Right, the plan of action is as follows...
Scott- pub advice appreciated
Anyone else- whatever you want to recommend.
Sat 29th: Dublin (Droid, are you about?)
Sun 30th: Kilkenny
Mon 31st- Weds 2nd: Kilarney/ Cork (not booked accomodation for these nights yet)
Thurs 3rd: Galway
Fri 4th: Galway
Sat 5th: Ferry home
there now follows a completely useless post as i try and remember names as i write.
Dublin, oh wow. fill your boots as you'd expect. The Long Hall on Georges Street (south side, splendid old, slim interior) and the Brazen Head (good grub) on the south side of the Liffey just over the river from the Four Courts, and Mulligans on Poolbeg Street (again south side) three boozers which spring to mind. too many good nights in random bars and clubs to remember.
the Globe, near the Long Hall, is a decent bar, and Grogan's is another good south side boozer.
seemingly as many good bars and pubs as a city much, much larger, given the centre is probably 'only' about the size of say Manchester.
Temple Bar has a nice food market, interesting small galleries, etc, during the day and then bits at night are filled w lairy English boys.
and what i said earlier re the Porterhouse brewpubs.
i'd say the Porterhouses are better than Messrs Maguire, the other major local small brewer, and the Porterhouse opposite Trinity probably a little less hectic than the one in the middle of Temple Bar (though the interior in this one is a lot more interesting).
you can walk to the Guinness Storehouse from the centre (just a little west of centre of town), not far at all, or lots of buses/a tram.
i've been there, obligatory sure, but never been to the Jamesons distillery. i believe that's pricier. dunno. i was personally fascinated esp w the bits about coopering when you go through the Storehouse's museum features, but it is probably worth it for the view alone from the high-up bar - about six or eight stories up, which doesn't sound much, but it feels taller - and chance to have a drink, which happens at the end of the tour, Joyce quotes incised on the glass of the pretty much floor-ceiling windows. mountains one side, harbour in your gaze, cityscape and urban parks stretching away. i hope Droid's not reading this, i'll sound like
such a tourist
there's a wee but perfectly formed sort of Chinatown on the northside, by Parnell Street, some Korean gaffs too IIRC, and the streets round here have decent, friendly local boozers IM experience. (though i guess you or i might not necessarily send a brief visitor to say Mcr or Leeds w locals' type recommendations, dunno.)
there's a small but interesting array of Italian caffs, eateries etc, clustered around the area near the posh Morrison hotel on the north bank of the Liffey incidentally, like an Italian quarter almost. not quite your Amalfi Coast tales, but still struck me when i first encountered.
i remember a good nite in i think it was Dice Bar, tho frankly i forget what they were playing and obv Droid would be the man to ask about nites...
going east out toward the coast where the small financial district is (Manhattan in miniature on the Liffey) could no doubt be a bit hauntological, certainly at dusk
the Chester Beatty Library is a fascinating museum of religions (and some others bits), quite near Christ Church cathedral.
there's so much lovely Georgian architecture (well i like it!) in some of the more affluent southside central bits that's a nice mooch around, nice parks etc.
and a lot of culture/institutions and history in the city centre if you go north (inc the surely obligatory photo opportunity at the GPO).
have a walk up the steps of the Wellington Monument in the rambling Phoenix Park.
Govinda's is good, filling veggie grub in a southside area blessed w decent outlets. Sultans is a top, top kebab gaff not too far away from the Long Bar.
i know Dublin has two-star Michelin restaurants but i'm just repping for the competition! (it's fairly upmarket compared to a lot of kebab shops, but i realise that's not saying too much.)
Kilkenny, again, bit blurry. i remember a good spread of boozers by the river, on the opposite side from the castle (nice grounds), nosying down streets, i remember striking gold (sorry no names!). a great smoking patio overlooking a river in some bar opposite my hostel. er, if i remember i'll re-post.
some mates and i were on our way to explore a church grounds one morning on the centre outskirts when we got waylaid by an Elvis impersonator, whose suitably authentic young Elvis-type-US motor was parked outside his house...
my booziest night ever in Cork actually involved being in a central sports bar for United-Liverpool one afternoon, falling in w two locals, and going off w them to some inner suburban pub and staying there all night, so that's not much use.
as for city centre, some fine bars whose name again escapes but others i do recall being worthwhile inc An Bodhran for tunes, Mutton Lane Inn down a side street worth seeking out IMO, the cool Sin e, and that Franciscan Well brewpub (vessels behind the bar), who definitely did some nice beers when i've stopped in.
The English Market (covered market) worth a look for food in the town. Cork has some lovely cobbled small streets. The Glucksman Gallery is a fine, sizeable gallery in the University College Cork grounds, and quite a distinctive building, w its long legs jutting out from a grass bank. (the Crawford Municipal in town is the main local gallery, and that might be worth a look if you're into vis art.)
the centre is very hilly in parts and everything falls away down to the river in the middle, an urban valley as it were.
Cork Butter Museum wins points as a very random tourist attraction. (well who doesn't like butter?!)
Kilarney dunno sorry, as for Galway pub/bar gold IMO, just stumbling on serendipity, modern gaffs, music places, old nook and cranny-type joints, too many again, even though it is only a small centre really.
there's some very good chippies in Galway (inc a famous one slap bang, near the Blu Bar pub IIRC, whose name of course escapes me), and some very good clam chowder. some very nice graffiti in Galway down some side streets.
the Long Walk (out to the harbour, etc, away from town) a very worthwhile head clearer. gaze out to the Atlantic, Aran Islands etc, pass a memorial to lost sailors, marvel at the multi-coloured harbourside houses, etc.
i will say if you see a pint of the locally brewed Galway Hooker - hoppy pale ale, so quite drinkable this time of year - steam right in...
...i know there's lots of suggestions here, but more suggestions the merrier i figure.