Looking for inspiration on where to go exploring with your furry best friend? You’re in the right place.
At Dogstop.ie, we’re on a mission to sniff out the best dog-friendly places in Ireland — from scenic hikes to cozy cafes and paw-some beaches. And who better to help us than some of Ireland’s top canine explorers?
In this edition of our Dog-Friendly Ireland Q&A series, we sit down with Sophie of @baileys_golden_adventures_, the gorgeous Golden Retriever with a serious love for the outdoors. Bailey and Sophie have travelled far and wide across the Emerald Isle, discovering the most tail-wagging destinations for dog lovers.
Whether you’re planning your next dog-friendly staycation, looking for a hidden beach, or just want a reason to smile, this one’s for you.
🐾 Meet Bailey: Ireland’s Golden Explorer – Q&A with @baileys_golden_adventures
Let’s start with the star of the show — tell us all about Bailey!
Bailey is a two year old English Cream Retriever. He is full of mischief but can also be super lazy! He LOVES swimming and making new dog friends, but also loves cuddles on the couch.
If he feels that we have not paid him enough attention, he will rob whatever piece of clothing he can get his paws on and walk slowly past us with his tail up to make sure we run after him!
You’ve visited so many amazing places — what’s been Bailey’s absolute favourite adventure spot in Ireland so far?
This is a hard one! We would have to say The Ocean Sands Hotel in Sligo. He can dine with us in the hotel lobby and the room is less than a minute’s walk to the beach! He absolutely loves it there! It’s located along the Wild Atlantic Way too, so there’s lots of beautiful places to explore nearby.
What’s your top hidden gem — somewhere unexpectedly dog-friendly that you think more people should know about?
The Deerstone in Wicklow was fantastic. We’re both from Wicklow and didn’t even realise it was there, let alone dog friendly! It’s a spa resort hidden in the mountains and Bailey could literally come everywhere with us! He made a new friend there too, Bowie the resident Chow Chow!
Are there any places you thought would be dog-friendly but turned out to be a bit tricky?
The Sneem Hotel in Kerry was very awkward for a “dog friendly” hotel. Bailey wasn’t allowed in the reception at all, they had a separate entrance for him so one of us stood outside while the other checked in. Beautiful location, right along the wild Atlantic way, but not really dog friendly.
When you’re picking a spot to visit with Bailey, what are your key criteria?
We don’t live near the sea and Bailey gets so happy at the beach so we will usually try to book something along the coast. We’re not too bothered if the cafes nearby aren’t dog friendly because we’re on the go a lot so self catering can often be the best option for us. It is just more relaxing for Bailey to be in a house/apartment with us than in a busy café/restaurant, especially after a long day of sightseeing and running around on different beaches!
What Irish beaches or forest walks get Bailey’s tail wagging every single time?
Our favourite beach is Magheramore in Wicklow, it’s where we got engaged and it’s always nice and quiet when we go so Bailey loves being able to run free! Donadea Forest is close to us so he also knows the word “forest” and gets super excited!
Any standout accommodations or dog-friendly stays you’d recommend?
CABÜ cabins in Cavan was just brilliant. They have so many activities, the cabins are gorgeous and dogs are allowed basically everywhere on site, including the spa area! Bailey sat beside the hot tub while we relaxed for an hour. He loved it there and got lots of swim time in the lake!
Has Bailey ever made a new doggy best friend on an adventure? 🐶
It was love at first site with him and Bowie the Chow Chow in the Deerstone in Wicklow. The next morning they were so excited to see each other! We were checking out and as soon as they locked eyes the sprinted towards each other!
What’s one Irish location still on your bucket list to visit with Bailey?
If/when we win the lotto we will book a night in Ashford Castle! It looks incredible.
Favourite dog-friendly café or pub you’ve visited? What made it special?
Orby’s by Lucy in the Curragh wins this one everytime. We go there almost every weekend and they are just super friendly. They always give the dogs some chicken for visiting so Bailey literally drags us in from the car! He gets so excited!
Have you found any towns or counties that really go above and beyond for dog owners?
Ireland is so far behind other countries when it comes to dog friendliness. We’re lucky to live in Kildare and have plenty of options around us but there are still a lot of places that say they’re dog friendly but “only in the outdoor seating”. We travelled to Wales with Irish Ferries back in February and Bailey was allowed in almost everywhere- clothes shops, cafes, hotels- more dog friendly places than not!
What’s been the funniest or most unexpected thing Bailey has done on one of your trips?
Bailey has serious fomo, so will always sit facing out so he can people watch or sit out in the middle of the floor so people have to say hi.. but in the Rabbit Hotel in Antrim he was just so relaxed and he actually fell asleep in the pub while a band was playing! That was very unexpected!
The funniest thing he has done is bark at the John Egan statue in Sneem, thinking it was a real person that wouldn’t play with him!
Any tips for other dog owners who want to start adventuring more with their pups around Ireland?
Get them used to the car asap- Bailey is so good in the car now but he used to hate the car the first few times we drove anywhere so just start with short trips.
Start training them to settle in busy places from the moment they have all their vaccines too, this can take a lot of time to build up.
Before we came across Dogstop and the dog friendly section of your site we would always google “dog friendly cafes/restaurants/hotels” before we go somewhere, but will also ring them to double check their policies and stuff as a lot of them are outdated! For example, some hotels have a weight limit on dogs, but if you call they usually ignore it! Bailey is 43kg and has been to hotels where their policy says “30lb”.
And finally — if Bailey could plan a perfect weekend in Ireland, what would be on the itinerary?
Bailey’s perfect weekend would be a self catering cottage by the sea, where he can run out the door at any time of the day and straight into the water! The days would be broken up with naps in between swims and also lots of snacks to keep his energy up- preferably human snacks i.e. Chicken or beef.
🌟 Follow Bailey’s Adventures
Big thanks to Bailey Sophie for sharing their favourite dog-friendly spots around Ireland! If you’re not already following their adventures, check them out on Instagram and TikTok.
At Dogstop.ie, we’re building Ireland’s go-to hub for dog-friendly travel, cafes, parks, and places to stay. Want more tips like this? Browse our dog-friendly directory, or follow us on Instagram for more pup-approved recommendations.