March 2012 in Ireland
 

I am considering a trip with my sisters and mom and we are looking to possibly go to Ireland for 5-7 days in March. Is this a good or bad time to be going to Ireland?

I am guessing the weather is not so great in March, but is it so bad we wouldn't enjoy ourselves outdoors at all?

It doesn't have to be Ireland, but I thought that would be an easy flight for all of us. Mom is coming from Switzerland, my sisters from Washington, DC and myself from NY.

I'm considering Spain as well, but anyone have other suggestions?

The silence must mean Ireland is not the place to go in March. So, we'll search some other destinations and save Ireland for a summer trip.

March can be great weather or it can be miserable--just a crapshoot. The days are getting longer and lots of flowers are blooming. Some tourist attractions may still be closed. However, the people will still be friendly and welcoming. there will be a large choice of places to stay and to dine. Prices will definitely be lower.

If you have a choice, I would take some place farther south for March and do Ireland in September,May or June before the real crowds arriveor after they have left. Even mid April is appreciably nicer than March (most of the time).

I hope that you have a great trip, and please keep Ireland on your list! It is a truly wonderful place.

March can be great weather or it can be miserable--just a crapshoot. The days are getting longer and lots of flowers are blooming. Some tourist attractions may still be closed. However, the people will still be friendly and welcoming. there will be a large choice of places to stay and to dine. Prices will definitely be lower.

If you have a choice, I would take some place farther south for March and do Ireland in September,May or June before the real crowds arriveor after they have left. Even mid April is appreciably nicer than March (most of the time).

I hope that you have a great trip, and please keep Ireland on your list! It is a truly wonderful place.

During our visit in early March, we were fortunate to have very good weather. The downside we found was that the small towns and villages were quite dead at that time of year. For example, Dublin was great, but Dingle was pretty much shut up tight. Unless you will be mainly visiting the larger cities, I would advise going closer to the shoulder season.

Agree that March can be a crapshoot weather wise but so can any month. Although a few things may be starting to bloom, It's really late April early May until the trees are covered in leaves and the like. May and September are favorites. Also, 5-7 days is not a lot of time taking into account that driving is pretty slow there unless you are on the motorways, which is the wrong way to see Ireland. If you choose that duration, focus on one area and enjoy rather than trying to see half or even worse, all of the country.

Thanks! So, Ireland is ALWAYS on my list, but I think we'll save that for an April or May trip instead.

If we Do end up doing it, we'd probably only hang out in one spot - either Dublin or down toward the beach coast around Waterford. It's been put to a vote, so we'll see what the majority says.

Consider flying in to Shannon and seeing the west. The scenery is much more spectacular on that side of the country. Waterford would not be my favorite city to visit.

Just wanted to add to two cents, as we spent 10 days in Ireland in March last year and LOVED it. We felt like we had the country to ourselves as there were very few tourists. None of the towns we visited were "closed", just a few restaurants here and there that were closed for the winter. We had great weather, too, which I think was lucky - it only rained one morning and cleared up by the time we got to our destination. True, the countryside wasn't as green as I am sure it is in the summer, but it was still beautiful. And it was cold but not unbearably so.

Ireland in March is lovely, but rather cold (around 8 - 12*C). But there's a lot going on! There's St. Patricks Day on March 17, which is irish national holiday, along with parade and real irish experience. Day is celebrated for the whole week with St Patricks Festival, street entertainers and events happening all over the country!

if you're into this sort of stuff - there's also Alternative Miss Ireland pageant, also known as Gay Christmas :) it's not to miss drag queen competition, half serious, with all profits going to HIV/AIDS related charities around the country.

I couldn't recommend the place enough!