When to travel to Ireland for your tour: weather and seasons
Ireland’s not called the Emerald Isle for nothing, but it doesn’t rain as much as you might think. Still, expect a shower at any time. The annual number of days with more than 1 mm of rain varies between about 150 in the drier parts of the Ireland to over 200 in the wetter parts of the country.
Fortunately, the main influence on Ireland’s climate is the Atlantic Ocean, and as a result the country does not suffer from the extremes of temperature experienced by many other countries at similar latitude.
The weather is warmest in July and August, but as usual in Europe, that’s when the crowds are greatest. April and May are claimed to be the driest months, but can be a bit cool (12-14 C). Average monthly daytime temperatures are much the same as England.
In summer, temperatures hover around 20°C for the most part, although Ireland’s weather is notoriously unpredictable and changeable. By October the average is back down to 14 C again.
The south of Ireland enjoys warmer temperatures than the north. While the north coast is cooler than the south, the coolest areas are the inland areas which are away from the (comparatively) warm waters of the Atlantic.
The second half of the year is wetter than the first, so being a bit of a cold and wet weather wimp I’d go for June or brave the crowds in July-August. Bear in mind, though, the local climate differs from place to place. You always get the wettest weather in the mountains and those areas just to the east of the mountains – the direction of the prevailing wind – like Kerry, Galway and Donegal. In contrast, the driest weather occurs east of areas where there are few mountains, such as the east coast. As a result, the weather tends to be drier in Counties Dublin and Kildare.
Events, Festivals
There are a HUGE number of events and festivals, both traditional and modern, in Ireland.
Here’s a link to the Irish Tourist Board Search facility
Our other Ireland pages
Travel to Ireland – a Four-leaf Clover Europe tour to be sure!
Useful facts, dates and links to help you plan your tour of Ireland
Book your sightseeing tours or day-trips in Ireland online