When is the best time to travel to Ireland? I have been to Ireland many times and there are great seasons in which to travel. Each season has something wonderful to offer the traveler depending on what you’re looking for.
Wintertime, excluding the holiday season, and Ireland is gray and rainy but there are no crowds of people to deal with. Dublin city streets are filled with residents more than tourists. It’s a bit bleak at this time of year and some businesses remain closed for most of the month of January and into February, depending on where and what type of business it is. If you’re looking to get the main sites in, the vast majority are open but daylight is rather scarce at this time of year and you may want to factor that into your schedule. Most of Ireland works on the 9-5 business schedule, so arriving at Newgrange at 4:30 is likely to be a disappointment.
Springtime is lovely, chilly but the sun’s daylight hours extend and reinvigorate the countryside. May is my very favorite time of the year – it’s warm but not hot, sweater weather. The sun remains up, into the later hours of the day. By late March, there is nearly 12 hours of sunlight per day, and the sun begins to set so much later (after 9 pm) as May approaches. Daylight Savings Time (DST) assists in this process of daylight extension early in the season. In 2020, DST begins on March 8 in the USA but not until March 29, in Ireland. Keep this in mind when planning activities after your evening meal.
Summer brings tourists from around the globe. Days are soft and warm, often with a passing shower. Ireland truly comes alive. Music is played everywhere, almost every pub has live music in the evenings, no mater the day of the week. Many people come to Ireland specifically for festivals which can range from something as large as Galway’s International Arts Festival, to the ancient traditional Fair Day held in Kenmare town in mid-August for the last two hundred years. This fair is more like a grande 4H Fair, involving all manor of livestock on display but in recent years it has attracted more types of entertainment than in the past.
Autumn descends slowly in Ireland. And, with it comes the changing of leaves on the trees and All Ireland Football Senior finals. This is a GREAT time to come to Ireland, especially if you follow the GAA and your team is playing! I’ve been lucky enough to attend the All Ireland Senior finals and the air in Dublin is absolutely filled with excitement and electricity, no matter whose team is playing. The city is packed with people and not a spare room is to be had (keep that in mind when you book your vacation dates) and excitement is in the air all around. Tickets are nearly impossible to come by, unless you have a connection or pay handsomely. And, if you’re not planning to stick around Dublin, the country is quiet, and lovely at this time of the year. With summer just a distant memory, the autumn time is like a long slow, exhale after the chaos that comes from summer. Galway, Dingle, Belfast and Cork continue to celebrate with a variety of festivals that will not disappoint.
Lastly, if you can connect to Irish family members, there is absolutely nothing as wonderful as the Christmas season in Ireland. It is polar opposite to the commercialism and materialism of the US. Here, Christmas centers around family and friends coming home again. Commercials on tv, market the lovely foods to be enjoyed over the holidays, reconnecting family and friends in the local pubs over a pint of holiday cheer, and of course, the excitement of the holidays in general. Towns are lit up, with beautiful Christmas lights hanging across the streets. Nearly every town and church in each town has a lovely display of the nativity. And, Jesus doesn’t arrive on the set until Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. It’s a beautiful feeling to go back to the roots, the family, the meaning behind Christmas to celebrate the arrival of Jesus.
Whatever time of year suits you, there is no more wonderful, hospitable, and green landscape full of welcoming, and generous people, you will ever find on this earth. I am partial, that much is surely true.