A friend and I want to visit Ireland (both the Republic and Northern Ireland) this year. We would like to go when the weather is pretty good, like in June or July, but that's the high season - and flights to Ireland and accomodation there is expensive at that time.
Has anyone any experience with the weather in Ireland in March or April? We will be renting a car and have some worry about driving on the left hand side of the road in rainy weather. Thank you very much.

My husband and I were in Ireland in April 2004, and, all in one day, it rained and hailed, and was sunny. It was also chilly and damp, and sunny and warm. We rented an automatic and didn't have any trouble driving in rain or sun.

It's really impossible to say what the weather will be like.

During 10 days in late March/early April 2003, it rained on us only once. Your mileage may vary.

My next door neighbors are from Ireland (from Longford and from Galway). Every few years they return to Ireland to visit family. It is ALWAYS sunny when they go there. It may be rainy right before they arrive, and the rains may return right after they leave, but whenever they are there, the sun shines. Therefore the answer is to go whenever my neighbors decide to go. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have any plans to go soon.

P.S. I don't know whether the "71" in your screen name relates to your age. If so, I should probably mention thaty one reason my neighbors aren't planning a trip is that they said the rental car companies will not rent to people over 70, and one of them (or possibly both?) is now over 70. I'm not sure whether they are correct in thinking that NO rental company will supply them with a car, and I don't know whether this is because of an Irish law or a commerical policy, but you may want to check into this if you're over 70.

An old saying "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb"

April is probably the better month as it will be slightly warmer (although the weather has been very irratic during the past few years and it rains a lot no matter what month you go) but more importantly the daylight will be longer.

I went to both the Republic and NI in May 1997. I had bought 2 new travel umbrellas for that trip, but we never took them out of the pacakges. Not a drop of rain or even a cloudy day for 10 straight days.

But as we all know, weather in any part of the world is luck of the draw. If I were to return to Ireland at that same time this year, it's possible that we would never see the sun. You can't plan a trip to Ireland with the idea that if you plan it right, you won't see rain. It's probably going to happen.

I understand your concerns about driving on the left in the rain. That wasn't an issue on our Ireland trip, but I have had that experience in the UK. The good news about rain in that part of the world is it's usually not hard rain like we get in many parts of the US, therefore it's not all that hard to navigate. Just go, enjoy your trip, and try not to worry about things you cannot control.

My husband and I drove around Ireland(mostly the western part) for 9 days in early April, 2003. Sunny every day,nice and cool, and just gorgeous. No rain at all until the last day..our one day in Dublin it poured buckets,,but it didn't slow us down much.
MIGHT rain in April, but we thought it was a wonderful time to go. Less tourists etc (but you might allow for the week before and after Easter, which are often school holidays and lots of children and families traveling.) (at least in England,and Scotland...probably Ireland)
We are hoping to return to IReland to visit Northern Ireland. I hear it is beautiful and full of nice people (just like Ireland).

To cmt - Auto Europe will rent cars in Ireland to over-70 year olds (up to 75 I think) but there is an "old age" supplement. This was true as of last September.

Thanks. I'll let my neighbors know.

Hi, 71andstillgoing, We have been to Ireland 3 times in the period from late August to mid-September and all 3 times the weather was great with little rain and mild temperatures. We drove on the left in light rain with no problem. Air fare usually goes down around the first of September.

The weather in Ireland is ALWAYS good.

Ireland never gets hurricanes. It never gets earthquakes. It never gets country-closing blizzards, or crop-destroying droughts (they stopped depending on one, blight-prone, crop to live off 150 years ago). There aren't any volcanoes (or snakes or any lethal animals of any description come to that. Or lyme disease. Or even poison ivy).

There is absolutely no chance someone with Celtic genes will get skin cancer from the dangerous sunrays in Ireland. Or of a tornado or of a tsunami.

Unless 71andstillgoing is fortunate enough to live elsewhere in the British Isles, 71and stillgoing lives somewhere where the weather (and the fauna) is, at some point in the year, a great deal more life-threatening than it is in Ireland.

So what on earth is s/he worrying about?

I went for 2 1/2 weeks to Ireland & Scotland a few years back in March & it was cool & rainy nearly the whole time. Still a wonderful place to go!

Thank you all so very much for your reply to my posting 'Help with Irish weather decision!! I realize now that we may get rain in any season so we may as well just go and enjoy it all. Yes - the 71 in my name is my age and I will check on the 'over 70' thing as regards renting a car. The person going with me is a lot younger so we should be able to get a car even if that means that I can only navigate!! Thanks again, everyone. Jim

Thanks, Jason, for your very helpful reply. We are now planning to go towards the end of March and the beginning of April, this year. Judging from what everyone has been saying,I know that we will enjoy it regardless of the weather. Thanks again. Jim

April here can sometimes be quite nice, but just expect rain then you wont feel disappointed! Why are people so obsessed with the Irish Weather?

My wife and Iare planning a short trip around the same time. We arrive Shannon on 30 March and return from same on 9 April. This will be our 8th trip in the last 7 years and the 4th time that we have gone in April. Other times were June (3) and Feb. once. Only time the weather severely disrupted our plans was the trip in Feb. We foolishly tried to explore the NorthWest (Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Donnegal), but rethought after three days of incessant rain and two of our six coming down with the flu. When we turned back south, the weather cleared and we had a cold, but mostly dry and enjoyable trip.
April is historically, one of the DRIER months in Ireland and we've seen temps between 40 F and even once, in the 70's F!
I think you'll find the air cool, but generally, what rain you encounter in April is USUALLY comes in brief, light showers.

Bob

I wanted to ask Itallian Chauffer a question. I went to Ireland in 2004 in October, it was chilly, but very nice. We are going next month (Feb) because of a convention and then traveling the rest of the week around the country. We are planning where to go. We Will be in Belfast towards the weekend to visit friends.

Is it a good idea to stay south on our car trip? which will be four days in the middle. Is it usually drier south of Galway? We are know we are going to Cork and Kilarney, but we had wanted to go to Galway too. Just curious. I know Feb is not the best month to go, but we have a commitment there so we thought we would make the best of it.

Also, its the first time we will be renting a car. Thanks!

Ireland is a very small country - when the weather is rainy - it is generally rainy everywhere. The only slight exception is in the South East - ie around Wexford - it's called the Sunny South East - but make no mistake it gets its fair share of rain too.

Here is the Irish weather site

http://www.met.ie/climate/rainfall.asp

My Feb 2002 experience may have been typical of all years, or not. Having only been once during that time, it isn't for me to say. And I'm probably not the best person to ask, because my motto is:
"A REALLY BAD DAY IN IRELAND IS STILL BETTER THAN A REALLY GOOD DAY AT WORK!".

In your position, I qwould plan what I would LIKE to do and then make contingency alternatives. Even if the weather is REALLY bad for car touring, I would still plan some time in Galway. I've always found it a fun, little city, with LOTS to see and do, cold and rainy, or not.
Hope this helps
Bob