8 Best Bars in Connemara and County Mayo, Ireland

Matt Molloy of famed musical group the Chieftains curates this lively spot in Westport's town center. Traditional music is, naturally, the main attraction.

For traditional music, the best option in this region is the Clover Fox, formerly the Bards Den. The cottage also houses informal dining, an arts and crafts shop, and hostel.

For good traditional music, drop in to this popular spot.

Irish music is played every night in the summer from 6:30 pm at this popular town-center bar. It gets livelier after 9 pm, when it stops serving food.

This classic Irish pub is one of the oldest in town, and the best place for a bit of traditional local banter. It's known as the home of the “meejum” (or medium---a glass that measures somewhere between a half pint and pint) of Guinness and for the high quality of its stout.

This central pub is famed for its traditional Irish music, played from 10 pm until late on weekdays, and on Sunday from 6 to 8:30 pm. Lowry's also has a wide range of whiskeys and decent pub grub.

The perfect antidote to a day hiking the peninsula, this cozy, open-fire pub is known locally as the “lobster pot,” because once you’re there, there’s no getting out. It’s the heart of the community where guests linger longer than planned, and where tourists only stand out if they don’t join in with the conversation, dancing, or trad music session. Owned by the McDonnell family since 1942, the pub, in true rural Irish fashion, is adjacent to the family’s other business---an undertakers---and so it has been the location of an occasional wake.

One of the most popular and long-established pubs in County Galway, where traditional musicians meet every Wednesday, is 3 km (2 miles) west of Letterfrack on the scenic Renvyle Peninsula. It's a good bet for music any night in summer.