Ireland

Ireland’s architecture is inseparable from its landscape and history. Dublin brings elegant Georgian squares, Victorian pubs and layers of industrial and contemporary architecture, while beyond the capital lie medieval towns, Palladian country houses, castles, stone cottages and former convents reinvented for modern life. Along the Wild Atlantic Way, architecture becomes increasingly elemental: whitewashed houses, slate roofs and stone walls shaped by wind, rain and the surrounding terrain. Cork, Galway and Belfast add their own urban identities, while a new generation of Irish architects is bringing a quieter contemporary language to the countryside, using timber, stone and glass to frame rather than compete with the famously green landscape.

Irish food has changed dramatically without losing sight of where it comes from. Exceptional beef and lamb, Atlantic fish, oysters, mussels, farmhouse cheeses and some of Europe’s best dairy provide formidable raw materials, while chefs increasingly work directly with farmers, fishermen and small producers. Dublin and Cork have sophisticated restaurant scenes, but some of the most interesting cooking now happens in smaller towns and remote coastal locations. Add excellent bakeries, natural wine bars, whiskey distilleries and, inevitably, the pub—still one of Ireland’s great social institutions—and eating and drinking become inseparable from experiencing the country.

Ireland’s most interesting hotels range from grand country houses and historic city landmarks to converted estates, contemporary rural retreats and small coastal hideaways. The best combine Irish hospitality with a strong sense of place rather than polished international anonymity. At DNA Hotels, we curate the places where architecture, food, landscape and culture come together—hotels that make an excellent base for exploring Ireland, although a fireplace, a good bar and horizontal rain can occasionally make staying exactly where you are seem the better plan.