25 reasons to visit Ireland in 2025

You’ve heard of Saint Patrick and St Patrick’s Day. Well now meet St Brigid and St Brigid's Day! Ireland has a bank holiday on 3 February (the start of Celtic spring) to celebrate this fascinating 6th century saint, so why not join us?

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Weekend in February than with a trip to The Outing, Ireland’s amazing LGBTQ+ matchmaking festival, which takes place in County Clare.

Come and see Ireland take on some of the world’s best teams in the super-competitive 6 Nations Championship 2025! There’s a lot more to a rugby weekend in Ireland than just the game!

Buzzing streets, hip cafés, electric art galleries and more… Find out why National Geographic included Cork city in its Best of the World list for 2025.

Well, we couldn’t have an Ireland’s must-do list without including the wonderful St Patrick’s Day celebrations in March. Expect the traditional parade, great music, arts, culture and more. It’s bound to be a spectacular, dazzling display as usual!

Explore some of the world’s first accredited Blueways – including the coastal Arranmore-Burtonport Blueway in County Donegal. Walk, cycle or paddle in some of the most beautiful, under-the-radar locations on the island. Bliss!

Not in 2025! Get planning now for an exciting summer of live music in Dublin. From Lana Del Ray and Billie Eilish (June/July) to Oasis and Robbie Williams (August), Dublin is going to get LOUD!

Belfast’s Cathedral Arts Quarter Festival celebrates its 25th birthday in 2025 and we’re expecting some big things from this always-interesting celebration of culture.

Celebrate James Joyce's masterpiece, Ulysses, in the city that inspired it. Find out why each year, on 16 June, literary fans flock to Dublin for Bloomsday to relive Leopold Bloom’s fateful day in the city.

Time your visit for July and join the pros at golf’s ultimate challenge – The 153rd Open in Royal Portrush. Beyond the course, the spectacular Causeway Coast awaits, filled with must-sees including the Giant’s Causeway and Mussenden Temple.

Did you know that Northern Ireland is home to the winner of the Best Spa Experience at the Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence 2025? Spa break at Galgorm Resort, anyone?

De Barra’s unassuming pub in the County Cork town of Clonakilty is famous for its folk and traditional Irish music. And now it’s been named by Lonely Planet in its list of the 10 Best Music Venues in the World for 2025.

Two spectacular properties join the Ireland’s Blue Book portfolio in 2025 – five-star Dromoland Castle Hotel in County Clare and the quirky Station House Hotel, set in a former railway station in County Meath.

Foodies, rejoice! Ireland’s restaurant scene continues to go from strength to strength with Michelin stars awarded to three new eateries in 2024: D’Olier Street in Dublin, The Bishop’s Buttery in Cashel Palace Hotel and Homestead Cottage in Doolin.

Looking for a chance to recharge your batteries surrounded by nature? Get yourself to Lough Erne in the Fermanagh Lakelands, named one of Lonely Planet’s Most Relaxing Destinations in the World for 2025.

One of Ireland’s oldest whiskey brands, McConnell’s has undergone an exciting rebirth with a brand new distillery in the historic A Wing of Crumlin Road Gaol. It would be a crime to miss the distillery tour and tasting here!

Can’t wait for Bridgerton Season 4? Try the immersive Bridgerton Experience in Waterford, comprising a tour of the stunning Bishop’s Palace and afternoon tea at Mount Congreve Gardens. Regency-inspired dress is encouraged, so brush off your bonnet/top hat!

Missing the Derry Girls? Head to the Walled City and relive the best moments with the Derry Girls Experience exhibit in the Tower Museum. See 90s-style costumes, props and sets from the award-winning series.

When American football comes to Dublin, it’s always a big deal! K-State take on Iowa State on 23 August 2025 in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Save the date and see who comes out on top!

In 2024, we welcomed our first marine national park in County Kerry – Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí. The park is a wonderland of natural landscapes and precious habitats along the Kerry coastline and on the Dingle Peninsula. A must for nature lovers.

Celebrate the genius of playwright, poet and LGBTQ+ icon, Oscar Wilde at the In Our Dreams festival in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh in October. Wilde’s classic story The Happy Prince is said to have been inspired by his schooldays in the town.

Did you know Halloween began in Ireland? The Púca Festival is a folklore-infused celebration of the original birthplace of Halloween; while Derry Halloween has captured the imagination of visitors to the famous Walled City for over 35 years.

Condé Nast lists County Clare on the Wild Atlantic Way as one of the Best Places to Go in Europe in 2025, thanks to its eco-conscious stays, thrilling trad music sessions and celebration of traditional crafts such as dry-stone wall building and willow weaving.

Historic buildings, vibrant culture, an edgy street art scene, and of course, Titanic heritage… just some of the reasons why Belfast was named a top destination in Condé Nast Traveller’s 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards.

We’re excited about the idea of hassle-free travel in 2025. Our list of car-free Ireland itineraries is growing, so why not take a backseat and enjoy the wilds of Donegal, the thatched cottages of Adare, the sands of Dunmore East and much more.