REVEALED: How does Kilkenny rank for the best chance of a perfect pint?
As St Patrick's Day approaches, over 100,000 reviews were analysed and we now know how Kilkenny ranks amongst the best places for a perfect pint in Ireland
As St Patrick's Day weekend approaches, attention from many Kilkenny people might turn to one of the most enigmatic questions: Where to get the perfect pint?
A new nationwide study has revealed where you’ve got the best - and worst - statistical chance of landing a near-perfect pint of Guinness.
Fortunately, Research Frontier, a data analysis company, has crunched the numbers. Over 100,000 reviews were analysed across 4,162 pubs to rank every county & town in Ireland.
The result is a complete and comprehensive list that gives crucial information on where to have the best chance of getting a perfect pint in the country, broken down on town and county level.
Key findings:
Wexford town is the best place in Ireland to grab a pint this Paddy’s Day, with your odds of receiving a perfect pint in any of the towns pub at 1 in 3.8 (26%) - roughly six times stronger than the national average.
• Carlow, Bray, Ballyshannon and Limerick City are the other best towns to head to if you’re looking for some of Ireland’s best Guinness this Paddy’s Day.
• On a county basis, Longford has come out on top. Around 1 in every 5.5 pubs (18.24%) meets the study’s near-perfect pint definition - roughly four times stronger than the national average.
• Leitrim, Carlow, Limerick and Donegal complete the Top 5 counties.
• At the other end of the table, Clare, Cavan and Mayo record the longest odds, with Clare coming in at just 1 recognised pub in every 122.5 - statistically the toughest county to land a near-perfect pour.
The analysis was commissioned by casino.org/ireland.
What are the best towns in Ireland for a perfect pint Paddy’s weekend?
To ensure fair comparisons, towns were only included if they had 10 or more licensed pubs.
Wexford town takes the national crown, with around 1 in every 3.8 pubs (26%) meeting the study’s near-perfect pint definition - roughly six times stronger than the national average.
Top 10 Towns:
1. Wexford (Wexford) - 26.00% (1 in 3.8)
2. Carlow (Carlow) - 22.61% (1 in 4.4)
3. Bray (Wicklow) - 16.67% (1 in 6.0)
4. Ballyshannon (Donegal) - 15.38% (1 in 6.5)
5. Limerick (Limerick) - 13.33% (1 in 7.5)
6. Gorey (Wexford) - 13.33% (1 in 7.5)
7. Kilkenny (Kilkenny) - 12.92% (1 in 7.7)
8. Letterkenny (Donegal) - 12.50% (1 in 8.0)
9. Dublin (Dublin) - 12.11% (1 in 8.3)
10. Enniscorthy (Wexford) - 11.43% (1 in 8.8)
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On a county level, Longford ranks number one in Ireland for near-perfect Guinness odds.
In Longford, around 1 in every 5.5 pubs (18.24%) meets the study’s recognition-based definition - the strongest odds anywhere in the country.
For context, the national average works out at roughly 1 in 23 pubs, meaning Longford is running at almost four times the Irish baseline heading into Paddy’s weekend.
Leitrim and Carlow follow in second and third place, with Limerick and Donegal completing the Top 5. Dublin ranks sixth overall.
“The perfect pint debate is practically a national obsession - especially in the run-up to St Patrick’s Day,” - JJ Lee, spokesperson for Casino.org Ireland
“So rather than argue over individual pubs, we analysed more than 100,000 independent reviews across every county in Ireland and turned it into a more digestible format!
“This isn’t about saying every pint in Longford is perfect. It’s about showing where pubs that are consistently recognised for Guinness quality are most concentrated relative to the size of the local pub scene.
What are the best counties in Ireland for a perfect pint Paddy’s weekend?
Full County Rankings - Perfect Pint Odds:
1. Longford - 18.24% (1 in 5.5 pubs)
2. Leitrim - 15.81% (1 in 6.3)
3. Carlow - 10.33% (1 in 9.7)
4. Limerick - 8.94% (1 in 11.2)
5. Donegal - 7.26% (1 in 13.8)
6. Dublin - 6.88% (1 in 14.5)
7. Laois - 6.46% (1 in 15.5)
8. Offaly - 6.33% (1 in 15.8)
9. Kerry - 5.96% (1 in 16.8)
10. Wexford - 5.61% (1 in 17.8)
11. Kilkenny - 5.52% (1 in 18.1)
12. Kildare - 4.92% (1 in 20.3)
13. Louth - 3.72% (1 in 26.9)
14. Wicklow - 3.08% (1 in 32.5)
15. Galway - 2.73% (1 in 36.6)
16. Tipperary - 2.63% (1 in 38.1)
17. Westmeath - 2.46% (1 in 40.7)
18. Sligo - 2.14% (1 in 46.7)
19. Monaghan - 2.11% (1 in 47.5)
20. Roscommon - 2.03% (1 in 49.2)
21. Cork - 1.74% (1 in 57.4)
22. Meath - 1.67% (1 in 60.0)
23. Waterford - 1.00% (1 in 100.0)
24. Mayo - 0.99% (1 in 100.6)
25. Cavan - 0.92% (1 in 108.3)
26. Clare - 0.82% (1 in 122.5)
The data explained:
This is not a taste test and it’s not claiming every pint is perfect.
For the purpose of this ranking, a “near-perfect pint” refers to pubs that repeatedly appear in large-scale public reviews and widely published “best Guinness” roundups. The figures reflect where recognised Guinness-quality venues are most densely concentrated relative to the size of the local pub scene.