Killarney Cocktail BarsThe ultimate guide🚶 Cocktail trails

The best bars in Killarney

Killarney is Kerry's big night-out town. In 2026 it also became home to Ireland's Bar of the Year. Most of its bars are on or just off Main Street, College Street, High Street and the lanes between, with a few more out by Killarney National Park. This guide covers 14 of them: cocktail bars first, then the music pubs, whiskey bars and old family pubs, with our top picks, a map and a walking route.

Last checked 14 November 2026. No bar paid to be included.

Our top 6 Killarney bars

If you only have one night, start here.

  1. Pig's Lane

    Ireland's Bar of the Year 2026, underground.

    Killarney town centre
  2. J.M. Reidy's

    An 1870s sweet shop turned bar.

    Killarney town centre
  3. The Ross

    Glamorous hotel cocktails in the centre.

    Killarney town centre
  4. The Kenmare Rooms

    An award-shortlisted hotel bar.

    Killarney town centre
  5. Colgans

    A fireside pub inside the park.

    Muckross and the National Park
  6. Brownes at the Great Southern

    A grand old railway hotel bar.

    Killarney town centre

Map of Killarney bars

Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.

Bars in Killarney town centre

Main Street, High Street, College Street and the lanes between them hold most of Killarney's bars, all a few minutes' walk apart.

Swipe to see all 12 bars →

1 · Killarney town centre

Pig's Lane

Underground cocktail bar

Ireland's Bar of the Year and Cocktail Bar of the Year 2026; One Pin, The Pinnacle Guide

Killarney's first underground bar, opened in October 2023 beneath the Killarney Towers Hotel on the site of an 1800s laneway. Styled on a 1920s speakeasy, it has a whiskey parlour with more than 400 bottles behind a hidden entrance, live music and cocktails built on Irish spirits.

  • 🍸 Cocktails
  • 🗝️ Hidden
  • 🥃 Whisky
  • 🎶 Music

📍 Killarney Towers Hotel, College Street, Killarney

🕒 Mon to Thu 5pm to 11.30pm; Fri 5pm to 2am; Sat 2pm to 2am; Sun 5pm to 11pm (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)

🚶 Directions
3 · Killarney town centre

The Ross

Hotel cocktail bar

A glamorous boutique hotel in the town centre whose bar the McKennas' Guides once called the best for cocktails in the Kingdom of Kerry.

  • 🍸 Cocktails
  • 💕 Date night
  • 🍸 Classics

📍 The Ross Hotel, Kenmare Place, Killarney

🚶 Directions
13 · Killarney town centre

Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder

Whiskey and cocktail bar

A whiskey bar that claims Ireland's largest whiskey collection, with chowder and wings to eat and a long cocktail list.

  • 🍸 Cocktails
  • 🥃 Whisky
  • 🍽️ Food
  • 🍸 Classics

📍 Killarney

🚶 Directions
2 · Killarney town centre

J.M. Reidy's

Bar and restaurant

A Main Street institution that began as a sweet shop in the 1870s, with the sweet jars still lining the window. A cosy restaurant by day and a lively bar at night, with live music, sing-alongs and cocktails such as a Toffee White Russian.

  • 🎶 Music
  • 🍽️ Food
  • 🍸 Classics
  • 🎉 Groups

📍 4 Main Street, Killarney

🚶 Directions
4 · Killarney town centre

The Kenmare Rooms

Hotel bar

The bar at the Killarney Avenue Hotel, from the same Killarney group as Pig's Lane and among its finalists at the 2026 Bar of the Year Awards.

  • 💕 Date night

📍 Killarney Avenue Hotel, Kenmare Place, Killarney

🚶 Directions
6 · Killarney town centre

Brownes at the Great Southern

Hotel bar

Silver, Irish Bar of the Year Awards 2024

The bar at the grand old Great Southern hotel by the railway station, a silver medal winner at the Irish Bar of the Year Awards 2024.

  • 🍸 Classics
  • 💕 Date night

📍 Great Southern Killarney, East Avenue Road, Killarney

🚶 Directions
7 · Killarney town centre

The Killarney Grand

Pub and late bar

A big Main Street pub with live music that turns livelier as the night goes on, with an extensive cocktail menu.

  • 🎶 Music
  • 🌙 Late
  • 🎉 Groups
  • 🍺 Pub

📍 17 Main Street, Killarney

🚶 Directions
9 · Killarney town centre

Jimmy Brien's

Traditional pub

A traditional single-room pub on College Street with photos lining the walls, known for its Guinness and its local feel.

  • 🍺 Pub

📍 College Street, Killarney

🚶 Directions
10 · Killarney town centre

O'Connor's

Traditional pub

A High Street pub that marked 100 years in 2023, with panelled walls, chequered floors and live music most nights. Seats are hard to get even out of season.

  • 🍺 Pub
  • 🎶 Music

📍 High Street, Killarney

🚶 Directions
11 · Killarney town centre

Courtney's Bar

Traditional pub

A bare-wood pub on Plunkett Street dating from the 1800s, with a range of world craft beers, live music every Friday and trad sessions midweek in summer.

  • 🍺 Pub
  • 🍺 Craft beer
  • 🎶 Music

📍 Plunkett Street, Killarney

🚶 Directions
12 · Killarney town centre

Murphy's Bar

Traditional pub

A traditional pub in the heart of town, open since 1955, with wooden beams, pub grub and traditional music on Friday and Saturday nights.

  • 🍺 Pub
  • 🎶 Music
  • 🍽️ Food

📍 Killarney

🚶 Directions
14 · Killarney town centre

The Laurels

Traditional pub

Run by the O'Leary family for over a century, with tiled floors, beamed ceilings and fireside tables.

  • 🍺 Pub
  • 🍽️ Food

📍 Killarney

🚶 Directions

Bars by Killarney National Park

Out along the Muckross Road and towards the Gap of Dunloe, these are bars for a drink with a view after a day in the park. You will need a taxi or a car.

Swipe to see all 2 bars →

5 · Muckross and the National Park

Colgans

Hotel pub

The fireside pub at the Muckross Park Hotel, inside Killarney National Park, with a drinks list that leans on Kerry distillers and local brewers. You can book a snug.

  • 💕 Date night
  • 🍽️ Food
  • 🥃 Whisky
  • 🍺 Pub

📍 Muckross Park Hotel, Muckross, Killarney

🚶 Directions
8 · Muckross and the National Park

Kate Kearney's Cottage

Pub and restaurant

A famous old pub at the entrance to the Gap of Dunloe, outside town, with an extensive cocktail list alongside chowder and wings.

  • 🌇 Views
  • 🍽️ Food
  • 🎶 Music
  • 🎉 Groups

📍 Gap of Dunloe, Beaufort, Killarney

🚶 Directions

Killarney cocktail trail

One route in walking order, with the time between each bar. See them all on a map.

Killarney town centre

5 bars · about 10 minutes on foot in total

  1. 1
    Brownes at the Great SouthernGreat Southern Killarney, East Avenue Road, Killarney
  2. 🚶 about 6 min to the next bar
  3. 2
    Pig's LaneKillarney Towers Hotel, College Street, Killarney
  4. 🚶 about 2 min to the next bar
  5. 3
    J.M. Reidy's4 Main Street, Killarney
  6. 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
  7. 4
    The Killarney Grand17 Main Street, Killarney
  8. 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
  9. 5
    The RossThe Ross Hotel, Kenmare Place, Killarney

More Killarney bar guides

Know before you go

Your questions

What is the best cocktail bar in Killarney?

Start with Pig's Lane and J.M. Reidy's, then The Ross. Our top 6 above covers the rest.

What is Ireland's Bar of the Year 2026?

Pig's Lane in Killarney, which also won Cocktail Bar of the Year and Best Designed Bar at the 2026 Bar of the Year Awards.

Where is the best area for bars in Killarney?

The town centre, around Main Street and College Street. Everything is a few minutes' walk apart.

Are there bars near Killarney National Park?

Yes. Colgans at the Muckross Park Hotel and Kate Kearney's Cottage at the Gap of Dunloe.

Is there a Cocktail Week in Killarney?

Not yet. Our nearest is Cork Cocktail Week.

Who wrote this guide

This guide is written by the team at M.AD Agency. We run Cocktail Week, the ten-day cocktail festival held town by town across the UK and Ireland, including Dublin and Cork. Since 2022 we have taken it to more than 20 towns and cities and worked with hundreds of bars. We put this guide together from our own research, award results and trusted Irish guides.

No bar paid to be included and nobody can buy a place. We check the guide regularly as bars open, change and close.

Our nearest Cocktail Weeks

Want your bar in this guide?

Run a bar in Killarney that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.