Everyone’s Ireland itinerary looks the same: Dublin, then Kilkenny or Kinsale, then the Cliffs of Moher, then Galway. That’s not bad advice, but it skips a lot of the country. These five towns sit off that well-worn route, and each earns its place for a different reason.
Last verified: October 2026. This guide was built from official tourism sources (Ireland.com, Discover Ireland, county council tourism pages), heritage-site operators’ own pages, and Bus Éireann’s route information.
None of these five are secret in any real sense — Irish tourism boards know about all of them. What they share is a lower profile than the handful of towns that dominate “best of Ireland” lists, usually because they sit off the main coach-tour routes rather than because there’s anything wrong with them.
Five Towns at a Glance
- Ardara, Co. Donegal — a working tweed-weaving town on the Wild Atlantic Way, best reached by car since Donegal has no rail line at all.
- Carlingford, Co. Louth — a medieval walled quarter on a lough shore, an easy day trip from Dundalk by bus or car.
- Birr, Co. Offaly — a Georgian midlands town built around a castle demesne with a 19th-century giant telescope.
- Lismore, Co. Waterford — a quiet Blackwater Valley town anchored by a working castle estate’s gardens.
- Youghal, Co. Cork — a walled medieval port town with a clock tower you can climb and three beaches nearby.
Map key: 1) Ardara, Co. Donegal — 2) Carlingford, Co. Louth — 3) Birr, Co. Offaly — 4) Lismore, Co. Waterford — 5) Youghal, Co. Cork.
1. Ardara, Co. Donegal
Donegal gets a fraction of the attention that Kerry and Galway do, largely because it’s a longer drive from Dublin and sits outside the country’s densest concentration of famous sights. Ardara, a small town on the Wild Atlantic Way’s Slieve League coast section, is a good example of what that leaves overlooked.
What makes Ardara distinctive is that its tweed industry isn’t a museum piece. An 1893 government scheme turned home-weaving into commercial production, and two of the original export firms are still weaving Donegal tweed today. The Triona Tweed Visitor Centre on Main Street lets you watch looms in action rather than just look at finished cloth behind glass.
Just outside town, the Glengesh Pass is a dramatic hairpin mountain road with valley views that rival anything on the Ring of Kerry, and it costs nothing to drive. Ardara also calls itself Donegal’s “festival capital,” anchored by the Cup an Tae traditional music festival.
- Nearest city: Donegal Town, about 40 km away.
- Getting there: No rail service exists anywhere in County Donegal. Bus Éireann Route 492 (Donegal–Glenties–Dungloe) stops in Ardara a few times a day; check Transport for Ireland for current times and any other local services.
- Car necessary? Effectively yes — the bus network connects the town but won’t support flexible sightseeing, especially for Glengesh Pass.
- Time to allow: Half a day for the town and tweed centre; add an hour or two for the Glengesh Pass drive.
- Seasonal notes: The Wild Atlantic Way’s west coast weather is changeable year-round — pack for rain regardless of season.
- Where to stay: Small B&Bs and guesthouses rather than hotel chains; book ahead during the Cup an Tae festival.
- Budget: Glengesh Pass is free to visit (Wild Atlantic Way’s own official listing). Triona’s own site lists opening hours for its Main Street premises (9:30am to 5pm on weekdays, 10am to 5pm at weekends) but no admission price, so contact Triona before you go if you want to see the looms working or join a tour.
Who Is This Best For?
Travelers already routing along the Wild Atlantic Way who want a genuine craft-heritage stop rather than a gift-shop version of one. It’s a poor add-on if you’re not already headed toward Donegal — the drive from Dublin is long enough that Ardara alone won’t justify it.
2. Carlingford, Co. Louth
County Louth has a specific, documented visibility problem: in 2024, local councillors publicly criticized Fáilte Ireland for leaving the entire county out of a national tourism ad. Carlingford is the county’s best case for inclusion — a compact medieval quarter on Carlingford Lough that most itineraries skip on the way north to Belfast or south to Dublin.
The 12th-century castle ruins (sometimes called King John’s Castle) sit right above the water, and the town’s narrow medieval streets are walkable in an afternoon. Carlingford Lough itself, framed by the Cooley Mountains, gives the town a setting that’s easy to underestimate from photos alone.
The Carlingford Greenway adds an easy cycling or walking option along the old railway line, and the surrounding Cooley Peninsula is worth a slow drive if you have a car. This isn’t a place that needs a full day, but it rewards more than a rushed hour.
- Nearest city: Dundalk, the nearest rail hub on the Dublin–Belfast line.
- Getting there: Bus Éireann’s Route 161 runs Dundalk–Newry via Carlingford. A car adds flexibility for the wider Cooley Peninsula loop.
- Car necessary? Not for the town itself, but useful for the peninsula and Greenway.
- Time to allow: Half a day for the medieval quarter and castle; a full day if adding the Greenway or a Cooley Peninsula drive.
- Seasonal notes: The castle is visited by guided tour only. Heritage Ireland lists a daily 2pm tour from April to October, though its page gives slightly different season dates in places, so confirm before visiting.
- Where to stay: A small stock of guesthouses and B&Bs — book ahead for festival weekends, including the town’s known oyster festival.
- Budget: OFFICIAL PRICE: castle tours cost €8.50 for adults, €4 for children and €20 for a family of four, per Heritage Ireland’s Carlingford Castle page. Tours are run by the Carlingford Lough Heritage Trust rather than the OPW, and OPW Heritage Cards are not accepted.
Worth Knowing Before You Go
Carlingford isn’t unmarketed — it’s one of Louth’s three headline destinations in official tourism material. The fairer framing is that the whole county is underrated relative to its neighbors, not that Carlingford itself is a secret.
3. Birr, Co. Offaly
Fáilte Ireland markets Ireland’s midlands region as “Hidden Heartlands,” a deliberate contrast to the coastal and heritage routes that get most of the marketing budget. Birr is the clearest example: the castle at its center is well-known to garden and astronomy enthusiasts, but the town itself rarely appears on general “best towns in Ireland” lists.
Birr Castle Demesne is the reason to come. Its Great Telescope, built in 1845, was the largest in the world for over 70 years and was the first instrument to observe the spiral structure of a galaxy. The surrounding 120-acre gardens hold more than 5,000 plant species, and the grounds include a science centre covering the family’s history in astronomy and early photography.
The town around the castle is one of Ireland’s better-preserved Georgian streetscapes, worth a slow walk on its own. Birr works well paired with a wider midlands or Shannon-region itinerary rather than as a single-purpose day trip from Dublin.
- Nearest city: No direct rail; the nearest stations are Tullamore or Portlaoise, with a bus or taxi onward.
- Getting there: Bus Éireann Route 72 connects Birr toward Limerick and Athlone; a direct Dublin service could not be confirmed from official sources.
- Car necessary? Effectively yes, given the limited and unconfirmed bus frequency.
- Time to allow: Half a day for the castle demesne and gardens; a full day if combining the town with the nearby Slieve Bloom Mountains.
- Seasonal notes: Guided interior castle tours run from mid-May to August only, per Birr Castle’s own site; grounds hours are shorter in winter.
- Where to stay: A small market-town stock of guesthouses and hotels — reasonable availability outside peak summer weekends.
- Budget: Birr Castle’s admission page does not show prices: tickets are sold through its online booking portal (or by phone on +353 57 912 0336), and third-party listings quote different figures, so check the current price there before visiting. A guided interior castle tour, run seasonally from mid-May to August, is a separate additional charge not included in general admission.
Best For
Garden and history enthusiasts, and anyone building a midlands or Shannon-region route rather than a coastal one. It’s a weaker fit if you’re only in Ireland for a short coastal trip — Birr is inland and doesn’t pair naturally with a Wild Atlantic Way itinerary.
4. Lismore, Co. Waterford
County Waterford as a whole gets less attention than Kerry, Cork, or Galway, and travel writers have specifically called it “overlooked” in print. Lismore, a small town on the Blackwater River, is a good test case: it has a significant estate garden and almost none of the crowds you’d find at a comparable site elsewhere in Ireland.
Lismore Castle Gardens are the draw — historic walled gardens on the Duke of Devonshire’s estate, paired with a contemporary art gallery inside the castle’s grounds, an unusual combination for a property this old. St. Carthage’s Cathedral and the Blackwater River valley round out a quiet, scenic town center.
If you have a car, the Vee Gap drive through the Knockmealdown Mountains just outside Lismore is one of the best short scenic drives in the southeast, with a viewpoint over the valley that rarely appears in guidebooks.
- Nearest city: Waterford city.
- Getting there: Bus Éireann Route 366 runs Waterford–Dungarvan–Lismore directly; there’s no rail station in the town itself.
- Car necessary? Not for the town center, but necessary for the Vee Gap and Blackwater valley viewpoints.
- Time to allow: Half a day for the castle gardens and town; a full day if adding the Vee Gap drive.
- Seasonal notes: The gardens and Lismore Castle Arts are open from 13 March to 25 October 2026, per the gardens’ own site, and closed through the winter.
- Where to stay: Limited but present — a small hotel and a handful of guesthouses; this is a town best visited as part of a wider Waterford or Cork-region route rather than a standalone base.
- Budget: OFFICIAL PRICE: one ticket covers the gardens and Lismore Castle Arts and costs €11 for adults, €9 for seniors and students, €7 for children aged 6 to 16 (under-6s free) and €33 for a family of two adults and three children, per Lismore Castle Arts’ ticket page.
Is It Worth the Detour?
Yes, particularly for garden and art enthusiasts who want a quieter alternative to Powerscourt or Mount Usher. The main drawback is accommodation: with limited lodging in the town itself, Lismore works best as a day stop on a wider Waterford or Cork itinerary rather than an overnight base.
5. Youghal, Co. Cork
Cork’s tourism attention concentrates heavily on Kinsale and Cobh — one for food, the other for its Titanic connection. Youghal, a walled medieval port town about 45 minutes east of Cork city, has comparable historic substance and noticeably less profile, without a single global marketing hook driving visitors there.
The 18th-century Clock Gate Tower, built on the site of a medieval gaol and castle, is the centerpiece — guided storyteller tours climb to the top of the five-storey tower for views over Youghal Bay. The surviving medieval town walls are part of the official Irish Walled Towns Network, and the town has a genuine literary and film footnote: Sir Walter Raleigh’s associated house, Myrtle Grove, sits here (privately owned, viewable from outside only), and parts of the 1956 film adaptation of Moby-Dick were shot in the harbor.
Three beaches sit within easy reach of the town center, which makes Youghal a reasonable base for a slower coastal day rather than a single-stop history visit.
- Nearest city: Cork city, about 48 km away.
- Getting there: No passenger rail — the line closed in 1963. Bus Éireann Route 260 runs Cork–Youghal–Ardmore.
- Car necessary? Not strictly, given the bus route, but a car adds flexibility for the beaches and onward travel toward Ardmore.
- Time to allow: Half a day for the walls and Clock Gate Tower; a full day if adding beach time.
- Where to stay: A modest stock of guesthouses and hotels typical of a seaside market town, with more availability outside July and August.
- Budget: OFFICIAL PRICE — Clock Gate Tower tours are €9.50 for adults, €5.00 for children 6-12, €7.50 for seniors/students, and €25.00 for a family of five, per Living Youghal’s tour page.
Clock Gate Tower: tour days
The Clock Gate Tower reopened for the 2026 season on 1 May. Tours run hourly from 11am to 4pm, Wednesday to Saturday in May and June, Tuesday to Saturday in July and August, and Thursday to Saturday in September; from October to March visits are by appointment only, per Living Youghal.
Who Should Skip It?
If your only interest is a single marquee attraction, Youghal’s appeal is more cumulative than dramatic — the walls, the tower, and the beaches add up to a good half-day rather than one unmissable sight. It’s a better fit as a stop on a wider Cork coastal route than as a dedicated day trip from the city.
One Town We Left Off: Cong
Cong, on the Mayo-Galway border, was on our initial research list. It has an interesting abbey ruin and a striking lakeside setting, but it isn’t overlooked by any reasonable definition. It’s the filming location of “The Quiet Man” (1952), a fact Ireland’s own tourism board leads with, and it’s home to Ashford Castle, one of the country’s most famous five-star hotels, regularly featured in luxury and bridal travel media. Including it on an “underrated” list would be a stretch this guide isn’t willing to make.
Planning Around These Five
These five towns span most of the island — Donegal in the far northwest, Louth on the northeastern border, Offaly in the midlands, and Waterford and Cork in the south — so treat this as five separate stops to weave into wider regional itineraries rather than one connected route. Ardara pairs naturally with a Wild Atlantic Way trip, Lismore and Youghal both fit a southern Ireland loop through Waterford and Cork, and Birr and Carlingford each work best as a single detour from a midlands or east-coast route respectively.
If you’re building out a wider list of underrated towns beyond Ireland, our guide to underrated towns in Spain and our guide to underrated towns in France cover similar ground elsewhere in Europe.
A Few Common Questions
Do I need a car for this itinerary? For all five towns comfortably, yes. Carlingford and Youghal are reachable by bus alone, but Ardara, Birr, and Lismore are all considerably easier with a car, and none of the five connect to each other by public transport in a practical way.
Which one is best for a first-time visitor to Ireland with limited time? Carlingford or Youghal, since both are reachable without a car and pair naturally with a wider coastal or Dublin-adjacent route.
Are any of these good winter destinations? Be cautious — several of the featured sites (Birr Castle’s interior tours, Youghal’s Clock Gate Tower, Lismore Castle Gardens) run on seasonal schedules and are limited or by-appointment-only outside spring through autumn.
Is Dublin worth skipping in favor of these towns? No — this list is meant to extend a Dublin-based trip, not replace it. Each of these towns works best as a detour from a wider itinerary rather than a Dublin substitute.
Research & Sources
Ardara:
Discover Ireland — Triona Donegal Tweed Visitor Centre
Ardara.ie — Donegal handwoven tweed history
The Wild Atlantic Way — Glengesh Pass
Carlingford:
Ireland.com — Carlingford guide
Heritage Ireland — Carlingford Castle
Dundalk Democrat — Louth’s omission from a national tourism ad
Birr:
Birr Castle Demesne — general admission tickets
Ireland.com — Birr Castle
Visit Offaly — Birr
Lismore:
Lismore Castle Gardens — visitor information and pricing
Discover Ireland — Lismore
Youghal:
Living Youghal — Clock Gate Tower tours and pricing
Irish Walled Towns Network — Youghal
Discover Ireland — Youghal Clock Gate Tower
Cong (context, not featured):
Discover Ireland — Cong
Heritage Ireland — Cong Abbey
