicken fillet in a buttered roll with salad and sauce, from convenience-store delis. Most delis close well before the clubs.
Chips under melted cheese and garlic mayonnaise, from chippers and takeaways.
In a chipper a supper is the main item with chips. Battered fish and battered sausage are the standards.
Sausage, rasher, egg and pudding in a roll. The morning-after order, sold from delis and cafes.
Walk in, order at the bar and pay as you go. Late bars and clubs have bouncers, who refuse anyone too drunk.
In a group, people take turns buying drinks. Skipping your round is the real social mistake.
Not expected for a pint. Around 10 to 15 per cent in restaurants if no service charge is added.
Temple Bar pubs charge €8 to €10 for a pint, against about €6 to €7 elsewhere in Dublin.
Possession of cannabis and other drugs is an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Acts. Gardaí can arrest, and penalties include fines and prison.
Being drunk and disorderly in public can mean a fine or arrest, and many towns ban drinking in certain public places.
Large groups, stag and hen parties especially, are refused most often. Ask before filming musicians, and keep phones and bags in sight.
| Club entry | about €10–20 |
| Pint of stout or lager, Dublin pub | about €6–7.50 |
| Pint in Temple Bar | about €8–10 |
| Pint outside Dublin | about €5.50–6.50 |
| Cocktail | about €12–15 |
| Nitelink bus, Leap Card or cash | €2.40 or €3.10 |
| Taxi, short city ride at night | about €15–25 |
| Spice bag or chipper supper | about €8–12 |
Four pints in a normal pub, free live music, a spice bag and the Nitelink home.
Pub first, three pints, a club at about €15, two cocktails and the Nitelink home.
Six pints or more, cocktails, a club entry, food and a taxi home.
Nitelink buses leave the city centre on Friday and Saturday nights on 12 routes, at €2.40 with a Leap Card and €3.10 cash. 24-hour Dublin Bus routes run every night. Trams and trains finish earlier than the clubs. Book taxis through FREE NOW or Uber.
The legal drinking age is 18. Venues ask for photo ID, usually a passport or driving licence.
Cards and contactless work almost everywhere. Pay at the bar as you order. Belfast uses pounds sterling.
Pubs are free to enter. Clubs charge at the door or online. Big festivals sell out early.
Many towns have by-laws against drinking in certain public places, and being drunk and disorderly is an offence. Use a beer garden.
Ireland is generally safe at night. Expect crowded taxi queues at closing, and keep phones and bags in sight.
Banned in pubs, bars and clubs since 29 March 2004. Smokers use outdoor areas, many of them heated.
English, with Irish on signs. Say sláinte for cheers. Craic means fun, and the Gardaí are the police.
Yes, for pubs and live music. Dublin has the most variety, and Galway and Cork are smaller. Clubs close at 02:30.
Nightclubs and late bars close at 02:30. Pubs close at 23:30 on weeknights, 00:30 on Friday and Saturday and 23:00 on Sunday, plus 30 minutes to finish your drink.
About €40 for a cheap night, €75 for a normal one and €130 or more for a big one.
18. Bars and clubs ask for photo ID.
Dublin, for variety and late bars. Galway and Cork are smaller, with strong live music.
About €6 to €7.50 in most Dublin pubs and €8 to €10 in Temple Bar. Elsewhere, about €5.50 to €6.50.
