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Where to pull in Ireland, town by town
Knowing where to pull in Ireland starts with knowing how the night runs, because it runs differently here. Pubs call time at half eleven from Monday to Thursday, half twelve on Friday and Saturday, and eleven on a Sunday, with half an hour to finish your drink. After that, the night carries on only in the late bars and clubs that hold a special licence for it, usually until half two. So there are two decisions every Irish night out comes down to: where you go when the pub closes, and who you go there with.
Irish nights out are sociable by design. Rounds get bought for strangers, groups merge, and a good few couplings have started with someone borrowing a lighter. The other thing that does the work, increasingly, is the phone: a chat started before you head into town, so that when closing comes you're not doing the maths alone. That's what the Irish side of Get Lucky Tonight is for. Here are six places that make a case for the best night out in Ireland, and how each one tends to play out.
Where to pull in Dublin
Dublin has the most choice and the latest nights, and the trick is not getting stuck where everyone else is.
Temple Bar is where the visitors go. It's lively, it's loud, and if you're a local you probably only end up there by accident. Fun for a stag weekend, less so for meeting someone who lives here.
Camden Street and Wexford Street are where Dubliners actually go: a long run of pubs and late bars on the south side that fills up early at the weekend and stays busy until the late licences run out. South Great George's Street and Aungier Street sit either side and catch the overflow.
Harcourt Street is the big-night-out strip, younger and more about dancing. Dame Lane is the tucked-away option, with late bars that run to half two at weekends.
Older Dubliners will tell you Leeson Street used to be where the whole city ended up after the pubs closed. These days the late crowd has moved towards Camden Street and Harcourt Street.
Getting home: Dublin has several bus routes that run all night, every night, and the Nitelink buses run from the city centre on Friday and Saturday nights. After that it's the taxi rank, and on a busy weekend the queue can be long, which is as good a reason as any to make your plan before closing.
Where to pull in Cork
Cork people will tell you it's the real capital, and on a night out they have a point. The city centre sits on an island in the River Lee (hence Leeside), so everything is close and the crowd keeps crossing paths.
Oliver Plunkett Street and Washington Street are the main runs for the late crowd, and most nights out in the city end up somewhere along one or the other. During term the city has a big student population from UCC and MTU, and that keeps the weeknights lively.
The weekend to know about is the October bank holiday, when the Jazz Festival fills the city with visitors, live music in every corner and a long weekend's worth of late nights. If you were ever going to meet someone in Cork, that's the weekend the odds are best.
Where to pull in Galway
Galway is small, walkable and full of people who'd rather be out than in. The Latin Quarter (Quay Street, High Street, Cross Street and Middle Street) runs straight into Shop Street, and on a weekend the whole stretch from Eyre Square to the river becomes one long night out. Over the bridge, the West End around Dominick Street is where locals go to escape the crowds.
Galway's calendar matters more than most. The Galway International Arts Festival takes over the city in July, and then the Galway Races arrive at the end of the month for a full week of racing and a full week of nights out that has its own legend. Add the University of Galway's students during term, and there's rarely a quiet weekend.
The catch: everyone in Galway seems to know everyone. Discretion is easier if you meet in the West End rather than the busiest street in town.
Where to pull in Limerick
Best for: match nights and a straight-talking crowd. A night out in Limerick is never shy.
Where people go: O'Connell Street and Thomas Street, with the pubs and late bars on and around them doing most of the business at the weekend.
When it peaks: whenever Munster are playing at Thomond Park, when the city fills with red jerseys and the post-match night out runs long. The May bank holiday brings Riverfest, with events on and along the Shannon and a city in a good mood.
Who you'll meet: a mix of locals and students from the University of Limerick out in Castletroy, who come into town at the weekend. Limerick people are friendly and direct, which works in your favour: you'll know quickly whether someone's interested.
Where to pull in Kilkenny
For a small city, Kilkenny has an outsized night out, mostly because half of Ireland seems to come here for hen and stag parties. A Kilkenny night out on a Saturday is a sight to behold. On a Saturday the Medieval Mile, from the castle down to the cathedral, is full of groups in matching T-shirts doing their best to have the night of their lives.
The pubs cluster along High Street, Parliament Street and John Street, close enough together that a night out is a slow crawl from one to the next. It's a great town for meeting someone who's also just visiting, and both of you knowing it's a one-weekend thing takes a lot of the pressure off.
The June bank holiday weekend brings the Cat Laughs comedy festival, and the town is packed with people who've come to have a laugh. Good mood, late nights, and a crowd that's easy to talk to.
Where to pull in Waterford
Waterford's night out centres on John Street and the Apple Market area beside it, the city's late quarter, with the old Viking Triangle close by for an earlier, quieter drink. The city centre holds Purple Flag status for its evening and night-time economy, a mark that the night out is well managed and safe to enjoy.
The time to go is from mid-November to Christmas, when Winterval, billed as Ireland's largest Christmas festival, fills the streets at weekends. Christmas parties, a festival crowd and long evenings make it the most sociable stretch of Waterford's year. During term, students from SETU keep the weeknights ticking over.
Waterford is compact, the crowd is local and friendly, and the city is small enough that a "will we go somewhere else?" never involves a long walk.
Before you head into town
Plan the journey home before you go out, especially outside Dublin, where taxis after closing can be scarce. Tell a friend where you're meeting someone. Keep your phone charged. And if it's your first time meeting someone from the site, have a quick read of our Irish safety advice first. It takes two minutes. If you're still deciding whether to bother with the bar at all, there's how the app side works in Ireland.
Irish night out questions
What time do pubs close in Ireland?
Standard closing is 11.30pm from Monday to Thursday, 12.30am on Friday and Saturday, and 11pm on Sunday, with 30 minutes' drinking-up time after each. Late bars and nightclubs can stay open later, usually until 2.30am, but each needs a special exemption from the courts for the night. Plans to extend those hours have not become law.
Where is the best place in Dublin to meet someone on a night out?
Most locals head for Camden Street and Wexford Street, with South Great George's Street and Aungier Street nearby. Harcourt Street suits a younger crowd that wants to dance, and Dame Lane has late bars that run to 2.30am at weekends. Temple Bar is lively but mostly visitors, so it's better for a weekend fling than meeting a local.
Which Irish town is best for a weekend away?
Galway and Kilkenny are the classics. Galway has the Latin Quarter, the West End and a calendar full of festivals, peaking with the Arts Festival in July and the Races at the end of that month. Kilkenny is the hen and stag favourite, compact and sociable. Cork in late October, during the Jazz Festival, is also hard to beat.
How do I get home after a late night in Dublin?
Several Dublin bus routes run around the clock every night, and the Nitelink buses run from the city centre on Friday and Saturday nights. Otherwise it's a taxi, and at weekends the queues at the main ranks get long after the late bars close. Check your route home before you go out and keep your phone charged.
Heading into town?
See who's around and up for it before closing time.