Am I nuts?? Ireland in late November?
 

My husband and I have often gone to Paris on Thanksgiving and the following week and this year I would like to go to Dublin and out into the countryside a bit. Hubby is not wild about this idea and thinks the weather will be terrible and there will not be enough to do. Any ideas about this? We are avid and frequent travelers but for some reason I have not been the British isles in 25 years so I don't know much other than what I can find on line and it doesn't seem any rainier than any other time but would love some advice.

I would think the biggest problem would be the short days. How much that would bother you may depend on how much driving you plan to do.

Also, as I guess your husband means, you may run into things being closed for the season.

But, in terms of the weather being terrible, I guess it's all relative to where you live. Our Irish son-in-law moved here (the Chicago suburbs) this past November. It was a lot colder here than it'd been in Ireland. But he loved the fact that it was sunnier here!

Been there; done that!
On a November visit to the Irish Republic (to Limerick City & west Limerick), there was a very strong storm: heavy rain and Gale force winds. In Limerick City, wind & rain noise kept me awake most of the night; blew slates off the building where they damaged more than 1-car in the Hotel's Parking lot.

I can't say that you'll encounter that kind of weather. It may have been an abberation (like London's 'Black Fog' of November, 1952).

Parkland Golf Courses in Adare & west Limerick were closed (i.e., unplayable).

I met some people on the return flight who had stayed in the Dublin area: they had much better luck with the weather.

As CAPH52 says: many B&B's will be closed for the season.

I didn't think that B & B's in the countryside would be closed. If you travel through California in the winter, even though it is off season most places are open except those in the really summer tourist areas. That is apparently what it is like outside of Dublin in the off season?

mstraveler, are you basing this on experience with Ireland? Or on how things are in California?

When we traveled in Ireland in March we found many things, B&Bs, restaurants, shops, etc., closed for the season. Not that we weren't always able to find a place to stay, eat, etc. But the selection is more limited in the off-season. And I suspect that may be even more true in late November than in late March as some B&Bs reopen late February to mid-March.

I'm sorry, I just realized you were the OP. And you've already said that you haven't been in the British Isles in the past 25 years! I realize that last response came off as snarky and I apologize for that.

But, yes, you may have to look harder for B&Bs, restaurants, etc. Outside of Dublin, of course.

No one comes to Ireland for the weather as it is unpredicable all year. The disadvantage of late November is the hours of daylight - dark at 4pm however, it is rarely very cold and you can get lovely sunny days.

It doesn't really matter when you visit Dublin and it will be dressed up for Christmas in November.

As far as accommodation is concerned, a lot of B&B's may be closed but the hotels will not and they usually have much better rates outside the main tourist season. You will be able to get a nice hotel for the same money you would have to pay in a B&B in July or August.

I rather like the fact that you can go to a beach for a walk and be the only person there. Night life in Dublin will be the same as any other time of year.

I don't think you are nuts!!

Helen

Your right it does not rain any more in winter than summer.
Days are shorter but best place after 5 pm is the Pub anyway.
Some very distinct advantages we found on our trip January 2004. Sights like Mewgrange (only 4 on tour instead of 24), Book of Kells ( only people in the room ) and many more, no wait or crowds. We booked our B&B's ahead and found plenty of choices.

My parents did a similar trip in late fall. All the disadvantages aside, they had a great time. They had a big hearty pub lunch each day to warm up and did lots of driving and walking in thick sweaters. They really enjoyed hanging in the pubs at lunch time even though they don't drink and felt like it allowed them to meet lots of locals and experience daily life.

Thanks all. I am one of those people who enjoys off season destinations for all of the reasons mentioned above. When I lived in New England our favorite spot for the New Year's weekend was Provincetown on the Cape. We would build a fire at the inn, have cozy dinners and take nice isolated walks on the beach with warm sweaters. That is all fine with me, but since I know so little at this point I wanted to make sure first it was not the Irish monsoon season or that it was a really foolish idea! (It is one thing to drive a few hours to Cape Cod and another to fly from SFO to Ireland!) Sounds pretty doable to me.

mstraveller,

I would recommend that you stay in some of the lovely Country House Hotels rather than try and find a B&B if you go into the countryside. Huge big fires blazing and excellent food in the restaurant. They will also be warm.

In Dublin it doesn't matter so much and I doubt if any of the B&B/s will be closed as there really is no 'season' there. It will be more like Boston in winter (love Boston) and you will want to be out and about in the evening at one of the excellent restaurants/pubs.

In the countryside (like Provincetown I would imagine in the winter - I was there last summer), it will be more relaxed and I think a hotel would be more like you experienced in Cape Cod.

If you decide to go lets us know your itinerary and I will see if I can find you some lovely places.

Helen

Yes, I would love to hear how things work out! I am vaguely thinking of moving to Ireland in a couple years, and I know I will have to vacation there once during the winter months to see if I can handle it. I grew up in Michigan, but have been spoiled in Florida for the last 30 years ;0 Though I survived a Maine winter a couple years ago...

Green--I lived in Ireland for a year (Galway) and lived in NH on and off for 30 years. Ireland winters are nothing like Maine or NH, thank God. It was dark when I drove to work and dark before I drove home which took getting used to, but other than that, I thought it was a mild winter--one snowfall of about an inch--lots of rain but as someone said, that's all year. And, it did seem that the really big storms off the Atlantic were usually late at night. I loved the storms as long as I was home in front of a fire.

Sounds good to me - I go to and home from work in the dark as it is (I'm a CPA during tax season, so I work 10 hour days) :)

Can you tell me other stories, hints, dangers, great things about living in Ireland?? Please - the good and the bad. So as not to hijack thread, you can email me. greendragon at bellsouth dot net, if you would! I would greatly appreciate info!

I was in Killarney for the past 2 days, Feb 28 and Mar 1. It was cool but not too cold to go for a walk and there were hundreds of people walking the many paths in Killarney National Park. There were intermittent showers.There were lots of people around Killarney town too and when I went for dinner in Peppers Restaurant in the Malton,formerly the Great Southern Hotel (www.themalton.com) we were lucky to get a table. I really like that restaurant.I live in Dublin and travel abroad quite often but for some reason beyond my comprehension I like to visit Killarney several times every year.I have an apartment in Nice but spend far more time in the Killarney area than in France.

Let's get the the facts according to Weatherbase: Average November temperature in Paris is 44F and in Dublin 46F i.e. Dublin is 2 degrees warmer, who would have guessed? Its 40F in Chicago! Average November precipitation is Dublin is 2.7in and in Chicago 2.9in i.e. Chicago is wetter. It rains for 17 days in November in Paris. But best of all, only Ireland has great pubs to escape to. However, my advice is to go to the Caribbean in November, somewhere south of the Hurricanes!

Just traveled to Dublin and the Irish countryside this past thanksgiving. The only disadvantages were the short days (as everyone has pointed out above) and that most of the castles were closed. That said, would I do it again? Absolutely. It was an amazing trip.
We tended to start our days earlier (to take advantage of the daylight!) and spent our evenings in the pubs.

Just got back from my third trip - all in Feb. We love the true off-season, the roads are empty, the scenery is still lovely, and the people are less tourist-fatigued. Feb works well, because the light comes back rapidly toward the end of the month. Many things are closed, but we've learned to work around that, and have a deeper experience as a result (that's what we tell ourselves, anyway). I've just started a trip report, if you'd care to read it.

Green, I will email with stories and details but with the caveat that Ireland has changed since I lived there in the early 90s. However, I've been back several times on business since then and the essentials are still the same--most notably the weather (of course) the great people, the music, the beautiful countryside and the Guinness!!!! so, as I write this, I guess it really hasn't changed as far as the things that matter.

mstraveler - I agree with all who say you're not nuts going in November. I've been twice: April and August. I think it was warmer in April. You can get sun, you can get rain, you can get both several times in an hour. I think it will be a lovely place to drink a guinness in front of a peat fire at the local pub. Also - if you can get good prices on the simply lovely country hotels that would be the best. Nicer than a B&B.