3 Best Bars in County Cork, Ireland

With giant multinational Molson Coors at the helm of this establishment, Franciscan Well's microbrewery status is debatable, but every effort has been made to retain the flavor of the beer. On the site of an ancient Franciscan monastery (in fact, story goes that there are monks buried beneath the flooring), it has a heated beer garden and an atmospheric candlelit bar, open daily from 3 pm. Share a pizza fresh from the wood-burning oven.

Instantly recognizable by fans of writer Pete McCarthy as the bar in the cover photograph of his hilarious and best-selling travelogue, McCarthy's Bar, which bore the motto "never pass a bar with your name on it." It's an old-fashioned pub in the real sense, which means it doubles as a shop, so guests can buy a packet of cereal from behind the wood counter or order a pint of the black stuff (or do both). A Japanese katana sword hangs self-consciously on the wall, uncomfortable in its old Irish world setting, but it's a good talking point with the McCarthy family members from the snug at the other side of the counter. The late Dr. Aidan McCarthy, father of the current owners, was a survivor of Dunkirk, a World War II prisoner of war camp, and the bombing of Nagasaki.

Down a narrow, mural-coated lane off the main drag near the English Market, this cavernous little candlelit pub is the perfect setting for a clandestine pirate meeting, and given its 1787 vintage---making it one of Cork City's oldest inns---that may well have been the case in the misty past. A roaring fire welcomes guests during the winter months, while Rising Brew craft beer quenches the thirst in summer. Get in early for seating; it really is that small.