This Winter in Ireland: Stunning Sunsets, Lively Music and Amazing Food Await You

-

 



Nestled between Christmas season and St. Patrick’s Day, the winter months in Ireland are full of magic, comfort and delight for intrepid travelers.

Irish winters are rarely extreme, with an average temperature between 40 and 46 degrees, and don’t be surprised to wake up to clear blue skies and sunshine. When Ireland is occasionally blanketed with the purest of snow, it only makes the landscape more evocative and alluring.

In winter, you’ll have plenty of room to roam, and time to explore the same charms that Ireland offers year round, from cozy pubs and lively music sessions to tasty cuisine and miles of breathless landscapes and seascapes. Here are suggestions to get you going.

Let’s start with the winter beauty of Ireland. Shorter days and longer evenings mean incredible sunsets up and down the coast. Try these spots for a memorable Irish sunset or discover your own! Along the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland, check out Murlough Beach in Co. Down, and in nearby Co. Antrim, Dunluce Castle, the Giant’s Causeway, and the Dark Hedges. Along the Wild Atlantic Way, see the Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare and Lough Gur in Co. Limerick. In Dublin, the view from Howth north of the city is stunning.

If your ideal cozy winter day is going to a pub, having a glass of whiskey or a pint of stout with home-cooked traditional meals, while enjoying a warm fire with live traditional music, then Ireland is the place for you! There are hundreds of Irish traditional music sessions nightly in Ireland. Some of our favorite sessions are at O’Flaherty’s Pub in Dingle, Co. Kerry; McCann’s Pub in Doolin, Co. Clare; the Crane Bar in Galway City; and O’ Donoghue’s Pub on Merrion Row in Dublin.

For a full course of excellent music, check out the annual TradFest in Dublin, on January 24-28, 2024, where the world’s best traditional musicians and singers converge. This year’s broad lineup includes singer Janis Ian, uilleann piper Paddy Keenan, American banjo star Alison Brown, Galician piper Carlos Nuñez and more!

For distinctive Irish food experiences, try the Saltwater Brig, a country style pub and restaurant nestled in Kircubbin, Co. Down on the shores of Strangford Lough. In Dublin, visit Sinnott’s Bar near St. Stephen’s Green on South King Street. Dating back to the 18th century, Sinnott’s has a full Irish menu with breakfast, lunch and dinner. MacNean House and Restaurant in Blacklion, Co. Cavan, run by Chef Neven Maguire and his wife Amelda, offers an award-winning menu, including great vegetarian dishes. Farmgate Café in Cork City offers a relaxed atmosphere in Ireland’s oldest covered food market, for over 25 years, sourcing the freshest ingredients from the Food Stalls of the English Market, and with small-scale market gardeners.

Wherever you go in Ireland, you’ll find beauty and warmth - even in winter!

For information about visiting Ireland this winter or year round, go to ireland.com/ 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

General Edward L. Logan, Namesake of Boston's Logan International Airport

-
Image
General Edward L. Logan (1875-1939), namesake of Boston’s Logan International Airport , died on July 6 1939 from a sudden 'heart ailment.'  His brother, Reverend Leo J. Logan, presided over the funeral mass at the Gate of Heaven Church in South Boston, with tributes by leading politicians like Senator David I. Walsh , former Massachusetts Governor and Boston Mayor James M. Curley and former Mayor John F. Fitzgerald .  Logan is buried at the Calvary Cemetery in West Roxbury.  A first generation Irish-American, military leader, civic leader and municipal judge with family roots in Galway and South Boston,  Edward was the oldest of nine children of Lawrence and Catherine (O’Connor), according to Michael Cummings of Milton, an expert on the Logan Family. Edward’s father Lawrence immigrated to Boston from Ballygar, County Galway, in 1858, and became a successful businessman at a young age when he became president of the Boston Brewing Company in South Boston.  The family resided a
Read more

Damian McGinty, former Celtic Thunder Star, Performs in Hartford and Providence this Fall

-
Image
Damian McGinty , the young singing star from Derry, Northern Ireland who performed with Celtic Thunder , is returning to New England in October as part of a national tour with  Ethan Bortnick . They will be performing in Hartford, CT on October 5, followed by two shows in Providence, RI on October 12, 2014. Find details here. McGinty was part of the original Celtic Thunder ensemble for several years, and left the band in 2012 when he won a coveted spot on the television show Glee .  Since then he has embarked on a solo career that has taken him around the world.  In 2013 McGinty was Cultural Ambassador for his home city of Derry, Northern Ireland . Find year round details on Celtic and Irish cultural activities at IrishMassachusetts.com .
Read more

Commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Boston Irish Famine Memorial on June 28, 2023

-
Image
On Wednesday, June 28, the Irish community from greater Boston is gathering alongside public officials, businesses and immigrant organizations to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Boston Famine Memorial. The event, which is free and open to the public, runs from 11 a.m. to Noon and features reflections from local leaders as well as traditional Irish music and a blessing of the memorial park and of those gathered.  Please check back for updated information  in the coming days  Thank you.
Read more