Hello, I am planning to visit the west coast of Ireland in May of 2000, can anyone tell me if this is a good time,weather wise,or should I wait till June? Also are there any must see places that I shoud take in while there. I plan on staying 9 days. Thank you in advance.

I think that May's a great time to visit. You avoid the hoard of tourists who descend on most popular spots during June, July and August. The weather tends to be good, although you can never avoid the rain in Ireland. <BR> <BR>I would recommend that you fly into Cork, head for Kinsale, west Cork (e.g. Schull or Crookhaven), move onto the Ring of Kerry (Kenmare is a good place to stay). you can then drive up the coast to Galway and spend a few days around Connemara. But don't expect to get a suntan. <BR> <BR>Have a great trip !

Well I'm from Ireland and trust me you cant plan your holiday around the weather. May is as good as time as any - the weather is usually pretty nice around the end of May beginning of June. I agree that you should spend some time around Connemara - the Gaeltacht area - loads of Irish school colleges and all the locals speak Irish - very culturing - you may even learn a few words yourself! A word of warning - although Ireland is small and it takes 3 hours to get from Galway to Dublin - you should allow yourself alot more time to get from A-B than you would in the U.S. Have a great time.

I spent 8 days in Ireland the 3rd week in May this past year. It was perfect! Minimal crowds, mild weather, beautiful time of year. I wore a light jacket and khaki pants the entire trip. As far as must see places, my favorite cities were Galway, Kinsale, and Kilkenny. Cliffs of Mohr were also very cool. Dublin was worth 1 day, but no more in my opinion. Thumbs down on Cork, Enis, and Killarney. Just my opinion, hope this helps.. Feel free to email me with any more questions.

Hi Jerome, <BR> I would say "ditto" on what everyone else said. I went to Connemara at the end of May this year and it was indeed the perfect time. The tourists are not in full force and the weather was pleasant. <BR> I stayed in Clifden at a wonderful B&B called Mallmore House. It was the perfect place to stay and more than reasonable. I felt as if I cheated them when I paid them. They had wonderful breakfasts and the hosts were extremely cordial. <BR> If you stay in Connemara, you must visit Kylemore Abbey. It is a beautiful place and definitely worth an afternoon. The scenery is beautiful and the people are very friendly. Have a wonderful trip!

Jerome, We went to Ireland for 8 days during the 1st week in May last year, and not one drop of rain the entire time, I guess we were lucky. Very mild weather, light jacket for some, none for me. Two of our days were in Dublin, which I would not recommend unless you are looking for nightlife. Higher prices and congestion.