Hi, my husband and I are leaving in a few days for a short trip to Ireland. We are spending a few days in Killarney, Tipperary and then on to Dublin. The weather forecast says rain, which I am upset by but not surprised. Too bad it is so beautiful now. Any adice on what to expect?? Downpours of light showers. Will rain ruin our trip? And finally any suggestions on what to pack for this time of year. What do people wear to dinner or at the pub? Casual I am guessing. Any advice would be great!!

Cheryl

I think rain can ruin your trip if you let it, but it's never ruined one of mine. You don't go to Ireland for the weather, so be prepared and don't take it personally.

Irish forecasts often contain the chance of rain. It could be a light shower, a 5 minute downpour, or a full day of steady rain. Take a good rain coat.

Ireland is very casual. Jeans/khakis are fine in pubs and in most restaurants. You'd want something dressier only if you'll be eating in very upscale places. Dress in layers to accommodate changing weather conditions.

Cheryl, we just returned from a 2-week trip to England and Scotland. A few days before we left the US, I checked the extended forecast for several of the places we were going to visit. They all said the same thing -- rain! I was really depressed, but decided to make the most of it.

When we arrived at London Gatwick on May 8, it was raining lightly and continued on and off during our journey to Chipping Campden where is rained quite heavily into the night. The next morning the rain had stopped but it was still overcast. We drove up to the Lake District (Bowness on Windermere) and it was still cloudy but dry. It rained lightly the 2nd night we were there and then we had mostly sunshine and blue skies for the next 12 days!

So don't get too upset by the weather forecast. They are usually wrong!

We never have downpours of rain like they do in the States. Usually its drizzly but the weather was amazing over the weekend, warm and sunny. The sun is shining in my window at the moment!

We have been to Ireland last year in summer for 10 days. We had a little rain nearly every day and mostly overcast skies. That seemes to be the normal Irish weather but it adds to the charm of the country - it's Ireland not California.