Best Hostels to stay at in Ireland
So you’re going to Ireland & don’t want to completely murder your bank account? Well then Hostels are the right fit for you & they give you amazing opportunities to meet other travelers who can be really cool to hang with while you’re there. So lets jump straight into it!
The Hostels of Dublin
Upon doing your research you’ll see a lot of different suggestions about where to say. While I haven’t stayed in every hostel (Obviously), Here are the two I did:
To start off with, my experience in Dublin at the beginning of my trip vs the end of my trip was VASTLY different. And most of that was due to where we were staying. At the end of the trip we stayed in a great hostel called the Four Courts Hostel. While the rooms were very large, it was incredibly clean, bright, and in a great location that wasn’t surrounded by drunk tourists. If you stay here, head down the street and eat at The Brazen Head which is the oldest pub in all of Ireland!
The beginning of my trip however we stayed at the Oliver St. John Gogarty’s international Hostel. This hostel has over 3500 reviews and an overall rating of 4.3/5. I’m sorry. but what? We booked based on this rating and the fact that it was located dead center of the cultural district of the city surrounded by famous pubs and Dublin landmarks. In location, it did not disappoint. AND I have to give it it’s due and say it was definitely our best free breakfast of the trip.
BUT… the rooms were hot, crowded, & damp/humid. Additionally, there was only one plug-in in our room, and it was above a random strangers bed. Everyone on our trip definitely said this was our LEAST favorite hostel, even though it was in a great location. IMO, get a nicer room and walk/taxi the distance to your stops.
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Hostels in Cork
No need to go any further than Kinlay House in Cork. It’s a short walk to the river where you can find great food and pubs, and while many of the rooms will have 16 or so beds, they’re divided into mini-rooms that while are all connected only have 4 beds.
One thing I would say is that while this was probably my favorite hostel of the trip, their included breakfast was definitely the worst (They just served toast).
If you’re lucky enough to get a room that overlooks the back courtyard, don’t miss out on opening up your window, crawling out onto the roof (shhhh you can get in trouble if they catch you - even though the front desk worker told me to do this) and catching one of the most stunning views of cork around)
Hostels in Kilarney
If You’re set on visiting Killarney, there’s only one Hostel worth mentioning: That is the Neptune Hostel. It’s got some wicked Murals on the outside of the building and you’re located in the heart & center of downtown Killarney close to great restaurants. The rooms were spacious, clean, and the whole building felt bright and welcoming. They also had decent complementary Wifi which couldn’t be said for everywhere we stayed.
Overall though, everyone on the trip agreed Killarney might be worth avoiding if you’re not interested in commercialized, tourist-focused locations like Banff, etc… If you want to experience raw Irish culture and history, I’d suggest bypassing Killarney and heading straight to Galway.
Hostels in Galway
Finally, If you’re making your way through Galway, look no further than the Snoozles Hostel. This was hands down our nicest hostel we stayed in (not favorite. nicest.). It had electronic key-cards, was right in the midst of the downtown music scene and culture, was incredibly clean, had great amenities, and was a modern-budget focused travelers dream. Galway was towards the end of our trip so we sprung for a 4-person room to get a bit of privacy as we were all burnt out by this point and are so thankful we did.
If you’re a fan of amazing coffee, it’s also next door to an absolutely amazing multi-roaster coffee shop called Coffee Werk & Press which carries the best roasters from around Europe and North America.
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