Cork, Ireland at $512 RT

Cheap flights to the true capital…? Harder to find than a four-leaf clover, I'll tell ya! — of course, as a Corkonian myself, I'm a little bit biased...

But if you're looking for the quintessential Irish experience: quaint pubs (An Spailpín Fánach and Sin E are my top picks for impromptu trad sessions) quirky locals, craggy coastline and cracking good food, you'd do well to fly into Cork instead of Dublin. 

There's some Paddy's Day coverage here, but with one big catch — you'll be flying home the next day with a head on ya like a bag of hammers.

If I were in your shoes, I'd give those dates a miss and choose the week prior. The lively pub buzz and jawdroppers like Slea Head Drive aren't going anywhere. 

I took a friend from Arizona along this seriously underrated road trip this spring, and we had breathtaking views like this all to ourselves :-)