Ireland has a way of drawing people back. Whether it’s the coastline, the culture, the pace of life or simply the fact that you can be there in a few hours without boarding a plane, it tends to get under the skin. And with direct ferry connections, no language barrier and a culture that feels familiar without being predictable, the case for an Irish holiday home is a genuinely compelling one.
The challenge, as ever, is knowing where to start. Ireland is compact enough to cross in an afternoon yet varied enough that location makes a real difference to what your money buys and how often you’ll realistically use the place. Here are ten of our favourite spots, with up-to-date prices and everything you need to know to make a shortlist.
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Rosslare Strand, County Wexford
If you’re coming from the UK, Rosslare might just be the most practical choice on this list. Rosslare Europort – a short drive from the beach – now runs around 32 weekly sailings, with ferries to Fishguard (3.5 hours), Pembroke (four hours) and even direct services to France and Spain. You could genuinely drive from your front door to your Irish holiday home without ever boarding a plane.
The resort itself has everything: a Blue Flag beach, golf, good pubs and restaurants. And with up to 1,570 annual sunshine hours, Wexford is officially Ireland’s sunniest county. Strong tourist footfall also makes this one of the better spots if rental income is on your radar.
- Holiday home prices: from around €250,000 (£218,000)
- Getting here: ferry from Fishguard in 3.5 hours; Dublin is 1 hour 45 minutes by car
Westport, County Mayo
Westport is one of the west coast’s most liveable towns. It’s well-kept (it’s won Ireland’s Tidiest Town award multiple times), it has great restaurants and pubs, and it’s unusually well-connected for the west coast – there’s a direct train from Dublin in around three and a half hours.
For active buyers it’s hard to beat. The Great Western Greenway – Ireland’s longest off-road cycling trail at 49km – was extended again in 2023, and over 250,000 people use it every year. There are 50 miles of beach within reach, and Ireland West Airport Knock is just 50 minutes away.
- Holiday home prices: from around €275,000 (£239,000)
- Getting here: direct train from Dublin in around three and a half hours; Knock Airport is 50 minutes
Dingle, County Kerry
Dingle has a way of getting under your skin. It’s a proper working town on a 30-mile Atlantic peninsula, with galleries, artisan shops, a celebrated food scene and – reportedly – 50 pubs. The annual Dingle Tradfest and the Other Voices music festival have given it a cultural reputation that reaches well beyond Ireland.
It’s worth knowing that Fungi the dolphin, who called Dingle Harbour home for 38 years, disappeared in 2020 – boat trips now focus on wider wildlife. The Dingle Distillery has grown considerably, and the town hosted Ireland’s first zero-landfill-waste food festival in 2024. Prices have risen sharply and competition is fierce, but for buyers who want somewhere with genuine character, it’s hard to argue with Dingle.
- Holiday home prices: from around €350,000 (£305,000)
- Getting here: Kerry Airport is approximately one hour’s drive
Cong, County Mayo
Cong is a small village in an unusual setting: built on its own island where rivers meet between Lough Mask and Lough Corrib. It’s quiet, it’s beautiful, and it has one of Ireland’s finest hotels – Ashford Castle – right on its doorstep. Ashford Castle is the only property in the UK and Ireland to hold a double Forbes Five Star rating – for both the hotel and its spa. The hotel has retained its five-star status for seven consecutive years, while the spa has held its own five-star rating since first achieving the accolade in 2023.
Be realistic about the practicalities, though. Properties here are rarely on the market, public transport is almost non-existent, and a car is essential. This is one for buyers who actively want somewhere off the beaten track.
- Holiday home prices: from around €300,000 (£261,000)
- Getting here: Dublin is approximately three hours by car; Knock Airport is one hour
Kenmare, County Kerry
Kenmare sits at the meeting point of three of Ireland’s great walking and cycling routes – the Wild Atlantic Way, the Beara Way and the Kerry Way. It’s a town that takes its food and its scenery equally seriously, with a genuinely lovely town centre and some excellent independent restaurants.
The hospitality scene has had a strong few years. Sheen Falls Lodge was named the number-one resort in Europe in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2025. Kenmare also benefits from a Fáilte Ireland five-year tourism investment plan launched in 2023, which should sustain visitor numbers well into the coming years. Prices are more reasonable here than in Dingle or Kinsale – good news for buyers watching the budget.
- Holiday home prices: from around €250,000 (£218,000)
- Getting here: Kerry Airport is approximately 50 minutes by car
Rosses Point, County Sligo
Ten minutes from Sligo town on its own scenic peninsula, Rosses Point is the kind of place writers and artists have been quietly discovering for decades – W.B. Yeats spent his summers here, and his family connection to the area is being recognised through the planned restoration of Elsinore House. Sligo itself has one of Ireland’s most vibrant live music scenes.
Strandhill nearby is a serious surf break, County Sligo Golf Course is on the doorstep, and Dublin is just 2 hours 35 minutes by car – making this one of the more accessible Atlantic coast options. A new and improved bus service launched in February 2025 also makes getting around without a car slightly more realistic.
- Holiday home prices: from around €300,000 (£261,000)
- Getting here: Dublin is 2 hours 40 minutes by car; Knock Airport is 50 minutes
Kinsale, West Cork
Kinsale has earned its reputation as Ireland’s gourmet capital fair and square. Four Michelin-recognised restaurants, a working harbour, 17th-century fortifications, a brilliant events calendar and Blacks Brewery – which opened on the Bandon River in 2024 and was shortlisted for Ireland’s Building of the Year – all contribute to a town that gives you a reason to visit in any season.
It does come at a price. Kinsale is now one of Ireland’s most expensive small towns, with a median of €485,000 (£422,000) in 2025. But Cork Airport is just 25 minutes away, which for UK buyers makes access unusually straightforward – and that counts for a lot when you’re deciding how often you’ll actually use the place.
- Holiday home prices: from around €495,000 (£430,000)
- Getting here: Cork Airport is 25 minutes by car; Dublin is approximately three hours via the M8
Leighlinbridge, County Carlow
Leighlinbridge doesn’t get the attention it deserves. This small village on the banks of the River Barrow has a 14th-century bridge still in daily use, Norman castle ruins, the Delta Sensory Gardens and a heritage trail that takes in a sculpture garden honouring physicist John Tyndall – the man who explained why the sky is blue.
What it also has is value. County Carlow’s median sits around €245,000 (£213,000), making it one of the most affordable locations on this list. Dublin is just one hour via the M9 and the local sunshine record puts this corner of the country among Ireland’s sunniest. If you want easy access and don’t need to be on the coast, this is well worth a look.
- Holiday home prices: from around €200,000 (£174,000)
- Getting here: Dublin is approximately one hour via the M9; Kilkenny is 20 minutes
Portmagee, County Kerry
Few places in Ireland look as unmistakably Irish as Portmagee. Brightly coloured buildings, cobbled streets, live music year-round and the extraordinary craggy outline of Skellig Michael just offshore – the island once housed a 6th-century monastic settlement and later appeared in Star Wars, which hasn’t done local tourism any harm.
Boat trips out to the island run from May to September, and after a brief legal dispute over landing permits was resolved in 2025, Skellig Michael is fully open to visitors again for 2026. On top of that, the Portmagee Whiskey visitor experience has grown into a genuine draw in its own right, with a full distillery planned for 2026–2027.
- Holiday home prices: from around €250,000 (£218,000)
- Getting here: Kerry Airport is approximately 1 hour 10 minutes by car
Gweedore, County Donegal
Gweedore is the largest Irish-speaking community in Ireland, and that gives it a cultural distinctiveness unlike anywhere else on this list. This is where Enya grew up. Traditional music, theatre, Glenveagh National Park on the doorstep, Atlantic coastline, Mount Errigal as a backdrop – and Donegal Airport practically in the town, with twice-daily flights to Dublin.
The investment case is building. Two major hotel redevelopments are under way, the Border region posted 12.5% annual price growth in 2025 – Ireland’s fastest – and yet the median here is still around €197,500 (£172,000). For buyers looking for value with long-term upside, Gweedore deserves serious consideration.
- Holiday home prices: from around €150,000 (£131,000)
- Getting here: Donegal Airport is a five-minute drive; Dublin is 3 hours 45 minutes by car
Ready to take the next step?
Once you’ve found the right location, one of the most important things you can do is protect your budget from currency fluctuation. The euro–sterling rate moves constantly, and the difference between a good and a poor rate on a €300,000 purchase can easily run to £10,000 or more.
The team at Smart Currency Exchange can help you lock in a rate through a forward contract, giving you certainty while your purchase completes. Speak to them today, or download the Ireland Buying Guide for a full walkthrough of the buying process.
