A few weeks ago, in association with Fáilte Ireland, we asked you to put on your foodie thinking caps and let us know about your favourite food destinations around Ireland, and we received more than 120 lovely responses. It was wonderful to see all the imaginative and surprising ways you like to dine when you hit the road and the water around the country, particularly in destinations that don’t often feature prominently in travel guides. Here’s a small selection of the contributions we most enjoyed.
Leitrim By Rosaleen McElvaney
Rosaleen McElvaney’s boat in Leitrim
We have a boat moored in Dromod, Co Leitrim, and the combination of beautiful river and lake scenery, wildlife, forest walks, and excellent food draws us there most weekends during the summer.
We can be sitting outside Cox’s pub, basking in the sun, enjoying a cool white wine and a delicious stir fry (mine prawn with noodles, his beef with rice and chips) by 7pm. A short stroll back to the harbour and it’s hard to believe we did a full day’s work in Dublin that very day.
On Saturday morning it’s up to Horgan’s cafe for some fresh pear and almond scones (or chocolate and raspberry, or fruit) and fresh brown bread that will do us for the week back at home.
We could get one of their delicious vegetarian quiches for today’s lunch, but instead we’ll pop into the market and Olive Tree cafe in Carrick-on-Shannon. It’s a lovely calm morning for the trip down river (on the Shannon it’s upriver when going south, and downriver when going north – go figure) and I just love that quiet stretch of the Jamestown Canal, where all you can hear is the quiet hum of the boat engine and the swishing of the trees swaying majestically.
Rosaleen McElvaney and family in Leitrim
As we approach Carrick, there is the usual niggle of anxiety. Will we get a space? It’s a public jetty, in high demand. Maintained by Waterways Ireland, it’s a fantastic resource for those renting cruisers or those, like ourselves, who have our own boat. We get a spot and head up to the market where we can browse for delicious cheeses and preserves, some nice sourdough bread, and pick up our soup and sandwiches from the Olive Tree.
We could enjoy our lunch at one of the small tables dotted around the courtyard but we prefer the luxury of sitting up the back of the boat, having a leisurely lunch and reading the weekend paper. There is the option of fish for dinner – maybe fresh pike if he’s in the mood? But we’ve booked Di Vino for their pasta. Impossible to get in on a Saturday night without a booking and, for once, we planned ahead.
Sunday morning, after our regular fry-up, we raise anchor and it’s back to Dromod, and the Lough Boderg Trail, before heading back to the city.
Rosaleen McElvaney is originally from Ballinode in Co Monaghan, and lives in Dublin with her husband Frank and their dog Gaia. They have two sons, Lorcan and Fergus. She loves to travel, preferably to sunny climates. Summer weekends are reserved for trips on the Shannon on their boat, Siga Siga, (“slowly slowly” in Greek).
MullingarBy Anne Callan
Mullingar in Co Westmeath. Photograph: iStock
Mullingar – for so long a place to rush through on your way to, or home from, the west. Then, discovery. My sisters visit it regularly. Latterly I decided to join them and was smitten.
In January, we embarked on our first short break of the year, essentially a bit of shopping and dining. We left home after the schoolbus drop off, and within an hour were in Mullingar, a world away, in holiday mode.
Eager for coffee, I left my shopping-mad sisters at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre and strolled down to 2210 Patisserie on Pearse Street. Its lofty airiness and wooden furniture are reminiscent of an elegant Viennese coffeehouse. I had a cappuccino and almond croissant, not cheap but very good.
I lingered happily until the midmorning rush reminded me that time was passing and I should be exploring. Eschewing the obvious retailers, I opted to visit charity shops, where I found a unique plate embossed with a Royal Flush for cents, and bookshops.
People in Mull shops love to chat; the hot topics on the day were the weather, of course, and the US president.
I met up with my sisters in Ilia Cafe on Oliver Plunkett Street for a robust lunch. Tasty soup paired with hefty sandwiches would fill you for the day but we didn’t stop there. For afters, we indulged in pastries accompanied by ice-cream.
Nearby I discovered Bazaar Antiques, a gem of a place with lots of art and objets d’art. Another small purchase there. And then, the pièce de résistance, the Greville Arms Hotel. I freshened up in my warm, comfortable room before a quick sojourn to Canton Casey’s at Market Square for a pre-dinner drink. Here, Friday evening bonhomie simmered merrily.
[ 100 great restaurants, cafes and places to eat around IrelandOpens in new window ]
Back in the Greville we dined by the window in the casual ambience of the Ulysses Bar. Dishes of steak, fish and chicken were wonderful.The Greville is a noble mix of local/rural/urbane charm. It gives a super breakfast: freshly baked scones, cereals, fruit and juices, not to mention the fry. And you never know who you might meet. Mullingar is Ireland the way it used to be.
Anne Callan is an arts administrator from Co Louth. She loves reading, theatre and music and goes to as many gigs as possible, particularly outdoor festivals. She enjoys eating out in new places when she travels.
Connemara By Amy Considine 
The joy of hiking in Connemara. Photograph: Amy Considine
The humble caramel square – admired by many, but mastered by few. If you ever find yourself in Sullivan’s Country Grocer on Main Street, Oughterard, Co Galway, you are guaranteed not only a perfect caramel square, but a perfect day out. Hot drinks are at the back of the shop and served in mugs with logos that range from Disneyland Paris to Olympics 1998. Make your way past the linen tea towels and ceramics to pay at the counter by the open fire. Huddle up on the outdoor seating outside, tearing and sharing treats with friends and watching the world go by.
Before the next stop on the road trip, grab a coffee for the journey in My Little Flower, which is a fantastic coffee shop further along the street, with the friendliest of staff.
Lough Corrib in Co Galway. Photograph: iStock
From there, take a drive along the winding old Glann Road, past the kayaks and canoes, with the wind turbines on the Connemara horizon. There are many places to stop along the way to take a long, ambling walk to the Hill of Doon viewpoint. Looking down over Lough Corrib, this spot is lovely for taking a break with a picnic of focaccia, and buckwheat chocolate cookies – all of which you will have collected earlier from the Sullivan’s counter. On sunny days, you can see across the lake and take a dip off the pier. Keep walking along the route until the legs give up or the snacks run out.
As you turn to return back home, it is essential to stop in Power’s to warm up over the creamy seafood chowder. You’ll arrive home with a new appreciation for small towns and their big offerings.
Amy Considine lives in Galway and works as a teacher. She enjoys cooking, dining out and travel in her free time.
Iveragh Peninsula By Neil Daly
Derrynane beach in Co Kerry
Gathering with friends for the June Bank Holiday Weekend in Ballinskelligs, I took on part of the journey by bicycle. Setting out from Killarney on a grey Thursday morning, my first dismount was Killorglin (mainly because the hill going up Main Street is rather steep). Unfortunately, it was too early in the day for a half pint in Falvey’s, and the recently refitted Kingdom 1795 was not taking in punters until August. I decided to power onwards to Glenbeigh for a nourishment stop.
Emilie’s cafe and artisanal bakery served up the most moreish dark chocolate and pear hotcake with a marvellous americano, which fortified me for the “mountain stage” of the ring. On a great day for the turbines, I pedalled against headwinds and showers to Cahersiveen. I linked there with my less weary gang who had the sense to drive to O’Neill’s at Reenard Point. Here, I necked six of the freshest Ardcost oysters; sublime crab claws and sizzling prawn pil pil.
Ballinskelligs bay, Co Kerry
After a morning swim in Ballinskelligs, excellent oat lattes and pastries came courtesy of Café Cois Trá, the operator of which had taken the reins in the kitchen of the nearby Cable O’Leary’s, serving bar classics alongside more adventurous vegan banh mi. We enjoyed scampi bites after a few jars and some poorly directed darts.
The following day, The Moorings of Portmagee provided a lovely afternoon chowder in the sunshine, some of which was lost on the choppy waters out to the Skelligs (just to view). Equal parts shook and enlightened by the voyage, our appetites returned by the evening in Driftwood, where panoramic views of St Finian’s Bay accompanied pan-fried scallops with black pudding and a succulent slow-cooked short rib, all washed down with Valentia Island Vermouth on the rocks.
[ Michelin-star restaurants in Ireland: The complete 2026 guideOpens in new window ]
The final day of feasting and pedalling took us eastward. A calamari lunch in the Blind Piper provided sustenance before a swim and sauna at Derrynane. Onwards to Castlecove, where the Oralé truck was parked up by An Síopa Dúbh, slinging sumptuous tacos and smash burgers.
On a wonderful weekend in the Kingdom, excellent food and company kept the wheels turning, taking us to spots old and new, all of which I hope to return to (especially Falvey’s).
Neil Daly is a 30-year-old bar manager and cycling enthusiast, currently pickling anything applicable while recovering from an ankle surgery in Cabra, Dublin.Our contributors each received a €250 Good Food Ireland voucher.