When is the best time to visit Ireland?

Visiting Ireland in March

Saint Patrick's Day is on March 17 and is a national holiday for the Irish. Expect crowds in all the cities and a party-like atmosphere over the whole weekend, with live music and dancing, and the streets awash with people in green.

Events & Festivals

• On the 17th March Ireland erupts in festivities to celebrate St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

Visiting Ireland in April - May

Temperatures get warmer and spring flowers reach their peak. Vivid fuchsias lining the roads along the west coast, particularly around Kerry, begin to flower. In May, summer visitors start to flock to Ireland and prices rise accordingly.

Visiting Ireland in June

Gardens throughout Ireland sing with vibrant hues and temperatures are pleasantly warm, averaging at around 56°F. In mid-June, Bloomsday is celebrated in Dublin, focused on the life of poet and novelist James Joyce.

Events & Festivals

• Bloomsday is a cultural festival with performances and readings marking the day when Ulysses, a novel by James Joyce, was completed.

Visiting Ireland in July - August

This is the busiest time of year for visitors, coinciding with the schools finishing for the summer. Temperatures are at their warmest and, in theory, these are the driest months, although visitors to Ireland should really expect rain at any time of year. Galway International Arts Festival is held during mid to late July, while the Dingle Regatta (a water festival of boat races), is held in early August.

Events & Festivals

• At the Dingle Regatta spectators gaze at the rowers as they navigate their way around the course in traditional Namhóg canoes, jostling for first position.
• From July 17-30, the small Irish town of Galway hosts an international arts festival. Expect live music, theater and art.

Visiting Ireland in September

This is the last month possible to visit the Skellig Islands, as between October and April the weather is deemed too unpredictable. This also tends to be the last month most wildlife boat tours operate as beyond September a lot of marine wildlife journeys to warmer climes. The deepening foliage of the season spreads from mid-to late-September and the hillsides turn purple as the heather flowers. A number of food festivals are held in September, including the Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival.

Events & Festivals

• Feast on fresh, native Galway Oysters in the longest standing oyster festival in the world.

Visiting Ireland in October

The changing hues of the season reach their peak in October, and the mountains take on russet shades as the bracken dies. Some sites close toward the end of October as visitor numbers and temperatures decrease. The Kinsale Gourmet Festival is held in early October, a celebration of local produce, and Cork's International Jazz Festival is usually held toward the end of the month.

Events & Festivals

• Jazz lovers flock to Cork in late October, and with good reason. This international festival boasts an impressive list of past performers, with Ella Fitzgerald and Herbie Hancock topping the list.
• Kinsale Gourmet Festival celebrates local, fresh food in ten restaurants around the seaside town.

Visiting Ireland in November

This is when Ireland truly begins to quieten, and some hotels outside the cities may close for annual renovations. It’s also typically the wettest month and temperatures average around 50°F in the south and 45°F in the east and north.

Visiting Ireland in December

Christmas festivities start at the beginning of the month, with decorative lights in towns and cities, plays and Christmas markets. December is a fairly cold month, but this can result in beautifully picturesque landscapes of frost-covered hills and trees. It's fairly windy along the coast, but those hotels that remain open often welcome guests with roaring log fires and hearty food.