Dandering and dawdling through your own neighbourhood can be the loveliest way to spend a day, particularly if you know the best places to go. We asked some well-known names about their favourite haunts.Co LimerickLouise CantillonToday FM presenter and co-host of the How to Gael podcastToday FM presenter Louise Cantillon What do you love about Limerick?Limerick is right on the river Shannon – it’s actually the widest and shallowest crossing point of the river. We’ve started to utilise it more, it’s always lovely to get down there and sit by the water. I love hanging out at The Locke Bar where there are rows of tables right on the river. I also love the great sense of pride Limerick has. I remember when Munster won the Heineken Cup in 2006 and the whole of O’Connell Street was taken over – the final was live-streamed on a big screen. This was before the glory days of Limerick hurling, but there has always been such pride felt through sport. We’re a great sporting city – the rowers are always amazing, and we’ve had lots of fantastic athletes too. Describe a perfect day out around Adare.Stroll into lovely Adare village for coffee – my new spot is Adare Grocer, a lovely little artisan grocery shop and cafe on the main street – and then across the road to Café Logr – it’s the destination for breakfast in Adare and I’d recommend it to anyone. Then go for a walk in Curragh Chase Forest Park. I grew up just outside the forest in a little village called Kilcoran and I’ve always thought the park was a beautiful place, full of nature with a lovely walk. After that, head into the city to the Milk Market – it’s a must-visit – and on to the medieval quarter by King John’s Castle. Stop for a pint and a toasted sandwich in Treaty City Brewery, and then walk the three bridges. Afterwards head to JJ Bowles. It’s a beautiful little pub on the Shannon, with one of the best beer gardens in the country, because you’re sitting almost right on the river, looking over to the castle.[ Ireland’s best foodie destinations: Perfect restaurants, lovely pubs and local produceOpens in new window ]As someone who loves music, is there a lively scene in Limerick?Oh my goodness, we have such an amazing creative scene. Dolans is such an institution, but we’ve also got small, really cool places where more underground and alternative musicians play. Record Room is in the basement of The Commercial bar. Lots of incredible up-and-coming artists have played in that small room and then gone on to do great things. There’s Pharmacia too, but I’m not cool enough to go there! I’m too basic, but I aspire to be a Pharmacia girl. If I was an art student, they might let me in, but not with my fresh blow-dry, manicure and spray tan!Where do you enjoy celebrating special occasions?It would have to be Adare Manor, because I got married there. It’s a very special place, I’m booking in again to celebrate our anniversary. They’ve opened a new sushi bar near The Carriage House for informal dining and I’ve heard it’s unreal. But everything Adare Manor does is next level. For retail therapy, where would you recommend?Adare village is amazing for little boutiques, but fashion designer Aoife McNamara is doing incredible things in her little cottage. As is Annmarie Nagel of Marlene & Co. She stocks sustainable Scandinavian-style brands for women as well as fabulous accessories – I have to avoid going there too often!Co GalwayAoibheann McNamaraOwner of Ard Bia restaurant and The Tweed ProjectAoibheann McNamara at Ard Bia at Nimmos, at the Spanish Arch, Galway. Photograph: Joe O'Shaughnessy What makes Galway city special?I think the key is Galway’s geographical location. It’s close to Connemara. It’s north of the Burren. It’s close to Shannon. And you’ve got three islands to your left. That is unprecedented. And then you’ve got six beaches leading straight out from town, which is just phenomenal. But we’re still very much a small community within the centre, really connected – and we’re all about the craic. Describe your ideal day out in Galway.Start off with a coffee from Coffeewerk + Press. It’s a curated space with all kinds of bespoke elements, and I love to sit on the second floor with my coffee and a newspaper. Then head to the Galway Market; it’s where we get all of our produce for Ard Bia, and it just feels so beautiful and connected. There’s an amazing guy called Brendan from The Pine Rack who comes from Balintubber in Co Mayo to the market, and I’m obsessed with everything he does. He can make anything. I usually pop into Ernie’s Fruit & Veg for a few other bits.I’d have a proper breakfast at Ard Bia, then walk to Blackrock, have a swim and sit in the sun. Swing back and visit Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop. Vinnie, who runs it, is amazing, and you can come across such magical books there. Then visit Sheridan’s for some cheese and wine – it has an incredible buzz and a lovely group of people hanging out there – then have dinner at Universal on William Street West. It’s super simple, produce-driven, with beautiful natural wines, and it’s my favourite place to eat. If you have any energy left, go to either Bierhouse for some cool tunes or to The Crane Bar for some trad and sean-nós singing. Any other highlights you recommend for visitors to Galway?There’s a bicycle ride up towards Menlo and further on to Dangan House Nurseries. You get a bit of woodland on the way and it’s really lovely. Then there’s Nora Barnacle House, which is right in town beside the Galway Market. Bloomsday is hosted there every year and there are often readings from Ulysses. Seven children were raised in that tiny house and it’s a very special place, especially for James Joyce enthusiasts. There’s Kinfolk, which is a really beautiful shop. It does a lovely curation of Rains and Carhartt for men, books on Copenhagen and Iceland, little pairs of socks and lovely sunglasses, and there’s a coffee space attached to it. There’s nothing else like it. Where’s the best place to hang out in good weather?The Blackrock diving boards. At high tide the whole of Galway is there, and young kids especially are all jumping into the sea. Pre-Covid they were all in nightclubs, and now they’re jumping off Blackrock. It’s incredible. And you can get coffee at Blackrock Cottage and an acai bowl and a little croissant. It’s beautiful.Culturally, what’s worth checking out?Róisín Dubh is amazing for contemporary music. But of course, the Galway International Arts Festival in July is our big moment. It’s always super exciting to have an influx of people to the city. The Tweed Project loves to have visitors. It’s a studio not a shop, so we create bespoke pieces for clients and the selection of tweeds is beautiful. There’s also Sarah Jenkinson’s studio just behind Ernie’s, she does really lovely basketry.Dublin 7Marcus O’LaoireCook and DJCook and DJ Marcus O'Laoire outside Banco in Stoneybatter. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times What does a lovely day out in your neck of the woods look like? I’d get up early, go for a long walk with my baby Sylvia in the Phoenix Park. I’d enter by Dublin Zoo, loop down by the Wellington Monument and go up the hill by the Magazine Fort and come back around that same gate that I went in at, walk down the North Circular Road and cut down to Little Cactus for a coffee. Have a chat with Jamie and the staff in there. Because I am a two-coffees-in-the-morning kind of guy, I’d continue strolling down Manor Street and pop into Banco, the new bakery by the Grano people, for a pastry and a second coffee. I’d happily walk on past Grangegorman to Blessington Street Basin, the walled garden that used to be a reservoir. It’s so hidden away. It really is a special place, especially on a nice day. It feels like a different world. As a chef, where do you recommend visitors eat in Stoneybatter?I love Korean Table. I’d also recommend the sandwiches in Little Cactus, and the cookies – they make some of the best cookies in Dublin. Mulligan’s is the place for traditional pub fare. A Fianco, Banco and Grano are the holy trinity of Italian food – a wine bar, bakery and restaurant owned by chef Roberto Mungo, who is a neighbour of mine. Everything is made from scratch. Grano opened eight years ago, and you still can’t get a booking a month out. People flock to it, and for good reason. Slice, Social Fabric and Vada are all amazing cafes. I love the coffee in Proper Order, and the newly opened Brindle wine bar in Pender’s Yard is a great place to while away the afternoon. Anywhere we missed? Hakkahan for Chinese food, specifically Sichuan Chinese. I had this almost euphoric moment two years ago – myself and a friend were walking home and there was one table outside Hakkahan in the evening sun. We got some ice-cold Chinese beers and this huge pot of Sichuan sea bass and just sat there sweating and laughing. We were looking in the window, it was late in the evening, and all the staff were having their family meal together. There are very few places in Dublin where you can be sitting in the sun, having world-class Sichuan food and it does not feel contrived. It was just lovely as a moment. Joli is also great for coffee. Where is the best place for a pint in Stoneybatter?Walsh’s. It’s a perfect example of what a Dublin pub operating in the modern world should be. Perfect pints, brilliant service, good music and cheesy Tuesdays [an evening of free cheese and crackers for customers]. Dublin 24Lynn RuaneIndependent Senator for Trinity College DublinSenator Lynn Ruane at Boharnabreena Upper Lake in Glenasmole, Dublin. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien / The Irish Times Describe your perfect day out in Tallaght I live in the house I grew up in, in an estate on the foot of the mountain, so out my back window you see the mountains. During the summer, on a nice Saturday or Sunday, I walk the trail to the Glenasmole Reservoir. It’s about a 40-minute walk from my house to get to the first reservoir, which opens up beautifully, and it’s always quite still. As kids, we used to go up there and jump into the water. Obviously, that wasn’t allowed, but we did it with any body of water. There’s a lovely spot now in the hillsides beside the reservoir called Sophie’s Sauna with a coffee shop, where you can do a plunge and sauna. After the big walk, what are you doing? If it was a Sunday, I might get a roast, but I do love a spicy chicken burger, a Guinness and carbs after being out hiking. I love being local, being with my own friends that I grew up with, and an early evening time drop-in to the pub. The Killinarden House is my favourite – there’s a pool table in the bar. I am good at pool, but not as good as some of the men in there – there are some absolute sharks. It feels protective for me in there, because I’m just Lynn. People talk to me about normal things, “‘Oh, did you hear so-and-so did this?” and “Did you see who is after having a baby?” or “Were you at that wedding last week?’”. I think we all are happiest when we’re with those that understand you more deeply than anyone else.Are there any other spots worth hitting up for visitors? Rua Red Arts Centre has a rich community of artists and kids playing instruments, and Tallaght Library is one of the biggest public libraries in the country. As a young person, I used the library a lot. The best Indian meal I ever had is at Saravanaa Bhavan – it’s absolutely unbelievable. The Priory Market is still relatively new, but it’s a great spot to sample food from around the world and enjoy a craft beer. I spend most of my time in Tallaght West, so having a place like this in Tallaght village is lovely. And going to a Shamrock Rovers match at Tallaght Stadium is always a great way to spend an evening.Dublin 2Aisling Bonner2FM Breakfast presenterAisling Bonner, radio presenter on 2FM Breakfast, at Grand Canal Dock, Dublin.