Valentine’s Day 2025 in Ireland

Misty Sunrise, Adare Manor, Co Limerick

The perfect way to start a Valentine’s weekend? It’s got to be with a visit to Dublin. After all, the relics of St Valentine are enshrined in Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin. Gifted to an Irish Carmelite priest in 1835 by Pope Gregory XVI, the sacred remains include a vessel tinged with Valentine’s blood. Couples visit the shrine throughout the year, but the church is especially popular on St Valentine’s Day, when engaged couples visit to have their wedding rings blessed. 

Elsewhere in Dublin, keep the loved-up vibes going at the National Gallery of Ireland, which is home to what has been called “the most romantic painting in Ireland.” Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Meeting on the Turret Stairs by Frederic William Burton on the Turret Stairs by Frederic William Burton is a watercolour from 1864 depicting a stolen moment between forbidden lovers. It has beguiled visitors for more than 150 years. More romance comes with a horse-drawn carriage ride around the city before a drink with excellent tunes in the audiophile bar The Big Romance. 

The Crown, Co. Antrim

All snugged up 

Speaking of pubs, Ireland’s traditional snugs are ideal spots for lovebirds to nestle in with a pint of “the black stuff” or a warm Irish coffee. Originally, these small, private seating areas near the bar were designed so women could enjoy a drink without being seen by the male patrons! There are cosy snugs all over the island, but some of the best include Dick Mack’s in Dingle, County Kerry, the Crown Liquor Saloon in Belfast, and Hargadon’s in Sligo.  

Cottagecore 

Ireland’s pretty cottages make ideal boltholes on Valentine’s Day. Remote, romantic and surrounded by spectacular scenery, they range from thatched-roofed gems to fully restored farmsteads. The Lost Cottage, in a rugged and desolate part of County Kerry, more than lives up to its name, with a location on the edge of a lake surrounded by mountains. In County Fermanagh, Keenaghan Cottage elevates a 19th-century abode to award-winningly modern self-catering accommodation. Or try The Cottages in Bettystown, County Meath – 300-year-old cottages, once inhabited by fishermen.  

Feeling regal 

Ireland is a land of castles, elegant estates and grand country homes, many of which have been converted into lavish places to stay. Adare Manor in County Limerick has been one of the finest of the lot for many years, a five-star stunner that Condé Nast Traveller named “#1 Resort in Europe” three years in a row. Nestled into a woodland estate in East Cork, Castlemartyr Resort is an elegant 18th-century manor house by the ruins of an old castle, and features a high-grade spa, two-Michelin star restaurant and top golfing facilities. Or escape into the woods with a stay in a “forest den” at the luxurious Galgorm Resort in County Antrim, which boasts a secluded riverside location within a lush parkland estate. 

Castle Leslie Estate

Stay somewhere special 

If escaping into a blissful otherworld is your St Valentine’s day dream, then unwind at the exquisite Castle Leslie Estate in County Monaghan, where an equestrian centre, working farm and 1,000 acres of lush countryside await. County Kildare’s Batty Langley Lodge is a self-described “romantic bolthole” – a unique Irish Landmark Trust building featuring seven stone pinnacles. Or for crashing waves, panoramic views and a cosy fire, a stay in one of the Blackhead Lightkeepers’ Houses, perched on the edge of a cliff in County Antrim, is just the ticket. 

Ice House Hotel, Baths, Ballina, Co Mayo

Spa breaks for two 

Pampering is par for the course around Valentine’s Day, and there’s no end of stunning spa resorts in Ireland where you can retreat, relax and unwind in style together. The Couples’ Retreat at Farnham Estate in County Cavan offers a full day of scrubs, baths and massages. Or try the Couples’ Treatments at the buzzy Ice House Hotel overlooking the River Moy in Ballina, County Mayo. The views across the estuary from the Spa Garden Terrace are postcard-perfect. Seeking seclusion and calm? The Elements Spa Trail at Finn Lough in County Fermanagh offers a two-hour private escape into treatment cabins in the lakeside forest. 

Mussenden Temple, Causeway Coast

Getting down on one knee 

For cliff-edge drama, Mussenden Temple on the stunning Causeway Coast is an ideal proposal location – the small circular building was built as a library in the 18th century and overlooks the wave-lashed Downhill Strand. Wicklow’s heart-shaped Lough Ouler is a one-of-a-kind location with romance written into it, or how about a waterfall that inspired a poet? Glencar Waterfall in County Leitrim features in Yeats’s poem The Stolen Child. Fans of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe should head straight for the Mourne Mountains in County Down, which are said to have inspired CS Lewis to create the magical world of Narnia. 

Oyster Tasting, Gleninagh Pier, Co Clare

Food experiences to fall in love with  

All of these amorous adventures in Ireland’s great and green outdoors will work up quite a hunger. Luckily, there are plenty of food-related experiences to enjoy. Wicklow Way Wines’ Cheese & Chocolate Paired Wine Tasting is a power coupling if ever there was one. And who knew Wicklow produced delicious wine? The island is better known for its long oyster heritage, and the Private Kelly Oysters Tasting Experience in Galway Bay brings this foodie tradition to life on an intimate and personal tour. And if you like the sound of what has been described as “probably the smallest cookery school in the world”, then make a trip to Island Cottage Cookery School on tiny Heir Island, with a Lobster and pastry courses available.