10 Main Streets Where Ireland Comes Alive
Ireland's main streets are as vital as they've ever been, reflecting the spirit and character of the towns they serve. In Clifden, Lowry's Music & Whiskey Bar on Market Street hosts live music every night of the week. Kinsale's Main Street pairs wine shops with galleries selling contemporary paintings and ceramics, steps away from the Stoney Steps mural of the town's own pirate, Anne Bonny. On Dingle's waterfront, you'll find classic fish and chips at The Humble Fishmonger, fresh off the boat from Dingle Harbour just behind the shopfronts. Ireland lives in its main streets, and each town below invites visitors to do the same.
Westport, County Mayo
In County Mayo, Westport's High Street was incorporated after the original village, Cathair na Mart, was moved to Westport's current location. This High Street, set on a steep hill, is lined with indulgent restaurants, like Il Vulcano Restaurant for classic Italian fare, or next door, Sage Restaurant and its sage-colored entrance, renowned for its organic and vegetarian options, as well as its vino. At the bottom of High Street's hill, which turns into Bridge Street and Mill Street, the Clock Tower has been standing since 1947 in its Art Deco fashion, and is sometimes wrapped up in decorative lights that brighten up the town square at night. The Clock Tower is accompanied by The Clock House Cafe, a cozy establishment meant for sipping tea and watching the locals walk on by outside the window.
Ballina, County Mayo
Just under an hour northeast of Westport, still in County Mayo, Ballina's Pearse Street, formerly known as Knox Street, was once centered around the town's Bank of Ireland, and today's locals still call it by its old name. At the beginning of the one-way street just past the roundabout, there are some period row houses painted in bright hues of yellow, blue, and pink, lighting up Pearse Street. Then there is the Jackie Clarke Museum, a beautiful red-bricked Victorian building from 1881 diagonally across the street, holding a collection of archives and exhibits in what used to be the Provincial Bank. Further down, the main shopping area of Ballina comes into view, and coffee shops like Mocha Beans Ballina, with its red awning, invite patrons in for a hot drink while watching pedestrians. Hallahan's Guesthouse is also on Pearse Street, with its pink floral planters and muted green doors suggesting a comfortable stay for those passing through this town on the River Moy.
Clifden, County Galway
About two hours southwest of Ballina lies Clifden, in County Galway. Market Street is where all the action happens in Clifden, a town built by the wealthy D'Arcy family in the early 19th century. At the top of Market Street is one of the many Aran Woollen Stores in Ireland for getting your hands on some knit clothing that will keep you warm. A few doors down, Lowry's Music & Whiskey Bar is a traditional Irish pub that keeps the crowd entertained with live music every night of the week. And where Market Street bleeds onto Market Square, the Alcock & Brown Statue pays tribute to a journey made from Newfoundland to a bog just outside Clifden in 1919, in the early days of aviation, by Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown.
Adare, County Limerick
A village planned by the Dunraven family in the 19th century, Adare in County Limerick, two and a half hours southeast of Clifden, is where colorful thatched-roof cottages bring Main Street to life. Highlights include the luxurious four-star Dunraven Arms Hotel and the knitwear and porcelain gifts at Adare Cottage Shop, which are only a minute or so apart. The Blue Door Restaurant is another highlight of Adare, adorned in cobalt shades and serving dishes. Then, of course, Adare Town Park is a beautiful green space for walks and picnics, with extensive landscaping and floral displays along the River Maigue, including a thatched gazebo, following the theme of thatched structures in Adare.
Dingle, County Kerry
Two hours southwest of Adare is County Kerry's seaside town of Dingle, shaped by significant Norman and Spanish influences in fishing and maritime activity. Dingle's main thoroughfare, Strand Street and Wood Street, is where the waterfront town comes to life, like at The Humble Fishmonger, where you can find a classic fish and chips meal, and the sleek modern building of Brian de Staic Jewellers, with the blue waters of Dingle Harbour right behind it. Several holiday cottages, as well as personal homes, make up a good portion of Strand Street, like the vivid yellow front door of Blooming Wildflower Cottage bed and breakfast. Ireland's largest aquarium is also here: the Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium, which has plenty of sea animals like sharks and penguins, and very easy access to the main thoroughfare of Strand Street with views of Dingle Harbour.
Kinsale, County Cork
Roughly three hours southeast of Dingle, Kinsale in County Cork, down by the Celtic Sea, was once a major wine port in the 14th century and now has a Main Street that lives up to its wine-trading roots, with businesses like The Wine Buff helping oenophiles select the best wine. Margaux is another excellent spot, a rather upscale French restaurant across from The Wine Buff. To pair nicely with the wine, the arts scene is certainly going strong here, with galleries like Art and Soul Kinsale on Main Street selling contemporary paintings and ceramic pieces, as well as the Stoney Steps mural that leads down from Higher O'Connell Street onto Main Street, which depicts the pirate legend that was Kinsale's very own Anne Bonny.
Cobh, County Cork
Only about 40 to 45 minutes from Kinsale is Cobh, still within County Cork. Cobh's main thoroughfare has a mixture of names that transition from one to the other: East Beach to West Beach to Casement Square to Westbourne Place, a street that has watched over the ships coming in and out of Cork Harbour for centuries, including the RMS Titanic. Regarding the major shipwreck connection here, Cobh has its waterfront Titanic Bar and Grill on Casement Square for refined dining, in a former ticketing office. There are a few memorials and commemorative plaques around town, such as the Lusitania Wall of Remembrance, honouring the Lusitania's sinking in 1915, three years after the RMS Titanic sank. A few minutes down the thoroughfare on West Beach, the purple walls of Connie Doolan's Bar stand out as a traditional Irish pub with live music on the weekends, keeping the town alive and well.
Cashel, County Tipperary
A little over an hour northeast of Cobh is Cashel in County Tipperary, formerly a medieval walled town built on Norman architecture and urban planning. Cashel's Main Street's most impressive landmark is likely Kearney's Castle, a tall 15th-century tower that served as a hotel until 2016. On the corner of Main Street and John Street is The Boutique by Cashel Palace, a staple shop for thoughtful high-end Irish gifts. Toward the end of Main Street by Lower Gate Square, The Brian Boru Bar & Restaurant immortalizes the name of the High King of Ireland, Brian Boru, with salads, roasts, and other types of pub grub, not to mention great live music on Saturday evenings.
Kilkenny, County Kilkenny
Cross over into County Kilkenny by driving about an hour northeast of Cashel to Kilkenny, where the High Street has been an active part of the town since 1200. The city hall itself, the Tholsel in Kilkenny, was built in 1761 and still functions as a civic center, hosting seasonal events. And Market Cross Shopping Centre is a rather commercial aspect of the High Street, but nevertheless makes the High Street live up to its name, and The Gourmet Store right across from it is fantastic for cold cut sandwiches and other gourmet finds; it has been a part of town since 1996. This High Street definitely still thrives on foot traffic to keep its retailers going.
Enniscorthy, County Wexford
Head into County Wexford by leaving Kilkenny and arriving in Enniscorthy an hour later, moving down southeast to the River Slaney that flows out into the Irish Sea. Castle Street and Market Square form Enniscorthy's primary thoroughfare, developed by the Normans in the medieval period after the town was founded as a monastic settlement in 510 CE. Enniscorthy Castle is a marvelous stronghold on Castle Street, having witnessed much change since its conception in 1190, and two doors down is The Athenæum, a popular venue with its circa 1892 classical architecture and deep cultural significance. Then there are little cafes and restaurants in downtown Enniscorthy, like Gillen's Cafe across the street, which serves authentic roasted coffee and Irish soda bread for patrons to enjoy while they look out onto the narrow, historic street.
Ten Main Streets, Eight Counties
The Irish main street lives on through its castles and arts venues, like in Enniscorthy, or through its waterfront lifestyle, like what is found in Dingle Harbour. Or wine lovers can satisfy their thirst in Kinsale, and in Adare, a unique architectural style makes the street all the more beautiful. And in Westport, the Clock Tower has been watching over the busy pedestrians for nearly 80 years. Ireland's thoroughfares haven't slowed since medieval times, and they certainly are not quieting down any time soon.
