Nicest Towns in Ireland

[Milltown Row2]

Carlingford is an awful kip. A once lovely town infested by Stags and Hens, you can't move from Friday to Monday for them on a normal weekend, never mind a bank holiday and it's like Andytown in July. Fat women in 4 inch heels and too much make up getting airlifted off the mountain. Locals can't afford houses, they are all on Airbnb now. People in Omeath are now advertising their houses as being in Carlingford. For those who don't know it, Omeath is like Tenko with added inbreeding and slightly more despondency, with a bit of luck Brexit will bring a hard border and no one will ever pass Davey's Pub again.
€15 for a one way trip on the Scenic Carlingford Ferry over to Greencastle. I'll repeat that €15 and we complain about prices for the national league. At least there's a chance when they get as far as Greencastle they won't be back, they'll never get out of Kilkeel alive.

Hens and Stags do have a lot to answer for. A f**king scourge to all, except the breweries.

Never been on a stag do? If you owned a shop, bar, cafe or restaurant, you'd be hoping they make your place a target...

I have, but they have morphed into an abomination, where people behave nothing like they would on a normal night out. Pubs, hotels etc encourage them, but a lot of people abandon their local towns in heg/stag season.

Yeah, I get that, I would have went to Carlingford a lot but once the stags set up shop there, it has changed dramatically. But having been at a great stag there not so long ago and having made complete tits of ourselves, I understand that people who live there (not bar owners ) would find the place just about bearable! So we are going to Spain for the next one!!

[Ambrose]

Carlingford is an awful kip. A once lovely town infested by Stags and Hens, you can't move from Friday to Monday for them on a normal weekend, never mind a bank holiday and it's like Andytown in July. Fat women in 4 inch heels and too much make up getting airlifted off the mountain. Locals can't afford houses, they are all on Airbnb now. People in Omeath are now advertising their houses as being in Carlingford. For those who don't know it, Omeath is like Tenko with added inbreeding and slightly more despondency, with a bit of luck Brexit will bring a hard border and no one will ever pass Davey's Pub again.
€15 for a one way trip on the Scenic Carlingford Ferry over to Greencastle. I'll repeat that €15 and we complain about prices for the national league. At least there's a chance when they get as far as Greencastle they won't be back, they'll never get out of Kilkeel alive.

You're describing as a kip a beautiful seaside town, nestled in mountains,  with proper heritage and at least half a planning policy, good amenities, proper food and drink options, and only 15 minutes from the motorway. What chance does anywhere else have?

It's picture postcard perfect until you get out of the car, the entire village has been regenerated on the back of hens and stags. Half a planning policy that allows gaudy pubs and a sky park, but it's almost impossible to build a house there, ask Rob Kearney. You'll only hear a local voice in any of the restaurants from Tuesday to Thursday. Dans Cafe is closing at the end of the month, no doubt it'll be replaced by another over priced bistro full of hairy faced liberals with their latte macchiatos and lentil soup.
There are of course exceptions, the wonderful Ghan House being one, but they are becoming rarer and rarer. Even Lilly Finnegan's is now infected with them, Longs too, when it opens.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Carlingford is an awful kip. A once lovely town infested by Stags and Hens, you can't move from Friday to Monday for them on a normal weekend, never mind a bank holiday and it's like Andytown in July. Fat women in 4 inch heels and too much make up getting airlifted off the mountain. Locals can't afford houses, they are all on Airbnb now. People in Omeath are now advertising their houses as being in Carlingford. For those who don't know it, Omeath is like Tenko with added inbreeding and slightly more despondency, with a bit of luck Brexit will bring a hard border and no one will ever pass Davey's Pub again.
€15 for a one way trip on the Scenic Carlingford Ferry over to Greencastle. I'll repeat that €15 and we complain about prices for the national league. At least there's a chance when they get as far as Greencastle they won't be back, they'll never get out of Kilkeel alive.

Hens and Stags do have a lot to answer for. A f**king scourge to all, except the breweries.

Never been on a stag do? If you owned a shop, bar, cafe or restaurant, you'd be hoping they make your place a target...

I have, but they have morphed into an abomination, where people behave nothing like they would on a normal night out. Pubs, hotels etc encourage them, but a lot of people abandon their local towns in heg/stag season.

Yeah, I get that, I would have went to Carlingford a lot but once the stags set up shop there, it has changed dramatically. But having been at a great stag there not so long ago and having made complete tits of ourselves, I understand that people who live there (not bar owners ) would find the place just about bearable! So we are going to Spain for the next one!!

what did you do - show them your gaaboard posts 

*sits back from laptop, smiles smugly*

[lurganblue]

Cant include Moira. Traffic is a complete joke. Would hate to live in it.

[Rois]

Cant include Moira. Traffic is a complete joke. Would hate to live in it.

Drove through it last night when coming the back road from Lurgan about 9pm and it was fine. 
It has some nice restaurants and a well-kept main street though.

The same argument could apply to Adare. 

[Minder]

Broughshane recently won channel 4's best village award. To be honest its always clean and has lots of flowers on display in the summer but other than that is extremely ordinary.

Used to have a great butcher's. Changed hands a few years ago so not sure how it is now. Nice local shops. Decent pub/restaurant.  Always well kept, lots of hanging baskets. BUT as always let down by the "bunting".

Yeah my mate swears by the butchers, said it's great

[Tubberman]

The Moy has a bit going for it.

I assume you're talking about the river?

[Farrandeelin]

Echo seanie's call on Strandhill. Lovely place. Has any Donegal town been mentioned on here yet?

[Orchard park]

dont think so farrandeelin but a town i love visiting

[galwayman]

Going to be a bit of a homer here but have to nominate Strandhill, Co. Sligo. Nestled between the iconic Knocknarea (final resting place of the legendary Queen Maeve of Connacht) and the North Atlantic it's just a fantastic place to relax and unwind with plenty of pursuits to suit all levels of activeness. Excellent food, pubs, surfing, walks/trails, seaweed baths and on the doorstep of arguably the most significant archaeological sites in Europe - Carrowmore Megalithic tombs.

It's no wonder Sligo was as world's top holiday destination in Vogue magazine recently. Of course I'm biased but that doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Top tip for food in Strandhill Seanie?
Will be there on a Saturday in a few weeks with the missus.

[galwayman]

Greystones in Wicklow is a nice spot too.

[Milltown Row2]

Carlingford is an awful kip. A once lovely town infested by Stags and Hens, you can't move from Friday to Monday for them on a normal weekend, never mind a bank holiday and it's like Andytown in July. Fat women in 4 inch heels and too much make up getting airlifted off the mountain. Locals can't afford houses, they are all on Airbnb now. People in Omeath are now advertising their houses as being in Carlingford. For those who don't know it, Omeath is like Tenko with added inbreeding and slightly more despondency, with a bit of luck Brexit will bring a hard border and no one will ever pass Davey's Pub again.
€15 for a one way trip on the Scenic Carlingford Ferry over to Greencastle. I'll repeat that €15 and we complain about prices for the national league. At least there's a chance when they get as far as Greencastle they won't be back, they'll never get out of Kilkeel alive.

Hens and Stags do have a lot to answer for. A f**king scourge to all, except the breweries.

Never been on a stag do? If you owned a shop, bar, cafe or restaurant, you'd be hoping they make your place a target...

I have, but they have morphed into an abomination, where people behave nothing like they would on a normal night out. Pubs, hotels etc encourage them, but a lot of people abandon their local towns in heg/stag season.

Yeah, I get that, I would have went to Carlingford a lot but once the stags set up shop there, it has changed dramatically. But having been at a great stag there not so long ago and having made complete tits of ourselves, I understand that people who live there (not bar owners ) would find the place just about bearable! So we are going to Spain for the next one!!

what did you do - show them your gaaboard posts 

*sits back from laptop, smiles smugly*

[magpie seanie]

Going to be a bit of a homer here but have to nominate Strandhill, Co. Sligo. Nestled between the iconic Knocknarea (final resting place of the legendary Queen Maeve of Connacht) and the North Atlantic it's just a fantastic place to relax and unwind with plenty of pursuits to suit all levels of activeness. Excellent food, pubs, surfing, walks/trails, seaweed baths and on the doorstep of arguably the most significant archaeological sites in Europe - Carrowmore Megalithic tombs.

It's no wonder Sligo was as world's top holiday destination in Vogue magazine recently. Of course I'm biased but that doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Top tip for food in Strandhill Seanie?
Will be there on a Saturday in a few weeks with the missus.

OK - it's difficult to go wrong because there's a lovely selection of restaurants in such a small village you'll be surprised.

Shells http://www.shellscafe.com/- a definite for breakfast but get there early. Even on week days it's absolutely mobbed. If I go I'd be going before 9.30am usually and I'm an Eggs Benedict fan. They also serve lunch and dinner which is also good I hear but I haven't been myself.

The Strand http://www.thestrandbar.ie/great_food - Pub itself does a really nice bar menu which is excellent and very reasonably priced. They do stone baked pizzas until 11pm as well which are really nice. Upstairs there are two restaurants - Jade Garden Chinese restaurant and the new Stoked Restaurant. Jade Garden (Contact: + 353 (0)71 9168935) is there years and is very good. Stoked is new and has got some good reviews but I have not yet been to it.

The Venue (top road) http://www.venuestrandhill.ie/ - very popular and has been for a long time. Good steaks and seafood options. We would go there pretty regularly. Very consistent good quality.

The Draft House https://www.thedrafthouse.ie/?pagid=home classifies itself as a gastro pub and does a slightly more out of the ordinary bar food menu and specialises in craft beers. I've had several nice meals there also.

So plenty of choice within the village. The Venue is about 1 km from the sea front but all the others are within 150-200 metres of each other. Each is different from the next.....it's not really possible to go wrong. Enjoy.

[The Iceman]

Love Ballina, Westport and Enniscrone (when it's not crowded).
Great call on Dungarvan in Waterford. Some great wee villages and rural pubs round about Portlaw and Carrols Cross area. Might have been my youth or the great weather but I have great memories of the area.

Headed to Dunfanaghy this summer when I'm back, have a wee spot booked right on the beach. Donegal has some gems.

[TheOptimist]

Love Ballina, Westport and Enniscrone (when it's not crowded).
Great call on Dungarvan in Waterford. Some great wee villages and rural pubs round about Portlaw and Carrols Cross area. Might have been my youth or the great weather but I have great memories of the area.

Headed to Dunfanaghy this summer when I'm back, have a wee spot booked right on the beach. Donegal has some gems.

I was going to say Dunfanaghy. I have great memories from there as a young leader at summer camps. Take a walk up around Horn Head for some great views. Also there is a hidden beach about a mile or two accross the dunes from the football pitch which was pretty cool.