Best Time to Visit Ireland in 2024
Are You Planning to Visit Ireland? Know the Best Time of It
Traveling to a foreign country is quite expensive, and you need to plan appropriately. And this planning includes certain essential things to remember. The most important of all is to know the best time as if you visit the country at the bad season; you may not enjoy your trip to the fullest, and that will be a waste of your money.
So, if you are planning to visit Ireland for the first time in your next vacation, it is essential to know the best time to go to Ireland. So, today, you will get to know which the best time of the year is to visit Ireland. Read on to know more.
Ireland Travel Seasons
Once you know when to visit Ireland as per the season, you can enjoy the country at its most stunning look. So, here you will get to know which season is the best to visit Ireland-
1. High Season (mid-June through August)
In Ireland, summer is the high season as during this time; the days are warm, welcoming, and long.
Therefore, you can enjoy the places of sightseeing quite well. Besides, the population of the country is less; even the tourists at the peak seasons are higher than this population. So, you can expect a crowd enough at those places to visit.
2. Shoulder Season (April through mid-June, September through mid-October)
Shoulder spot means this time the weather is perfect and the crowd is lighter. Enjoying the time in Ireland during this time can be the most enjoyable days you can have here.
This time you can get bright sunny days to enjoy the outdoor activities and also visiting the sights. Visiting this time Ireland can be lighter on your pocket as the airfare goes lower and the crowd is also not that much disturbing. As the attractions are open, you can visit those with enough enthusiasm.
3. Low Season (mid-October through March)
Leave the St. Patrick’s Weak as this time crowd is high, but except this time, the month of March goes quite low than any other months of the year. Low seasons is the time when you can get the cheapest deal on flight tickets and room fare.
Still, the winter is dark, long and gloomy in Ireland, so getting accommodation can be difficult as many hotels are being closed this time. Due to the turbulent weather, it becomes difficult sometimes to visit many places at this time.
Ireland Weather And Festivals By Month
Know about the Ireland Weather and Festivals (month by month), so that you can plan your trip according to your preferences.
January
January is one of the coldest months of the year when the temperature stays between 7°C and 3°C. Days are shorter initially, and then start to be longer. Though it is not rainy season, you can get 70mm rain any time of the day. You have to carry coats and woolens if you are visiting Ireland this time of the year.
The festivals of Ireland in January are mainly, New Year’s Day when you can enjoy parades with musicians and other groups. Also, you can visit Temple Bar Tradfest, the largest traditional music festival in Ireland. It runs for five days.
February
February is colder than January, and you can also experience rain this time. The temperature is almost the same as it runs between 7°C and 3°C. There is a slight decrease in precipitation during this time. The weather in February is windy and wet in Ireland.
Valentine’s Day is celebrated with lots of love and romance. Besides, Saint Brigid’s Day is celebrated throughout a week, in Kildare, an Irish city. In the first half of February, Chinese New Year is celebrated in Dublin, and lots of family entertainment, food, musical performances can be enjoyed this time.
March
March sees more rain, but the temperature also goes higher this time. The average temperature can be from 10°C to 4°C. This time the days become longer with 13 hours of sun. Still, you need to carry an umbrella as there can be dark clouds anytime.
St. Patrick’s Day on 17th March is the biggest festival this time that pulls a lot of crowds. You can also visit the Dingle International Film Festival, and also the Cork Sound Fair, a music festival. For enjoying live performances, you can visit the Cork Sound Fair.
April
Spring is one the way, and the temperature goes higher in April. This time the temperature stays between 11°C and 5°C. By this time, you can experience 15 hours of sunlight, and the precipitation becomes lower than before.
In April, you can enjoy Easter, Children Traditional Music Festival, and the Galway Food Festival.
If you are staying in the urban areas, you have the opportunity to enjoy the Easter Monday in full bloom. In Galway Food Festival, you can join workshops, taste amazing foods at different food stalls, and enjoy your day.
May
In May, the temperature can rise to 15°C while the nights can go lower, up to 7°C. As the temperature falls after dark, it is better to keep warm clothes to you. You can also expect a bit of wet weather this time.
May Day is a public holiday while you can enjoy Burren in Bloom a lot in mid-May where you can get accustomed to lots of rare plants. You can also join the Wexford Food and Wine Festival on the last weekend of May.
June
Summer arrives in Ireland in June with long, warm days. The average temperature goes up to 17°C, and you can also experience slight rain. During this time of the year, you can experience the longest days as the sun often sets at 10 PM.
Enjoying June can become more happening with festivals, like Bloomsday (an honorary tribute to the author, James Joyce), Cork Midsummer Festival (includes dance, music, theatre, etc.), and so on. Attend the Sea Sessions Surf and Musical Festival if you are fond of music.
July
During July, the temperature almost touches 19°C, while the lowest average temperature is 12°C this time. The late nights are musty during this time, while the days are bright and sunny. You need to put on sunglasses now!
It is the time of the year when you can attend lots of art festivals, like the Galway International Arts Festival, Ennis Street Arts Festival, etc. The grand festival of Ireland is the Galway Races Summer Festival where you can visit horse races, live music, and other modes of entertainment.
August
In August, the temperature is on its high note, around 19°C and the lowest average is 12°C. This time you may experience rainfall around 80mm. Also, the days begin to get shorter from this time as the sun sets at 8.16 PM.
If you are in Ireland this time, you shouldn’t miss attending Enniscorthy Rockin’ Food Festival, where more than 80 chefs from the local area and outside take part. Also, you can go to the fairs, like the Kenmare fair (fair of selling animals) Puck Fair (a family-friendly street festival), etc.
September
From September, you can feel a dip in the temperature, though the daytime high temperature is around 17°C. It is the best time to visit the Emerald Island. Rain won’t disturb you much this time, and you can enjoy your trip.
This time you can be a part of the traditional, 160 years old Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival. Also, the Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival will blow your mind. This festival is full of events, like oyster sucking championship, oyster feast off, seafood trials, and so on.
October
The autumn days of October become chiller as the temperature is between 13°C and 8°C. Though the weather is getting chilly, the bright sunny days can give you the warm to enjoy your trip. You may not find much crowd this time in Ireland.
The days are still pleasant so that you can enjoy the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, Dingle Food Festival, etc. Halloween is something exciting to experience in Ireland. The annual Halloween parade in Dublin is something amazing to visit as it holds the tradition of Celtic civilization with music and dance.
November
In November, the temperature ranges within 10 °C and 5 °C. Days are relatively shorter than other times of the year, and with winter approaching, you can feel the shiver quite well. Though it is a low season, you can visit Ireland by wrapping you up!
The Subtitle Film Festival allows you to watch great European movies with subtitles, while the workshops, lineup for demonstrations, science exhibitions, etc. can make your kid to get entertained at the Galway Science and Technology Festival.
December
December is the coldest month when the high temperature is nearly 8°C, and the low is around 5 °C. The temperature often goes below the freezing point, and the snowfall paves the way of Christmas!
Christmas in Ireland can be enjoyed with lots of brightness on wintry days of December. From Christmas till the New Year’s Eve, Ireland beams with a festive mood. Also, the Wexford Winterland Festival is another reason to visit Ireland this time as there are lots of activities, workshops, and events to attend.
What Is the Best Time for Sightseeing?
From May to October, the temperature stays between 13°C and 17°C, which is very comfortable. So, if you want to know the best time of the year to visit Ireland for sightseeing, you can plan this time. At it is not that much peak season, the places are not highly crowded.
You may not need to stand in the queues, jostle with others to get the views, etc. this time and also can enjoy the soothing weather. During these shoulder seasons, rain can interrupt your enjoyment a bit, but with an umbrella and a hooded rain jacket you can carry on.
What Is the Best Time to Save Money?
Visiting foreign land is expensive. But, you can still do some trick to avoid too many expenses. Go for the shoulder seasons and the low seasons as in those times of the year, the flight rates are cheaper and also the hotels charge lesser than any other times of the year.
You can visit from June to August as there is a lesser crowd. And if you want to enjoy winter in Ireland at a cheaper rate, planning your rate from November to February can also be a good plan to save money on your trip.
What Is the Best Time to Avoid Crowds?
If you get to freak out of a crowd, then winter is the best time to visit Ireland, but you have to be ready to withstand the chilly weather. Else, you can also choose the shoulder seasons to visit Ireland.
So, here you get enough information on the best time to travel to Ireland. Plan your trip accordingly, and have the best and most memorable experience in Ireland.
