Ireland’s best locations to celebrate New Year’s

Cork was named the best location in Ireland to celebrate New Year’s festivities last year.

Cork received a Google rating of 4.7 out of 5 and a TripAdvisor score of 4.5 out of 5 according to a study from Betway that also analyzed Instagram data.

Achill Island in Co Mayo and the New Year Festival in Dublin were ranked as the joint-second-best places to celebrate New Year’s in Ireland, with Achill receiving a score of 4.6 on both Google and TripAdvisor. 

The Dublin New Year’s Festival received a slightly lower rating on both sites but ranked highly in terms of Instagram hashtags, with more than 770,000 hashtags linked to the festival. 

The festival is known for its live music, street performances, and fireworks display, with Irish artists Lea Hart and Sharon Shannon among the performers this year. 

Galway ranked as the fourth-best place in Ireland to celebrate New Year’s in Ireland in the new study, scoring high on both Google and TripAdvisor. 

The western city is known for its lively pub scene and live music and is popular among Irish people and international tourists alike for its atmosphere and charm. 

In fifth place, the majestic Ben Bulben mountain in Co Sligo represents a left-field New Year’s destination, while the seaside town of Dingle in Co Kerry is in sixth place. 

Dingle has become an incredibly popular New Year’s destination in recent years and features a firework display over Dingle Bay and an on-street celebration. 

Completing the list is Doolin in Co Clare. Located on the Wild Atlantic Way, Doolin is regarded as the home of Irish music and is known for its surfing. 

Ireland’s top New Year destinations, according to Betway:

1. Cork
2. Achill Island, County Mayo and New Year Festival, Dublin
3. Galway
4. Ben Bulben, Co Sligo
5. Dingle Bay, Dingle, Co Kerry
6. Doolin, Co Clare

* This article was originally published in 2023, updated in Dec 2024.